February 20, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sciaky teams up with Penn State University and DARPA to advance Direct Digital Manufacturing technology

CHICAGO, IL – Sciaky, Inc., a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) and leading provider of additive manufacturing (AM) solutions, is teaming up with the Applied Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University to advance Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) technology, via funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Under terms of the agreement, a 6,000 square foot Center for Innovative Metal Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D) will be established within the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State to serve as a world-class Manufacturing Demonstration Facility under DARPA's Open Manufacturing initiative.

The mission of the Center as a Manufacturing Demonstration Facility will be to advance and deploy DDM technology for highly engineered and critical metallic systems to the Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. industry through three primary thrust areas, which are:

• advancement and integration of enabling technologies required to exploit DDM process attributes during design and optimize DDM processing conditions for producing qualified components and structures,
• collaboration with industry in the development and transfer of DDM technologies through process selection, demonstration, and validation as a "trusted broker", and
• promotion of DDM technologies through training, education and dissemination of information.

Sciaky, a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries (PSI), will support this initiative with its exclusive Direct Manufacturing (DM) process, which combines additive manufacturing principles, computer-aided design (CAD) and electron beam welding technology. Starting with a 3D model from a CAD program, Sciaky's fully-articulated, moving electron beam gun deposits metal, layer by layer, until the part is ready for finish machining. Depending on the part being manufactured, deposition rates can range from 15 to 40 pounds of metal per hour. To date, it stands as the only commercially-available, large-scale, fully-programmable means of achieving near-net shape parts.

An important aspect of the proposed Center will be the development and use of design and simulation tools that enable industry participants the opportunity to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of DDM technology prior to and during manufacturing demonstrations. The ability to utilize these functions within an integrated system, having a high degree of interoperability, will offer the most advanced array of tools for evaluating potential components and processes in the industry applicable to direct digital manufacturing. This approach draws upon the strength of the U.S. technology base in virtual networking and advanced engineering systems to deploy a disruptive technology that will provide an immediate impact on the suitability, affordability and availability of critical components throughout industry, as well as the exploitation of innovative designs and materials not possible using traditional manufacturing methods.

"We are excited about the opportunity to work with Penn State and DARPA to push the boundaries of Direct Manufacturing," said Mike Riesen, General Manager of Sciaky, Inc. "I'm confident that this initiative will offer further proof that American innovation is alive and well."

Last December, Sciaky entered a DoD Mentor-Protégé Agreement with Lockheed Martin to expand its Direct Manufacturing technology for the possible use of manufacturing titanium components for the F-35 military aircraft.

December 5, 2011


Sciaky enters U.S. Department of Defense Mentor-Protégé Agreement with Lockheed Martin to further expand its Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing capabilities

Chicago, Illinois – Sciaky, Inc., a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) that provides advanced welding systems and services, has entered a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Mentor-Protégé Agreement with the Aeronautics business area of global security giant Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT].

With assistance from the DoD Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program, Sciaky, a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries (PSI), has developed an innovative manufacturing process to build or repair metal parts called Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing, which combines additive manufacturing (AM) principles, computer-aided design (CAD) and electron beam welding technology. Starting with a 3D model from a CAD program, Sciaky's fully-articulated, moving electron beam gun deposits metal, layer by layer, until the part is ready for finish machining. Depending on the part being manufactured, deposition rates can range from 15 to 40 pounds of metal per hour. To date, it stands as the only commercially-available, large-scale, fully-programmable means of achieving near-net shape parts.

The DoD and the manufacturing industry have identified Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing technology for repair and discrete part production as a "game changer," meaning it could redefine and advance the current state-of-the-art in aerospace manufacturing.

Under the Mentor-Protégé Agreement, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics will help Sciaky expand the manufacturing capacity and management infrastructure to deliver affordable, high quality, innovative titanium raw material pre-forms in quantities that will support future DoD and prime contractor needs. The initial focus of this agreement will be on manufacturing titanium structural components for Lockheed Martin's F-35 aircraft program.

"While the early focus is going to be F-35, we ultimately plan to implement Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing technology across the breadth of our aircraft product lines to improve affordability and lead-time for titanium structures," said Brian Rosenberger, Affordability Lead for Improvements & Derivatives at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

Established in 1939, Sciaky has delivered over 450 Electron Beam Welding Systems and currently staffs 55 employees. Their 140,000 square foot facility is well equipped for research and development, design engineering, computer hardware and software development, manufacturing and testing of welding systems.

"Partnering with Sciaky aligns with our company focus on performance, relevance, and affordability. They bring innovation and creativity and an emphasis on cost, schedule and quality – essential elements of meeting our customers' requirements," said Tom Simmons, Vice President of Supply Chain Management for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

Morehouse College, a historically black college/university, will support the agreement through its Entrepreneurial Center in Atlanta, Ga., with training, mentoring and consultancy to Sciaky in Enterprise/Manufacturing Resource Planning. In addition, the University of Texas at El Paso will provide Quality Systems process training to Sciaky as part of the agreement.

The DoD Mentor-Protégé Program, established in 1991, assists small businesses (protégés) in competing for prime contract and subcontract awards by partnering with large companies (mentors) under individual, project-based agreements.

"We are honored to be partnered with Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force in this exciting Mentor Protégé collaboration. The scope of this agreement will enable all parties to improve their respective value streams by improving supply chain efficiency and deploying cutting edge technology to support efficient defense manufacturing," said Mike Riesen, general manager of Sciaky.