Organized by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, or SME, AeroDef Manufacturing—set to kick off April 5-7, 2011 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.—will offer the most comprehensive exposition and technical conference for aerospace, defense and space executives ever staged, sponsors said. In preparation, SME recently appointed seven executive committee members for the event. These include: Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Bell Helicopter, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, NCDMM.
The expo will include the following technology zones:
- Advanced Materials
- Digital Manufacturing
- Electronics
- Finishing & Coatings
- Integrated Assembly
- Precision Manufacturing
- Quality, Measurement & Inspection
- Supplier Strategies
“The country’s leading OEMs are working with SME to make AeroDef Manufacturing the place for industry executives to get up to date and collaborate on the future of aerospace and defense manufacturing in the U.S.,” said Dave Morton, AeroDef show manager. “SME and the executive committee will stress the importance of technology and innovation to the future of the industry in the AeroDef education sessions, panel speakers and keynote addresses.”
AeroDef Manufacturing will include demonstrations of innovative, enabling technologies and advanced, integrated systems for manufacturing in the military and commercial aerospace, defense and space industries. Educational sessions will have a heavy emphasis on what the industry needs to know to move forward in advancing U.S. aerospace and defense manufacturing.
Executive committee members, representing the commitment of their companies to make AeroDef Manufacturing cutting edge in terms of educational sessions and demos of the latest aerospace and defense manufacturing technologies and integrated systems, include:
Dean Bartles PhD.
VP & GM Large Caliber Ammunition
General Dynamics – Ordnance and Tactical Systems Division
Jim Calas
Sector Director, Manufacturing Engineering Operations
Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
Dianne Chong
VP of Assembly, Factory and Support Technologies, Boeing Engineering, Operations & Technology
The Boeing Company
Ralph Resnick
VP & Chief Technology Officer, Director Corporate Development and Manufacturing Consortium
National Center for Defense Manufacturing & Machining
Bill Saathoff
Director, Production Engineering & Technology
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Paul Oldroyd
Technical Fellow
Manufacturing Engineering Process Development
Engineering Department
Bell Helicopter Textron
Arlene Dabbs Director
Advanced Manufacturing Engineering SAS Operations
Raytheon
Committee members are enthusiastic about the new expo. “Our government customers are looking for radical changes in the way business is done, so we’ll be sending our manufacturing technology group,” said Bill Saathoff, Director, Production Engineering & Technology, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. “I look forward to AeroDef to tell the industry what we really need.”
Jim Calas, Sector Director, Manufacturing Engineering Operations, Northrop Grumman Aerospace, agrees. “Having the major aerospace defense companies involved in the planning process will take this event to the next level.”
Online registration for AeroDef Manufacturing is now open.
