Robert J. Dowding to receive first-ever Vanguard Award.

Press Release Summary:



Robert J. Dowding, Research Manager for Materials and Manufacturing Science, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, has been selected to receive Vanguard Award from MPIF. Award recognizes powder metallurgy industry champions from end-user community whose long-time promotion of the technology has contributed to expansion of powder metal applications. Over course of Dowding’s tenure at ARL, much of his PM-based R&D work has been related to material and process development for tungsten and tungsten alloys.



Original Press Release:



PM Champion to Receive Award for Helping Advance Technology Applications



Robert J. Dowding,  Research Manager for Materials and Manufacturing Science, U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), has been selected to receive the first-ever Vanguard Award from the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF). The award recognizes powder metallurgy (PM) industry champions from the end-user community whose long-time promotion of the technology has contributed to the expansion of powder metal applications. The award presentation will take place at the PM2014 World Congress, May 18–22, in Orlando, Florida.



Over the course of Dowding’s tenure at ARL, much of his PM- based research and development work has been related to, or in support of, material and process development for tungsten and tungsten alloys. He has personally performed research examining strain aging in tungsten heavy alloys (WHA), the processing of novel tungsten-based compositions, and the re-spheroidization of tungsten grains in heavily cold-worked WHAs.



Dowding has been a strong leader in and supporter of the Army’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program, his involvement dating back to the program’s very first days in the mid-1980s. As the contracting officer’s technical representative (COTR) for more than 35 Phase I and Phase II contracts, his efforts have been leveraged to support multiple mission programs in the materials science and manufacturing of protection- and lethality-related applications. He has also advanced critical mission programs in powder metallurgy, tungsten research, nanomaterials, armor ceramics, and powder injection molding.



Comprising six trade associations, MPIF is the umbrella trade federation representing the international metal powder producing and consuming industries.



Editor’s note: For additional information contact James Dale (jdale@mpif.org).

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