Davis Wilson is an experienced and educated welding engineer and metallurgist. He is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector, holds a bachelor’s degree in Welding Engineering from LeTourneau University, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Liberty University. Along with his welding certification, Davis holds a Six Sigma Green Belt. Davis spent time at John Deere and United Launch Alliance as a welding engineer intern, worked at Honeywell FM&T, and is now a welding engineer at Framatome.

One of Davis’s primary focuses is researching temper bead welding and developing models to predict the tempering effect of weld thermal cycles on the martensitic heat affected zone in HSLA forgings. In his career, he is known for his creative thinking and problem solving. Davis has developed processes and parameters for laser powder bed fusion systems on SLM, MLAB, and Renishaw platforms; performed R&D work on microstructural development, innovative processing techniques, and AM specific alloy chemistry development. He has developed and qualified procedures for the following processes: automated and manual GTAW welding, orbital tube welding, electron beam welding, laser beam welding, vacuum furnace brazing, and various resistance welding processes on austenitic stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium.

R&D expertise is another specialty of his and includes overseeing and contributing to projects related to the weldability of various alloys, advanced pulsed gas metal arc welding, modelling of high energy density welding processes, atmospheric effects on molten pools for welding, and additive manufacturing at his previous company.

In order to assess the tempering characteristics of the heat affected zone during a temper bead welding of HSLA steels, Davis designed an experiment to physically simulate a range of welding thermal cycles with Gleeble testing and developed a new approach to calculate the tempering parameter which allows for accurate estimations of hardness and impact energy for a given non-isothermal thermal cycle. This advancement was used to help develop and qualify a field weld repair for a nuclear pressure vessel.

Davis has the ability to connect the metallurgical theories that govern welding and heat treating with the practical application of them in the shop or on site to drive progress and increase quality.

Nominated by: Heat Treat Today, Framatome