The Long and Winding Road

A recent Department of Defense agreement points to EBDM as a promising new technology that could potentially change the world of machining high-value parts.

“Lockheed Martin Aeronautics selected Sciaky to become a protégé company because of their outstanding quality, delivery and service attitude,” declared Tom Simmons, the Lockheed Martin vice president of supply chain management. “Through this partnership, we will mentor Sciaky in the development of their Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing capability, with the expectation that we can eventually apply this technology for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, our nation’s largest and most important defense program.”

Applause rang through the facility during this centerpiece announcement of the April 12 ceremony I attended in Chicago that highlighted the establishment of a U.S. Department of Defense Mentor-Protégé agreement between Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. (Bethesda, MD) and Sciaky, Inc. (Chicago, IL). “Sciaky is very proud to be a partner with Lockheed Martin in the DoD’s Mentor-Protégé Program,” responded Mike Riesen, the general manager of Sciaky. “This agreement aligns with our long-term strategic goals of improving supply chain efficiency and deploying cutting edge technology to support efficient aerospace manufacturing.”

The DoD Mentor-Protégé Program is the pre-eminent program within the Federal government for the transformation of a small business firm with high potential to a firm able to perform well as a prime contractor or subcontractor. Established in 1991, the program helps small disadvantaged businesses (protégés) compete for prime and subcontract awards by partnering with large companies (mentors) under individual, project-based agreements.

The program is a way to share best practices and enhance skill sets, technology and opportunities for small businesses. During the mentor-protégé relationship, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics will assist and guide Sciaky in the further development and refinement of the manufacturing and management processes needed to better serve its key aerospace, defense and commercial markets.

Officials attending the ceremony included Bedford Park Mayor Dave Brady, Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, State Senator Steven Landek, Paul Simpkins, DoD assistant director and program manager of the mentor-protégé program, and other local government officials. Sciaky was represented by Riesen and company president Scott Phillips. Hosting the ceremony were Lockheed Martin’s Simmons and Steve O’Bryan, the vice president of F-35 program integration.

While listening to each speaker at the podium and every executive I spoke with personally refer to electron beam direct manufacturing (EBDM) as either a “game changer” or “disruptive” technology, I was suddenly taken back in time to another event where a relatively new technology was introduced in those exact same terms: February 2000 at the Metalform show in Nashville, TN, was my first exposure to a then-revolutionary process being described by some as “rapid protoyping” and marketed by others as “rapid manufacturing” that was going to radically change the world of metalworking.