LISTEN TO THE Opening Ceremony Speakers
Philippe Hoste
EICF Chairman | CEO Castingpar Group
Philippe Hoste
EICF Chairman | CEO Castingpar Group
Philippe Hoste is the EICF Chairman and CEO of the Castingpar Group , having today 3 plants: the SETTAS foundry (Charleroi, Belgium), the PRECIMETAL foundry (Seneffe, Belgium) and the MPO machine shop (Orléans, France
Fabio Zanardi
President of Assofond | President of Zanardi Fonderie S.p.A.,
Fabio Zanardi
President of Assofond | President of Zanardi Fonderie S.p.A.,
Forty-eight years old, father of three, Fabio Zanardi has been president of Assofond since October 2021.
Fabio got a degree in Engineering from the University of Udine, and he is currently chairman of the board of Zanardi Fonderie S.p.A., a family-run business founded in 1931 and now in its fourth generation, a leading company in the production and development of austempered ductile iron (ADI).
With a production capacity of around 20,000 tonnes/year of ductile and austempered ductile iron, Zanardi Fonderie employs around 240 people in its Minerbe (Verona) plant, home to an integrated production process that combines the foundry with internal core production, austempering heat treatment, finishing and machining departments.
Fabio Zanardi first became involved with Assofond in 2009, contributing to the creation and coordination of the Young Foundrymen’s Group, while in 2011 he contributed to organize a cycle of meetings dedicated to contractual agreements with customers. Since 2005, he has been active in CAEF, the European Foundry Association, first as a member of the 'Young Entrepreneurs' group, and later within the European working groups of the 'General Engineering' sector. In autumn 2023, he was elected as a member of the board of the association, which, as part of a process of renewal and expansion of its activities, changed its name to European Foundry Federation (EFF) as of 2024.
LISTEN TO THE Keynote Speaker
José Antonio Calvo Maguregui
CEO of Acorde Consulting
José Antonio Calvo Maguregui
CEO of Acorde Consulting
With more tan 20 years of experience as Management and Strategy Consultant, Jose Antonio Calvo Maguregi has reached high levels of professional achievement and recognition, being one of the consultants with a bigger list of professional references and public recognition in the Basque area and other regions. He has collaborated with a high number of Steering Committees of all kind of companies (industry, services, public sector, …), mainly in the fields of strategy orientation. He also has international recognition, as one of the most experienced professionals in Europe as management assessor (through the “EFQM” net).
He has a degree in Economics and a master in International Trade. He is also occasional speaker at prestigious entities and Universities.
LISTEN TO THE Market Sessions Speakers
Akira Yoshizawa
Group Leader at Technical , Environmental ,and International Affairs Division for Japan Foundry Society Inc.
Akira Yoshizawa
Group Leader at Technical , Environmental ,and International Affairs Division for Japan Foundry Society Inc.
Join force for Casting Technology Research Laboratory for Hitachi Metals Co Ltd (Now the company Name changed to Proterial,Ltd.) . His primarily research and working fields have focused on technology development for casting and the peripheral (sand/permanent mold, mechanical property, melting, etc.), casting material and process for aluminum alloys，metal flow and solidification CAE, and 3D printing sand mold process, and trial casting with 3D wax model, and so on. He has contributed to the domestic casting industry as Councilor, director at the Kanto branch of Japan Foundry Engineering Society (JFES), and a member of editorial board of JFES from 2000、 too.
Joseph Fritz
Executive Director | Investment Casting Institute
Joseph Fritz
Executive Director | Investment Casting Institute
Joseph E. Fritz has been the Executive Director of the Investment Casting Institute (ICI) and its wholly owned subsidiary, INCAST Magazine (the world’s only monthly publication dedicated to Investment Casting), since 2013. Under his leadership, the ICI has focused its initiatives on member services, educational resources, technological collaboration, industry sustainability and growth.
With over 30 years’ experience in the Aerospace and Power Generation industries, Mr. Fritz has worked in a variety of capacities with a number of Fortune 100 as well as privately held companies. During this time, he has contributed to a number of programs, including the Navy’s Trident II, Phalanx and Aegis programs, the Air Force’s Joint Strike Fighter program and Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner program.
Mr. Fritz holds degrees in Engineering from the University of Connecticut and an MBA with a concentration in Strategic Marketing from Union College.
He continually strives to better the organization and all those associated with the ICI.
Zhang Yun
Vice secretary-general | China Foundry Association & Secretary General | CFA Investment Casting Branch Association.
Zhang Yun
Vice secretary-general | China Foundry Association & Secretary General | CFA Investment Casting Branch Association.
Zhang Yun earned his bachelor’s degree in casting technology at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 1988. After graduation, he engaged in the investment casting processing technology in Wuhan Investment Casting Company. From 1992 to 2003, he worked at Wuhan Institute of Mechanical Technology and served as the director of the Investment Casting Technology Division. In 2002, he founded Wuhan Zonking Metal Products Co., Ltd.(now renamed Wuhan Zonking Tech Co., Ltd.) and served as general manager. Now, Mr. Zhang is the vice secretary-general of China Foundry Association and also the secretary-general of Investment Casting Branch Association.
