The 2006 Excellence & Innovation Award Winners from Composites Manufacturing Magazine

Excellence is defined in many ways. Webster’s defines it as the quality of being superior or “eminently good.” Composites Manufacturing magazine and the American Composites Manufacturers Association define it the same way, “eminently” innovative or excellent, and feel it should be rewarded. Nominated by their peers, this year’s seven winners of CM Magazine’s Excellence & Innovation awards represent a variety of backgrounds. A panel of expert judges determined the winners, those individuals who demonstrated exemplary performance as a production supervisor, manufacturing employee, composites engineer, and plant or project manager, and those companies who demonstrated “eminent superiority” in developing a manufacturing process, maintaining environmental, safety and health practices, and community stewardship. CM thanks all those who submitted nominations and salutes the companies who stepped up to sponsor this year’s awards.

Excellence as a Production Supervisor
Patrick McGown
Fiberglass Systems
Boise, Idaho

Outstanding supervisors are the liaison between management and production employees. They must keep the production line going and meet output expectations for the company. These are just some of the qualities Patrick McGown possesses that make him an excellent production supervisor. Affectionately referred to as “the gray hairs” by his co-workers for his wealth of knowledge and experience, McGown has worked at Fiberglass Systems (commercially known as Best-Bath Systems) for 20 years. He supervises the accent department, which includes six staff members who are responsible for accenting tiles and shower walls to match any given customer’s color scheme. His duties include the hiring and training of employees who must meet high-level expectations and maintain a high degree of quality workmanship. His staff has a heavy workload, but is able to meet production deadlines due to McGown’s motivational and organizational skills, and the example he sets. “He does not ask them to do anything he is not willing to do himself,” said Fiberglass Systems President Gene Thurston. McGown has consistently demonstrated leadership and highly specialized skills for Fiberglass Systems, most recently accepting a challenging project where he had to dedicate a great deal of time and energy to finish the seam of a solid surface walk-in bathtub door, which he produced at a quality the manufacturing team did not think possible. “His skills have allowed Best Bath Systems to advance to the next level in providing unique high quality bathing products to our customers” added Thurston.

Excellence as a Manufacturing Employee
David Louthian
Appalachian Plastics
Glade Spring, Va.

Superb manufacturing employ¬ees, those who go above and beyond expectations, and are on the front lines of keeping production going, deserve to be recognized, which is why David Louthian was nominated for an E&I award. Louthian has been with Appalachian Plastics (API) for more than 22 years where he has demonstrated an excellent work ethic and commitment to the company. Always leading by example, Louthian works very hard to maintain a high level of quality and takes pride in his work. He has earned the respect of his fellow employees, as well as upper management in the company for both his initiative and company pride. Always punctual, Louthian epitomizes reliability and dedication. He shows a determination to complete every job he takes on and is always willing to put in extra time necessary to complete a project. Allen DeBusk, API general manager notes “He has been essential to the growth of our company for the past 22 years, and is certainly a strong and valuable asset to Appalachian Plastics.” Louthian exceeds expectations by providing strong leadership and unwavering dependability, continually exhibiting his excellence as a manufacturing employee.

Innovation in Composites Engineering
Aaron Leichner
Microcosm
El Segundo, Calif.

First-rate engineers solve serious problems, which is why the Innovation in Composites Engineering award category was added to the E&I program for 2006. Nominees in this category were engineers that dev¬eloped an innovative solution to a particularly obstinate challenge related to composites product development, design, manufacture, and/or testing. The award category’s first recipient is Microcosm’s Lead Structures and Composites Engineer Aaron Leichner. Launch vehicle designers face a crucial, persistent task to decrease the structural weight of the vehicle, with the single largest mass driver of the vehicle being the propellant tanks. Leichner was given the job of decreasing the weight of propellant tanks, while simultaneously increasing the performance of tanks for the Scorpius launch vehicle family currently under development at Microcosm. His job was further complicated because one of the two propellants used is cryogenic liquid oxygen. Leichner and his team had to develop the first ever large-scale, high pressure, all-composite cryogenic liquid oxygen tank. The tank, as designed for the pressure-fed Scorpius vehicles, had to withstand temperature and pressure extremes previously unattainable in a composite vessel of this size (-300 degrees F, 550 psi MEOP, >2000psi burst pressure, >750 gallon liquid capacity). Leichner took an innovative approach in developing the all-composite carbon fiber tank, working with multiple materials vendors to develop a resin system that could withstand extreme temperatures, while implementing a unique design that shortened and isolated cracks to maintain structural integrity. “This award reflects the innovative work and commitment of Aaron Leichner and the other members of the tank development team at Microcosm, as well as new materials technology from Composite Technology Development,” commented Maj. Gen. (ret.) Jack Kulpa, CEO and president of Scorpius Space Launch Company, which now manufactures and markets the tanks developed by Leichner and his team.

Excellence in Plant or Project Management
Will Ingold
Wausaukee Composites
Gillett, Wis.

Plant or Project management requires a special and diverse skill set, and epitomizes the ability to multi-task. All personnel, production, and special tasks must be coordinated with schedule, quality control, and cost. For his ability to perform these tasks exceptionally well, and via his success in returning Wausaukee Composites to target profitability, Will Ingold was awarded the E&I in Plant Management. Ingold joined Wausaukee Composites in September 2004, tasked with turning around a non-profitable company and improving overall productivity. He not only met this challenge, but also boosted overall plant morale. Since October 2004, Ingold and his team have successfully turned around the Wausaukee Composites Gillett plant. In addition to returning the plant to target profitability, Ingold and his team increased average monthly production by 95 percent; achieved growth in production employees of 25 percent; increased direct labor efficiency by 13 percent; and delivered a year-to-date on-time delivery record of 99.3 percent. They also have reduced scrap costs by 50 percent and supply spending by 27 percent.

