The brain drain is real. As new professionals enter the industry, Heat Treat Today is helping to ensure that young and old inquiring minds can connect with and grow from the experiences of high-value industry experts. Get to know Heat Treat Today Consultant: Jon Tirpak.
I am Jon Tirpak, professional metallurgical engineer, fellow and past president of ASM International, chief engineer of Sabattis, LLC, and managing partner of Value Selling Associates. I have decades of metallurgical engineering experience, especially with respect to manufacturing technology research and development in the federal and commercial sectors. I excel at building cross functional teams, establishing lean, sustainable processes, navigating the federal marketplace, and thinking outside of the box. Currently, I am located in Mount Pleasant, SC, but “have ticket, will travel!” I am also available through Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and I would welcome a call.
Jon’s focus is all about creating teams that focus on client-centric processes. He is more than willing to guide clients towards making the necessary, hard choices based on predetermined criteria, all while using a sane selection process. Once, Jon was noted as being the only “adult” in a room of technologists during an investment strategy session. He considers this to be the biggest compliment paid to him.
With over 40 years of experience in metallurgical engineering, Jon has some fantastic stories shrouded in NDAs. But he can share one of his taglines: “You can’t have the alloy without the heat treatment.”
In addition to being a consultant in the heat treat industry, Jon is also an Air Force Veteran. Beginning in 1982, he launched his career at the Air Force Materials Laboratory. His seminal research on fatigue, fatigue crack growth, and fracture toughness testing coupled with other programs promoted the use of aluminum castings in aircraft. Eventually, future research and the continuous improvement of casting alloys and processes coupled with heat treating led to the elimination of the casting factor. His technical reports published in the mid-1980s are still referenced today by researchers around the world.
(Source: USAF)
Jon served as an executive officer within Project Forecast II and focused his expertise on advanced materials and manufacturing in the Plans and Programs Office of the Air Force Materials Laboratory. In addition to his regular duties, Jon served as a test subject in the Air Force’s Dynamic Environment Simulator (DES) or the “Centrifuge.”
With over 40 test and proficiency runs, Jon was a research subject to evaluate new systems battling a phenomenon called G-Induced Loss of Consciousness (G-Loc). This effect occurs when pilots experience the rapid on-set of acceleration (high g-forces) causing a pilot to black out. 8.5 gs was the maximum g-force he experienced in the simulator. Watching Top Gun: Maverick reminded Jon of the graying and blacking out of a pilot subject to these extreme forces. The below photo shows Jon getting suited up for related DES studies and the DES itself which was decommissioned and replaced by the Air Force several years ago.
(Source: Jon Tirpak)
His second assignment at the Ballistic Missile Office availed Jon to work at the Nevada Test Site conducting underground nuclear tests. All in all, his short tours with the Air Force propelled him into the balance of his civilian, industrial career revolving around different metal forming processes and heat treating. Today, he actively supports a client deploying thermal processing technology to replace carburizing.
The future of heat treat lies in two things: passionate people and cybersecurity. Without passionate professionals who see the whole picture and who are willing to contribute and serve clients, business will languish. And don’t underestimate the importance of cybersecurity! An enterprise needs to “build moats,” train employees, and upgrade software and hardware — and then train again!
Know a military veteran serving in heat treat? Let us know so they can join the growing list of Heat Treat Veterans: www.heattreattoday.com/veterans-nomination-page.
