Guest Editorial Debbie Holton
SME Interim Managing Director of Industry and Technology
smeSpeaks
Technology Transition: Key Ingredient to Ensuring Manufacturing Innovation Through NNMI Institutes
T
echnology is cool, especially technology that’s currently being developed by manufacturing researchers. These cutting-edge applications, materials and processes are all looking for a way to be integrated into existing manufacturing operations, or possibly spun off into a new company or product. In February, SME hosted a Technology Interchange event in Detroit featuring NASA technologies. The Technology In- terchange featured 25 different NASA technologies that were selected as a good fit for the region by technical experts, and which had the potential to be commercialized by manufactur- ers. During the event, keynote speaker Gregg Peterson from Lotus Engineering (Ann Arbor, MI), talked about his successes in incorporating NASA-developed technology, such as friction spot joining, electromagnetic pulse forming, polymer-matrix nanocomposites, aerogels and more. Peterson had worked closely with the space agency and its technologists to uncover ways to make the Lotus vehicles lighter, faster and more cost- effective to produce.
In the end, the key to Peterson’s success was that he was able to see the potential for implementation—making modifi- cations to the technology that would be needed to incorporate into a manufacturing process, and then ultimately building the business case for use and return on investment (ROI). While advanced manufacturing technology is fascinating, research- ers and scientists often fall in love with the technology itself and its potential, without fully understanding the barriers to widespread use and the actual customer need that it fills. This is where technology transition is incredibly important. The link between business and science is critical in the successful implementation of new technologies and pro- cesses. Perhaps a researcher has developed a revolutionary
new coating that repels water and dissipates heat, but what are the manufacturing issues to be considered if this coating is to be applied by robotic spray technology or the potential use on finished parts? Is there a call for this type of capability in aerospace, automotive or energy? What type of companies manufacture these parts? Could they afford the infrastructure or new equipment needed to utilize this technology? What is the ROI for implementing this technology? What are the certifi- cation processes on the finished part, if any? The most revolutionary technology in the world doesn’t move our industry forward if it doesn’t fill a need in the mar- ketplace. SME creates the conduit for collaboration of manu- facturers, business owners, academics and scientists, which is essential to success in commercializing new technology. SME members share expertise in evolving technologies like additive manufacturing, nanomanufacturing and advanced materials. In addition, SME members are successful business owners and manufacturing practitioners with experience in these fields. These manufacturers have access to a tremen- dous network of manufacturing innovation within the universe of their peers and the connectivity SME provides. This key step of marketplace interaction and technology transition to production will be essential in the success of the latest series of recently announced national manufactur- ing institutes: Next Generation Power Electronics National Manufacturing Innovation Institute (Raleigh, NC); American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII; Canton, MI); and the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII; Chicago). These new institutes join America Makes, the National Additive Manufac- turing Innovation Institute (NAMII; Youngstown, OH), which
April 2014 |
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