Aerospace Defense Forum

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“Advanced Manufacturing Technology for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter”

“Advanced Manufacturing Technology for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter”f-35-production-line-2

Dallas-Ft. Worth Chapter November 17 meeting

The F-35 Lightning II is the newest 5th generation fighter entering the fleets of the US Air Force, Marines, and Navy as well as many of our allies over the next few years. The program is preparing to transition to rate production and is uber-focused on Affordability. Manufacturing Technology is one of the key Affordability enablers for the program including the use of automated drilling equipment, robotic coatings, and non-contact metrology.

Please join us in Arlington on Thursday, November 17, (networking at 7:00am, meeting 7:30–9:00am), when Dr. Don Kinard, Senior Technical Fellow, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Production Operations with give a brief overview of the program and discuss some of the manufacturing technologies being applied.

The meeting is free for all. For more information and to register to attend the meeting, go to http://adfdfwnov16.eventbrite.com.

Click here for more information about and to join The Aerospace & Defense Forum.

The Dallas-Ft. Worth Chapter is sponsored by BellNunnally and the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI).

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“The Air Force Space Command’s Space Enterprise Vision (SEV)”

“The Air Force Space Command’s Space Enterprise Vision (SEV)”sev

Los Angeles Chapter meeting on October 21

There is a concern that the current space enterprise is not resilient enough to be successful in a conflict that extends to space, that current stove piped PoR are unable to survive a war in space with near peer adversaries. It was recognized that we need a future enterprise that can deter, and if necessary prevail, in a war that extends into space.

In August 2015 the Air Force Space Command Commander, Gen Hyten, commissioned a study aimed at charting a new vision for the Air Force space enterprise. Among other findings, the study concluded that “Most US military space systems are not designed with threats in mind and instead are built for long-term functionality and efficiency with systems operating for decades”

Please join us in Los Angeles on Friday, October 21, 2016, 7:30am – 9:00am PDT (networking at 7:00am), when Thomas A. Fitzgerald, Director of Engineering, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base will talk about SEV Key new focus areas:
• Pursuit of better forecasting, detection and attribution of attacks in a more timely manner
• Movement from just Space Situational Awareness and tracking objects in space to having appropriate defensive and offensive responses and converting many current blue suite tasks to commercial providers, freeing them to “warfight”

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $40 for non-members ($30 Early Bird until October 14). For more information and to register to attend the meeting in person or for free via the web, go to https://adflaoct16.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Los Angeles chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Moss Adams, CohnReznick, Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Mitchell, the 62 Mile Club, and UK Department for International Trade.

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“How 8A Companies Survive in the Federal Market”

“How 8A Companies Survive in the Federal Market”

Plant in hand on white background

Arizona Chapter October 13 meeting

The 8(a) Business Development Program is a business assistance program for small disadvantaged businesses. The 8(a) Program offers a broad scope of assistance to firms that are owned and controlled at least 51% by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

Please join us in Phoenix, AZ on Thursday, October 13, 2016, (networking at 7:00am, meeting 7:30–9:00am), when Jonathan (Woody) Woodruff, President and CEO, ORSA Technologies LLC, will describe how the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program helping small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the marketplace opens new potential markets for business in Aerospace and Defense.

The meeting is free for all. For more information and to register to attend the meeting, go to http://adfazoct16.eventbrite.com.

Click here for more information about and to join The Aerospace & Defense Forum.

The Arizona Chapter of The A&D Forum is sponsored by Moss Adams and National Bank of Arizona.

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Knowledge-based Automation for the Next Industrial Revolution

picture1-icKnowledge-based Automation for the Next Industrial Revolution

Dallas-Ft. Worth Chapter October 13 meeting

Automation science in the post-renaissance era has revolutionized the manufacturing, operations, and services by making them faster, cheaper, better, and safer. Mobility and manipulability are the two widespread applications of robotic automation in the industrial era. Historically these domains have been treated separately, where the mobile robots are seen as the primary enablers of unmanned systems while robotic manipulators branch into the manufacturing sector. Only a few highly specific areas, such as mining and construction vehicles, specialty defense machines, witness the combination of both. Furthermore, these implementations require high skill human supervision and/or operation. Multi-robot cooperative operation is also a rarity in such areas. These issues warrant for new techniques for rapid deployment, accelerated training, and safe operations in multi-agent scenarios.

