ON CAMPUS
THE JET CONNECTION: LOCKHEED, FAMU–FSU, AND THE
FUTURE OF FLIGHT
What started in 1994 as an informal dis- facilities. What Lockheed has is the tech- of Engineering has done a wonderful job
cussion between an engineering professor nical experience and practical application of coming up with computer models that
and an aerospace engineering professional knowledge. And when we work together, let you optimize the processing.”
has evolved into a relationship between a we can come up with ideas they may not
college and a company that may alter the have thought of, and we can discuss how The initial contact led to a relationship in
future of air transportation. these might work to solve real problems.” which Lockheed Martin has sometimes
won contracts and brought the school in
That get-acquainted meeting took place At the time of that meeting, Kramer was as a subcontractor on R & D, and cases
at the Florida A & M – Florida State Uni- working under a contract from the US where Wang and his students have won
versity College of Engineering, between Air Force to develop new way to model contracts and hired Lockheed Martin as a
Dr. Ben Wang, then chair of the Depart- and manufacture lightweight composites. subcontractor.
ment of Industrial and Manufacturing The new Florida Advanced Center for
Engineering, and Les Kramer, director Composite Technologies (FACCT) at
and chief technologist at the Missiles and FAMU-FSU offered Lockheed Martin
Fire Control division of Lockheed Martin an unmatched research and development
in Orlando. opportunity. The fast-growing FACCT
would be officially recognized by the
“The FAMU-FSU
state’s Board of Education as a research
institute in 1998, and designated by the
Department of
National Science Foundation as a world-
class research center in 2002.
Engineering has done
“The aerospace business is always
a wonderful job of
interested in lightweight materials,” said
Kramer. They have a wonderful modeling
coming up with
and fabricating facility, and that was the
genesis for our getting involved with
Dr. Ben Wang
computer models that
them.
The US Army, for example, awarded
let you optimize the
“What is unique about their computer FACCT a contract to develop a new mor-
models is that they show they can do a tar tube using composites to replace the
processing.”
particular process in a shorter time and heavy steel. The Center, which employs
much more effectively than with normal about 55 graduate and undergraduate
methods.” students, had the design facilities, said
Wang had come to FAMU-FSU to build Wang, but “Lockheed had expertise such
a center to develop and research compos- This is particularly important in the as thermal analysis – a practical experi-
ite materials and innovative manufactur- development of composites, which entails ence we did not have.”
ing processes, and saw a potential partner applying layers of an epoxy between layers
in Lockheed Martin. He wanted to tell of woven carbon fibers at the molecular “If you fire a mortar round, it generates
Kramer about the College’s pioneering level. heat, and that heat builds up very quickly
efforts in developing new manufacturing as you fire several rounds per minute. So
and testing procedures for lightweight, “The speed with which you can get the Lockheed provided the thermal analysis,
strong, composite materials. He found a epoxy through the fibers, the areas that and we looked into how to make the
ready listener. get wet during the process, the tempera- mortar. What we came up with was a hy-
tures you have to go to to get the viscosi- brid design, using a thin steel lining and
“What we have to offer,” explained Wang ties just right, are all very complex,” said then we wrapped carbon fibers around it.”
“is the theoretical research ability and the Kramer. “The FAMU-FSU Department
http:www.blackengineer.com
USBE & Information Technology I January/February 2007 63
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