Monday, March 10, 2014

Speakers at the CSCA National Conference on Thursday, March 13th.

          by Brian Orlotti

Space manufacturing, the production of goods in an environment outside of a planet’s atmosphere, has always been understood to have advantages over Earth-based industry. Space’s micro-gravity and vacuum allow for industrial processes not easily reproduced on Earth.

But now, new techniques in computer-aided design, solid free form fabrication (including 3D printing), selective laser sintering and other fast developing technologies promise to not only revolutionize Earth-based manufacturing, but space exploration as well.

What can space companies learn from domestic manufacturers today? What are the timelines, constraints, costs and opportunities for profit in this field and what can the manufacturing industry learn from space entrepreneurs? On March 13th , experts from government, industry, finance and academia will gather in Toronto at the 2014 Canadian Space Commerce Association Annual Conference to find answers to these questions.

Our current speaker lineup includes:
2014-LvA_headshot_smallLou van Amelsvoort – The president of Space 1 Systems Inc., Mr. van Amelsvoort worked previously at Canadian Arrow, a privately funded 1st generation NewSpace firm as their first director of spacecraft development. In 2009 Mr. van Amelsvoort founded Space 1 Systems Inc., a Canadian based, 2nd generation NewSpace company. He will be discussing the “fundamental methodologies” which NewSpace companies can utilize to best position themselves for success.
Alex BabutAlex Babut - Computer engineer and co-founder of Enceladus Imaging, a company focused on bringing high dynamic range capabilities to regular cameras, and which is currently a part of the TechnoLABS incubator at the University of Toronto. He’ll be speaking on the topic of “HDR – Revealing What Your Camera Can Really See.”
Mark BarfootMark Barfoot - As managing Director of Hyphen, which focuses on rapid prototyping, and a key member of the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG), Barfoot educates others on the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies. He’ll be discussing the variety of design considerations and prototyping methods available through additive manufacturing as part of his demonstration on ”How 3D printing is being incorporated into manufacturing parts for space.”

Alex Barlow
Alex Barlow - The business development manager for Mentor Works Inc. Barlow is a specialist in government grants and loans who works with executives and business owners develop a strategic approach to government funding, and supports the writing of grant applications. She’ll be discussing “Government funding as a cash flow tool for aerospace start-ups.”

DrewCox_smlDrew Cox – An inventor and developer who (along with Adam Brandejs and Trevor Townsend) created and crowd-funded the Matterform affordable high-resolution 3D scanner. He’s also a self described marketing “mad scientist” who has helped build mammoth brands such as Labatt, Budweiser, Audi, Honda, and Coca-Cola. He’ll be discussing "practical scanning applications in current and future space endeavours."

Stewart Davis
Stewart Davis – The chief of operations for the CRP Group USA. CRP Group offers automobile, racing and aerospace aerospace clients the advantages in hi-tech machining and 3D printing that few others can provide. He will discuss recent successes in parts fabrication for space missions including those for the collaborative KySat-2 project, in conjunction with students at the University of Kentucky, Morehead State University and in conjunction with Kentucky Space, along with Canadian projects organized through the UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory.
Rob GodwinRobert Godwin - The owner and founder of Apogee Space Books and the Space Curator at the Canadian Air & Space Museum has written or edited over 100 books including the award winning series “The NASA Mission Reports.” He will be outlining new projects with NASA and discussing a unique, Canadian developed, content delivery container for space science and other publications and databases.

Estelle
Estelle Havva – As aerospace sector team lead and industrial technology adviser at the National Research Council, Industrial Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), Havva has a background as a technology and financial consultant and advised one of South Korea’s largest companies on raising a global venture fund. She’ll be discussing how to access sources of non-dilutive, non-reimbursable funding for innovative technology projects as part of her presentation on “Federal Government Investments in Innovative Technologies.”
David MacKinnonDavid MacKinnon – A research officer with the National Research Council of Canada’s Measurement Science and Standards division. MacKinnon is also an executive member of the ASTM E57 subcommittee on non-contact 3D imaging systems and a member of the Standards Council of Canada’s review committee for the ISO/TC213 on Dimensional and Geometric Product Specifications and Verification. He’ll be speaking on the topic of “The NRC and current status of standards development for 3D imaging systems.”
Andy Pratico bAndy Pratico – The business development manager for Synergy Resources, a firm focused on providing the expertise, guidance and training required to make full use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for new and existing manufacturing processes and technologies. He’ll be speaking on the topic of “Aligning your ERP evaluation with your manufacturing methodologies.”
pustovyi
Yaroslav “Yarko” Pustovyi - The backup payload specialist for STS-87 Space Shuttle Columbia mission in 1997. In 2003 he joined a Canadian entry to the X-Prize competition and has been actively involved in the NewSpace industry ever since. Dr. Pustovyi will talk about his mission training experience at NASA as well as present his view on the future of the payload specialist astronaut profession in the new era of commercial spaceflight.

Brett SlaneyBrett Slaney – A patent agent at the Blakes Law Firm, with expertise in the area of patent drafting and prosecution, portfolio management, and opinion work regarding patentability, infringement, and validity and a practice focusing on patent-related issues in the software, electrical, and mechanical fields, with particular emphasis on multidisciplinary systems. Slaney will be talking on the topic of “IP Issues and 3D Printing.”
Nicole VerkindtNicole Verkindt - The CEO of Toronto based OMX Marketplace, an online platform to connect Canadian businesses with OEMs and track economic benefits to Canada. Verkindt will be speaking about the new Federal Defence Procurement Strategy and how the government plans to leverage a changed “value proposition” plan to drive increased investments into industrial technologies in the defence, aerospace and space sectors, what this means for the space industry and how space companies, particularly those with innovative technologies, can get involved.
Peter VisscherPeter Visscher – The space and robotics manager for Ontario Drive and Gear (ODG). With the expertise his firm has developed building the Canadian Artemis Jr. lunar rover to meet the requirements of NASA’s Regolith & Environment Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) project, expected to hunt for water, ice and other lunar resources, Mr. Visscher will talk about the hardware and the manufacturing techniques available in Canada today.
Mihaela VlaseaMihaela Vlasea - As a researcher at University of Waterloo, Vlasea is working on an additive manufacturing 3D printing system capable of producing parts with a controlled porous internal architecture and complex external shape for applications ranging from bone implants to lightweight materials for aerospace uses. She will be speaking on the topic of “Additive manufacturing – from bionic bones to functionally customized materials.”

Brian Orlotti.
Further conference details and registration can be found at http://spacecommerce.ca/events/2014-csca-national-conference.

Come join the CSCA as we discuss the tools and techniques that will literally shape our future.
____________________________________________________________

Brian Orlotti is a Toronto-based IT professional and the treasurer of the Canadian Space Commerce Association (CSCA).

No comments:

Post a Comment

Support our Patreon Page