NEW YORK–Protecting the lives of tomorrow’s American soldiers requires rapid
transfer of technologies from other industries to military applications,
according to Alcoa (NYSE:AA) executive Dr. Eric (Rick) Winter.
Speaking at the 47th Sagamore Army Materials Research
Conference this week in St. Michaels, Md., Winter said, “The current
climate of unconventional warfare is creating unprecedented stress on
military systems and material. The need to deploy forces around the
world at a moment’s notice places a premium on efficient, robust
systems, which in turn drives the desire for ever lighter and stronger
materials to create these systems.
“To meet this challenge, the technical community must rely on a mixture
of proven technologies and materials applied in new and/or unique ways,
including the more extensive use of known lightweight, high-strength
materials such as aluminum.”
Winter is director of the development laboratories at Alcoa Technical
Center, the largest light metals research laboratory in the world. He
spoke during the first day of the four-day conference, which focuses on
advanced lightweight metals technology. For the past 30 years, Winter
has worked in a variety of markets that have benefited from
lightweighting.
“Across industries as diverse as automotive, commercial aerospace,
consumer packaging and oil & gas exploration, there is a common need for
lighter, more efficient systems that reduce energy consumption while
delivering on the intended mission,” Winter said.
His presentation detailed a number of examples where Alcoa technologies
originally invented for a specific product were later adapted for
another marketplace, greatly reducing the time to market and development
costs for customers.
The prestigious Sagamore Army Materials Research Conference started in
1954 and has gained wide recognition as a pioneering meeting of
materials science and engineering. The primary focus is to bring
together scientists and engineers from Army laboratories, industry and
universities for in-depth reviews and discussion of important subjects
to the Department of the Army, often leading to early applied research
direction for Army programs. The conference’s name stems from the
location it was first held, Sagamore Lake, NY.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated
aluminum and alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum
industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the
aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial
transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the
past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled
products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels,
fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building
systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as
titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral
part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and
engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index for eight consecutive years and approximately
75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in
active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 59,000 people in 31
countries across the world. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.