Additionally, increasing growth in today’s product complexity and diversity, shrinking product life cycles, and intensifying cost competitions in the global market emphasize the need for new manufacturing paradigms that can swiftly and inexpensively adapt to the rapidly changing production demands. Such a radical shift from conventional rule-based automation to novel knowledge-based automation is best brought forth through flexible, intelligent, and cooperative robotics that can adapt to the varying system dynamics, planned and unplanned, and allow easy and quick reconfiguration of the manufacturing framework for on-demand production. Extremely useful in today’s market, this approach is even more indispensable for the sustainability of rate-independent or low volume manufacturing, especially in early stages of new product development.

The on-going research and development in the Autonomous and Intelligent Systems division at the UT-Arlington Research Institute aims to bring in a disruptive transformation in the field of dynamic multi-robot deployment and control optimization and execution.

Please join us in Arlington on Thursday, October 13, (networking at 7:00am, meeting 7:30–9:00am), when Aditya N. Das, Ph.D., Lead, Autonomous and Intelligent Systems Division, UTARI, will present on the above topic, and then take us on a tour that will show (1) multi-robot cooperative control, and (2) modular hybrid manufacturing

The meeting is free for all. For more information and to register to attend the meeting, go to http://adfdfwoct16.eventbrite.com.

Click here for more information about and to join The Aerospace & Defense Forum.

The Dallas-Ft. Worth Chapter is sponsored by BellNunnally and the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI).

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“What Aerospace Suppliers Need to Know about Cloud Computing”

“What Aerospace Suppliers Need to Know about Cloud Computing”man-w-cloud-questions

Aerospace & Defense Forum Meeting in Torrance, CA on October 13

Most of us have heard of “the cloud,” but for many the whole concept is still surrounded by confusion. This session seeks to clarify a range of key ideas and principles around Cloud Computing and help you make sense of it all. This is an issue that aerospace suppliers and organizations will continue to grapple with even more in the coming months and years, so we are offering this presentation to help prepare you better for that journey.

Cloud computing enables a fundamental paradigm shift in how businesses deploy and deliver computing services. In order to appreciate the true value of the cloud, it is important to fully understand some of the myths surrounding its adoption. This session will also clarify the confusion surrounding many of those myths.

Please join us in Torrance on Thursday, October 13, 2016, 7:30am – 9:00am PDT (networking at 7:00am), when Aaron Johnson, Business Development Manager, Tribridge and Gary Rubenstein, Managing Partner, Rubenstein / Justman Management Consultants, will address these and other questions. Aaron will be discussing these concepts in general terms and not focusing on any one option or offering. A number of Gary’s clients have deployed solutions in the cloud, and he will offer a perspective on how to approach a cloud deployment of a solution if you ever face that kind of initiative within your operation.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $40 for non-members ($30 Early Bird until October 6). Advanced registration is required. For more information and to register to attend the meeting, go to http://adfsboct16.eventbrite.com.

Click here for more information about and to join The Aerospace & Defense Forum.

The South Bay Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Moss Adams, Community Bank, and California Manufacturing Technology Consulting.

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“What the A&D Industry is learning from Automotive”

“What the A&D Industry is learning from Automotive”northrup-f-25-assembly-line

Orange County Chapter meeting on October 6

Many of the large A&D contractors are changing the way they do business to better compete in the increasingly competitive Defense market.

Please join us in Irvine on Thur, Oct 6, 7:30– 9:00am PDT (networking at 7:00am), when Ryan Blanchette, Director, Supply Chain and General Manager, Mexico operations, Cobham Advanced Electronics Systems, will discuss how the automotive business processes are influencing the changing landscape at Cobham from organizational/hiring enhancements to advance quality planning, strategic sourcing and cost modeling. Ryan will also comment on the impacts of FAR, DFAR and ITAR in Cobham’s daily business.

The meeting is free for members & $40 for non-members ($30 until Sept 29). Click here to register to attend the meeting

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Orange County chapter is sponsored by D.A. Davidson & Co., Moss Adams, and Hein & Associates.

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“Strategy: Is It Time for a Gut-Check?”

Strategy-Small“Strategy: Is It Time for a Gut-Check?”

San Diego Chapter meeting on September 27

Are you frustrated by the plateaus you have reached with your business and just can’t seem to figure out how to get to the next level?

