6K Additive expands metal powder production team
December 2, 2020
6K, a developer of microwave plasma technology for the production of advanced materials, headquartered in North Andover, Massachusetts, USA, and its business division, 6K Additive, has expanded its metal powder production team with the addition of four Additive Manufacturing experts.
The company explains that the new members bring extensive knowledge in quality, powder manufacturing and processing, as 6K begins production of its onyx line of AM premium powders at its recently commissioned 3,716 m^2 (40,000 ft$^2$) lights-out facility.
The new AM team members include:
- George Meng, Director of Process for Additive Meng joins 6K from GE Aviation where he developed and industrialised a new powder for Plasma Suspension Spray coating, and a new no-line-of-sight thermal spray process for a large critical Ti-based system. He also worked for GE Power and led the successful development and industrialisation of abradable coatings across different gas turbine engines. Meng won the highest manufacturing engineering award globally at GE Power. Prior to GE, worked at Praxair Surface Technologies, where he was responsible for developing new gas atomised powders. His work included developing new quasi-crystalline powders in collaboration with a Nobel Chemistry Prize recipient.
- John Meyer, Director of Technology, AM Products Meyer joins 6K from Carpenter Technology Corporation where he was responsible for powder technology and process improvement as Principal Metallurgist. He also managed the Powder Metallurgy group for its five powder production facilities worldwide including oversight of new product implementation, process technology integration, and support of Powder Metallurgy. Since 2016, Meyer has served as the Materials Subcommittee chairman for the SAE Aerospace Material Systems – Additive Manufacturing standards and is also a member of the ASM International and American Powder Metallurgy Institute.
- Dave Novotnak, Production Process Manager, AM Products Novotnak has over thirty years of experience in materials and metallurgical engineering. Prior to joining 6K, Novotnak held the position of Senior Materials Engineer at Carpenter Powder Products having spent twenty years in progressing powder manufacturing processes. He also brings direct materials application experience in aerospace having spent fourteen years at Pratt & Whitney as Senior Metallurgical Engineer.
- Joe Muha, Quality Manager, AM Products Muha is a thirty-year veteran in AM powders, having held the position of Principle Powder Metallurgist for Carpenter Powders Products and Quality Engineer. Prior to that, he held the position of Quality Engineer and Chem Lab Supervisor for ATI Powder Metals. Muha also spent fifteen years at Crucible Research where he was responsible for research and quality assurance. “Adding these experienced leaders to the team underpins our strategy of advancing premium powders in the Additive Manufacturing space,” stated Frank Roberts, president of 6K Additive. “Each new member brings deep domain expertise as well as an incredible passion for success, quality and leadership to the team. Their combined 100+ year’s expertise in AM powder, materials engineering and metallurgy will allow us to rapidly achieve the quality and production demands brought about by leading organisations in the medical, aerospace and defence markets who drive the application requirements for advanced materials.”
