JEFFERY
S. SMITH
serves as President and Principal Metallurgical Consultant
for Material Processing Technology LLC (MPT), a firm that he
founded in 2002 to provide metallurgical engineering
consulting services in the field of high temperature
materials and coatings for gas turbine engines. MPT
specializes in technology assessment, process improvement
and product commercialization for gas turbine materials,
coatings and component repair. MPT also provides
intellectual property reviews, technology landscapes, vendor
qualifications, supplier audits, expert witness and
litigation support among other services for clients.
With 30
years of professional experience, Mr. Smith has an in-depth
knowledge of all major aerospace coating systems, investment
casting technologies, turbine component production methods
and repair processes for engine run hardware. He has
extensive experience with research, development and
production introduction of high temperature materials and
coating processes for gas turbine airfoil manufacture. Mr.
Smith is adept at identifying opportunities for improving
process capability and product yield through establishing
appropriate process metrics and engineering control
strategies. He has successfully led process ownership teams
involved with establishment of best practices for superalloy
investment casting processes across multiple domestic and
international manufacturing sites.
He holds
B.S. and M.S. degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from the
University of Wisconsin. Upon completion of his studies, he
joined General Electric’s Aircraft Engine Group in 1978,
working in the areas of advanced material development and
advanced manufacturing processes. From 1983 through 2002 he
held various engineering leadership, technical marketing,
technology management and process ownership positions with
Howmet Corporation (a world leader in superalloy investment
casting production). In these roles he helped to
significantly expand product offerings and enhance process
capability for the casting, coating and repair markets and
improve manufacturing process technologies used for gas
turbine component production.
Among
his professional interests are process development, product
commercialization, and manufacturing process improvement for
gas turbine component manufacture and refurbishment. He is
recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in gas
turbine coating development and manufacture, and has
extensive experience with superalloy investment casting,
brazing, heat treatment, coating and refurbishment
manufacturing operations. He is active as a technical
session organizer for the Manufacturing, Materials and
Metallurgy (3 M) committee of the International Gas Turbine
Institute of ASME and is a past 3 M committee Chairman. He
has served on the National Materials Advisory Board
committee on Coatings for High Temperature Structural
Materials, is a member of ASM Intl Metals Handbook Advisory
Committee and ASTM’s G02 committee on wear and erosion. He
holds ten US patents and has successfully managed the
development and commercialization of numerous technologies
related to gas turbine airfoil manufacture, repair and
coating. He is a member of ASM Intl., TMS-AIME, ASME and
ASTM.