Please join us on Tuesday, September 27 (networking: 5:30-6:15pm, meeting: 6:15-7:45pm PST), when Timothy Gendreau and Susan Wayo of The Gendreau Group will take us through a “Strategic Gut-Check”, which will have you begin to view your business and strategy through a different lens. In this presentation, you will learn what strategy is and what it is not. You will be provided with valuable insights into revenue and growth strategy support and gain a better understanding as to the:
• Failures of Strategic Thinking
• Failures of Strategy Development
• Failures of Strategy Execution

The A&D Market over the last thirty to forty years has been very dynamic with many changes to structure, companies and business models.

In this current era of sequestration, budget uncertainties and shifting priorities; how we define strategy, how we can look at strategy, and the consequences of poorly conceived or poorly executed strategies will ultimately determine the rate of our growth or our decline.

Benefits of attending:
• Understanding the difference between strategy and planning
• Understanding the 5 critical questions for any business strategy
• Learning the difference between obstacles and roadblocks
• Beginning to understand how to grow revenues from existing technologies, products, services and markets
• Get an idea how much money your company is leaving on the table

The meeting is free for members & $40 for non-members ($30 Early Bird until September 20). For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfsdsep16.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The San Diego chapter is sponsored by Moss Adams, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, LevitZacks, and Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton.

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Airshows: How to successfully navigate the “Flying Circus”

Airshows: How to successfully navigate the “Flying Circus”Airshow picture

Dallas-Ft. Worth Chapter September 8 meeting

The excitement and overwhelming circus of airshows and global supply chain events can be a daunting task for anyone. Participation at these events is a critical success factor for any business, but determining your company’s costs, participation, and preparation in order to maximize your return is too often overlooked. Expectations can fall short without proper preparation and the return on your investment may appear a waste, resulting in diminished interest in future events, ultimately resulting in missed opportunities to further develop your crucial business relationships.

Learning how to define your objectives and, sufficiently preparing for and conducting meetings are just a few elements of effective airshow strategy. Too often the participant shows up on the first day, unsure what to expect, with a logistical nightmare of overbooked meetings, only to be late to half, no-shows for the other half, and unable to call the customer/supplier because the phone service disconnected halfway through the morning coffee rush.

Airshows and supply chain events are typically described in one of two ways: (1) the amazing experience with successful meetings and champagne filled receptions, or (2) the dreadful horror stories of logistics nightmares, hours-long waits to get back to the hotel, and soaking wet shoes resulting in a week’s worth of blisters, with mediocre-at-best meetings where it seems that you’re not getting anywhere…

How can you make your experience more of the former and less of the latter?

Please join us in Arlington on Thursday, September 8, (networking at 7:00am, meeting 7:30–9:00am), when Michael Shields, Vice President, Safran North America Purchasing will share a recap of lessons learned, guidance and recommendations from his years of experience working in Purchasing and Supply Chain and attending countless airshows and events – for the before, during and after – to help make these events throughout the year a meaningful part of your business, and to maximize your investment when attending these air shows.

The meeting is free for all. For more information and to register to attend the meeting, go to http://adfdfwsep16.eventbrite.com.

Click here for more information about and to join The Aerospace & Defense Forum.

The Dallas-Ft. Worth Chapter is sponsored by BellNunnally and the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI).

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Getting Up Close and Personal – Tales of Water/Waste Systems

“Getting Up Close and Personal – Tales of Water/Waste Systems”Lavatory Door with question mark
A Tour of Zodiac Water & Waste Aero Systems

Aerospace & Defense Forum Meeting in Carson, CA on September 14

Have you ever wondered what happens with water and waste during your flight? Is waste discarded into the sky? How are water and waste systems on aircraft maintained so that passengers can fly comfortably? Well, you’re not the only one. Grab your bags (and some hand sanitizer) as we take you through the bowels of the aircraft’s water and waste systems.

Join us in Carson on Wednesday, September 14, 7:30am – 9:00am, when David Conrad (Zodiac Aerospace Water & Waste) will show us how good water and waste systems play a pivotal role in ensuring a positive passenger experience. So sit back, enjoy the ride and find out what really goes on behind-the-scenes and the truth behind lavatory urban myths and legends!

The meeting is free for members (exclusive access until Aug 24) ($40 for non-members, $30 Early Bird). Advanced registration is required. For more information and to register to attend the meeting, go to http://adfsbsep16.eventbrite.com. Registration is limited to 25 attendees and closes Sept 7, 7:30am.

Click here for more information about and to join The Aerospace & Defense Forum.

The South Bay Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Moss Adams, Community Bank, and California Manufacturing Technology Consulting.