A career journey from coatings to automated repairs and 3D printing with cold spray

Cold spray technology is a solid-state deposition technique that utilizes a supersonic jet stream to accelerate particles and impact them onto solid surfaces, resulting in a deposit formed through severe and localized plastic deformation. This process can be considered "additive manufacturing" in nature, as it adds material onto a surface. However, to truly qualify as additive manufacturing, the material must be grown into specific places to create a 3D object, typically from a digital file (CAD file). To achieve this, the cold spray approach must incorporate advanced robotics and sensing technologies, expanding beyond materials and processes. Throughout my research in this field, I have had the privilege to play a role in developing this approach. In this presentation, I will discuss how embracing new opportunities has been crucial to my cold spray career path and how it can benefit others in their own journeys.