Innovation in Manufacturing Process
Fiber Dynamics
Wichita, Kan.

Fiber Dynamics, designer and fabricator of complex structural composite components, has received the Innovation in Manufacturing Process Award due to the company’s innovative approach to developing a proprietary Lost Core Resin Transfer Molding Process (LCRTM). The process was initially developed to produce high performance, structurally demanding hollow composite products for the bicycle industry, but is now used for applications in the automotive, aerospace, and other high performance mar¬ kets. The process starts with a proprietary core material formulated to melt and wash out from small openings after the part is molded. The core is wrapped with fabric in the appropriate orientation, and then placed in a mold to be infused with low-viscosity resin. The core is then removed, yielding a product with hollow cavities, high fiber volume, and precise wall thickness. This process yields economical structures that perform under very high stress level, with minimal weight, and al¬ lows for intricate as¬ semblies, including metal details and inserts that are molded in a single operation with no sec¬ ondary bonding or fast¬ ening required. This process has been used for applications in automotive induction systems, aircraft parts, military unmanned vehicles, and motorcycle components. Confederate Motor Company chose Fiber Dynamics to produce fuel tanks and seats for its Helcat bike. Success in this project led to the co-development of the revolutionary Wraith motorcycle. Fiber Dynamic’s LCRTM and RTM processes were used to produce the front forks, frame backbone and seat of the Wraith. The all-composite Wraith motorcycle was featured on the cover of CM’s November/December 2005 issue.

Excellence in Community Stewardship
Strongwell Corporation
Bristol, Va.

The E&I for Community Stewardship is awarded to a company for having a positive and proactive influence on community relations. This year’s winner, Strongwell, was an easy pick for the numerous ways the company engages communities surrounding each of the company’s divisions. Strongwell’s Bristol division supports the local United Way, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bristol, Va. and Tenn. The company also participates in the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life campaign and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s annual Race for the Cure. Strongwell employees serve on the Boys and Girls Clubs board of directors, and organize and gather sponsors for an annual Steak and Burger Dinner, which is a key fundraising event for the organization. Strongwell also donates computers and other materials to local schools and organizations in need. The Bristol division is one of the community’s top contributors in blood donations, and blood drives are held at the company frequently throughout the year. Equally supportive is Strongwell’s Chatfield division, a major sponsor of the Chatfield Community Chest and an active member of the Chatfield Commercial Club. The division sponsors several community and school fundraising activities, and makes donations to community television, the local ambulance service and fire department. The Chatfield division also supports the Chosen Valley Care Center, the Juvenile Arthritis Foundation, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Lions Club, and the Chatfield VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars). “Strongwell encourages employees at all divisions to be active members in their respective communities on an individual level,” reports Strongwell’s Corporate Marketing Manager Glenn Barefoot. “Our employees represent the company in almost every major civic organization imaginable.” These organizations include the Boy Scouts of America, the American Red Cross, the Lions Club, the Rotary Club, the Kiwanis Club, the Junior League, the Jaycees Club, and the YWCA. Strongwell manufactures pultruded fiber reinforced polymer composite structural products, and is headquartered in Bristol, Va., with divisions in Chatfield, Minn. and Abingdon, Va.

Excellence in Environmental, Health, and Safety Practices
Triad Technologies
Syracuse, N.Y.

The ability to comply with industry standards and regulations, or self-imposed environmental, health, and safety standards is growing increasingly difficult, and involves special administrative skills, as well as technical insight. These skills, and six years of research, development, design, prototyping and testing have earned Triad Technologies an Excellence in EH&S Practices Award. With funding assistance from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) coordinated by NYSERDA’s Senior Project Manager of R&D Barry Liebowitz, and with assistance from Anthony G. Hay, asso¬ciate professor of microbiology at Cornell Uni¬versity, a line of en¬gineered bio-furniture has been developed and is currently under test for future commercialization. The project was initially driven by Triad’s need to economically and efficiently meet the current and future OSHA, EPA, and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) requirements for styrene abatement and odor control, but in an environmentally friendly fashion. The new concept uses biofiltration for the capture and control of styrene on the production floor. According to Triad’s research, prevailing biofiltration methods and installations were analyzed for consistency, simplicity, ease of use, industrial suitability, building heat loss, removal efficiency, installation and expansion costs, lifespan, maintenance, and failure modes. None met the criteria required by the company. Based on these drawbacks, Triad defined a new set of engineered biofiltration criteria, and developed a new biofiltration concept. The patented system they created is housed in production floor bio-furniture, such as worktables, dividing walls, wall panels, etc., and air is cycled through the system in a closed loop. Consistent removal efficiencies on the order of 75 percent and above were recorded in lab testing done by Cornell and Triad, and preliminary readings of prototype bio-furniture installed on the production floor showed the average shop floor styrene levels dropped from 30 PPM to 18 PPM with less than half of the initial calculated number of systems installed and operational. Triad is a Syracuse, N.Y.-based manufacturer of custom fiberglass fabricated parts.

Congratulations to all of the 2006 recipients and nominees. For information on the 2007 program and for a nomination form, visit www.cmmagazine.org. This program could not work without the generous support of industry sponsors. Composites Manufacturing would like to thank AOC, Arkema, Ashland, Composites One, Norac, PLA, and Valspar for supporting the composites industry.