high mix manufacturing

Manufacturing and Operations Strategy Consultants

Fujitsu Compound Semiconductors, Inc.

 DEHART CONSULTING has structured a strategic and innovative relationship between Fujitsu's corporate entity in Japan, its US counterpart in San Jose, and a foundry supplier in southern California that will serve as the foundation of a world class domestic operation... 


Gene Brannock, Executive Vice President Fujitsu Compound Semiconductor, Inc.

Colin Fletcher

colin fletcher

Colin Fletcher

Professional Experience

  • Selection and definition of materials, coatings, and processes, particularly for aerospace applications,
  • Metallurgy and Materials & Processes (M&P) Engineering
  • Process development and troubleshooting
  • Mechanical and corrosion testing of materials
  • Development and characterization of alloys
  • Facilitating interactions with suppliers and processors
Mr. Fletcher is a senior advanced materials engineer with specific expertise and experience in the aerospace industry. Having worked on assignments at Honda Aircraft Company, Bell Helicopter, and Virgin Galactic, his knowledge of metallurgy and materials & process engineering is extensive. He has established metallurgical laboratories and associated capabilities from the ground up and performed metallurgical analyses with tools such as microhardness, hardness, optical microscopy (metallography), and SEM. His activities began in 2007 and included the following accomplishments:
  • Design for Manufacturing reviews of engineering drawings and guide design for appropriate material selection (e.g. alloy, plate, forging, casting, extrusion, etc.), heat treatment, corrosion protection/compatibility of parts and hardware, and producibility
  • Technical resource for forging, corrosion protection, cold working of holes, materials testing, heat treatment, cold spray repair, thermal spray, castings, welding (BPS, AWS D17.1), additive manufacturing, HVOF, surface treatments, and general metallurgy (aluminum, magnesium, steel, titanium)
  • Developed test plans and executed test programs to characterize behavior of alloys and processes for use on aircraft, including allowable generation using standard MMPDS methods. Programs involve design of specimens & fixtures, processing (e.g. heat treatment, coatings), and testing (e.g. corrosion, tensile, fatigue, crack growth, fracture toughness)
  • Improved production efficiency, cost, and lead time through optimization of process specifications and materials and processes design requirements
  • Gained experience working with a variety of aluminum, magnesium, steel, titanium, and exotic alloys
  • Audited suppliers to Process Specifications for metal and surface processing, heat treatment, materials testing, and quality systems (Bell/AS9100/ISO9001), and subsequently reviewed and supported root cause and corrective action resulting from supplier audits
  • Voting member on Nadcap Materials Testing Laboratories (MTL) committee while developing audit checklists and supplier RCCA review and approval
  • Served as lead engineer for research & development projects in variety of areas such as aluminum and lithium alloys, metal matrix composites, corrosion resistant steels, anti‐fretting coatings, gear steels, additive manufacturing, welding, and cold spray repair
  • Completed the FAA Engineering Designee Initial Training
  • Granted patents for metallurgical hardening processes
Mr. Burns is currently working on his Phd in Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina State University

Certifications

Professional Engineer (NC #049973)
AWS Certified Welding Inspector (#16120371), D17.1 Endorsement (Exp. 12/1/22)
FCC Amateur Radio License, General Class (KG5ASD)

Education

North Carolina State University, 2021 – Present (Current Part‐Time Student)
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
North Carolina State University, May 2011
Master of Materials Science & Engineering
North Carolina State University, May 2006
B.S., Materials Science and Engineering

Patents

Precipitation Hardening Steel with Improved Toughness and Method
     US Patent Pending (14/038,229)
     EP2853608, CA2862600 granted September 2017