Carlos Olabe
Executive Director | EICF AISBL
Carlos Olabe
Executive Director | EICF AISBL
Carlos Olabe is the current CEO of the European Investment Casters Federation [EICF], serving this position since the end of 2014. Mr. Olabe has been linked to the aerospace industry for a period over 20 years . Mr. Olabe background is an Engineer specialized in electricity and energy where he has devoted another 15 years of his professional life in key managerial positions with experience in the field of nuclear equipments and lately renewables Mr. Olabe is a believer in cooperation and innovation as elements that enhance operations and achievements of organizations.
LISTEN TO THE Technical Sessions Speakers
Richard Gaignon
3D Ceram | CEO
Richard Gaignon
3D Ceram | CEO
CEO of 3DCeram since 2009 Limoges France
Since 2016 Vice President of the French Ceramic Manufacturer
President of EuTeCer, the European Technical Ceramics Federation from 2013 to 2016.
Graduated from ENSCI French school of ceramic engineer and from HEC MBA.
Former General Manager of Ceric, an engineering company specialized in turnkey solution production of heavy clay building materials.
Dr. Gavin Dooley
Group Technical Director | Remet
Dr. Gavin Dooley
Group Technical Director | Remet
Gavin is the group technical director of REMET®, with responsibility of Quality, R&D and New Product Development within the REMET Group. Gavin earned his PhD entitled “Shell Improvements for the Investment Casting of Orthopaedic Implants” from the University of Birmingham in 2016. Gavin also completed a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Open University in 2019.
He has gained over 5 years investment casting experience as a process and materials engineer within a medical device foundry before joining Remet in 2016. Gavin has presented 15 publications over the last 10 years at many different international conferences worldwide.
Dr. Aliz Pinto
Research Engineer | Safran Tech
Dr. Aliz Pinto
Research Engineer | Safran Tech
Dr. Aliz Pinto Mora is a research engineer at SafranTech since 2021, specializing in cutting-edge innovations in investment casting shell moulds. Hailing from Venezuela, she completed her undergraduate ceramics engineering studies at Simon Bolivar University before venturing to France for her master’s degree in metallurgy at Mines ParisTech. Later, Aliz pursued and successfully earned her Ph.D. in ceramic materials at the University of Limoges, thus solidifying her experience in the intricate realm of investment casting.
Dipl.-Ing. Erik Hepp
Product Manager and Sales at MAGMA | MAGMA Gießereitechnologie
Dipl.-Ing. Erik Hepp
Product Manager and Sales at MAGMA | MAGMA Gießereitechnologie
Civilian service in rescue service in Saarbrücken
Studies material science in Saarbrücken from 1990-1995
Diploma thesis in thin layer technology: “UV resistant coating for window glass with cerium oxide layer” at the institute of new materials (INM) in Saarbrücken
Since 01.12.1995 employed at MAGMA in Aachen
First as project engineer, research and development manager and today product manager and sales.
Dr. Pam Murrell
CEO | UK Cast Metals Federation
Dr. Pam Murrell
CEO | UK Cast Metals Federation
Dr. Pam Murrell is the Chief Executive of the Cast Metals Federation, CMF, the Trade Association for the UK casting industry. The CMF represents and supports its members (UK foundries and suppliers to the industry) who are suppliers of cast components to all sectors of manufacturing and engineering. CMF is the UK member of the European Foundry Federation (CAEF).
Pam completed a PhD on Fracture and Fatigue at Cranfield University following a BSc Hons Degree in Metallurgy and Materials Science from Cardiff University.
She is a Fellow of the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers, ICME, a Board member of the European Investment Casters’ Federation, a Trustee of the Foundry Training Trust and Chair of the ISO Technical Committee for Cast Irons. She is also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Founders, chairing their Industry Committee.
Dr. Moritz Weiß
Managing Director & Product Development | FastCast Ceramics
Dr. Moritz Weiß
Managing Director & Product Development | FastCast Ceramics
Dr. Moritz Weiß studied Chemical and Process Engineering at KIT in Karlsruhe, Germany, He started working on porous ceramics during his Master’s Thesis in 2015 before digging even deeper into porous ceramics during his PhD about “Hierarchically structured porous bodies from capillary suspensions”, which he completed 2019 at KU Leuven, Belgium.
After his PhD he went back to KIT as a Post Doc and eventually started FastCast Ceramics GmbH with his co-founders Dr. David Menne and Wolf Wedel. Their company is using the capillary suspension phenomenon to manufacture porous bodies in a sustainable way. They focus on the investment casting industry where they are aiming for a quick shell build up from just one material fraction leading to combined accelerated manufacturing and true recyclability.
Aaron Phips
President | MPI Systems
Aaron Phips
President | MPI Systems
Aaron Phipps is the President of MPI, Inc. Aaron is the son of founder Bruce Phipps and has been with the company in an official capacity since 2010. In truth, Aaron has been in and around the investment casting industry his entire life.
Aaron has an engineering degree from Rochester Institute of Technology. He currently teaches the wax section of the Certification Course for the Investment Casting Institute. He presented a paper at the 2015 ICI Technical Conference entitled, “Current Problems in the Wax Room and How they are Best Overcome,” and also presented at the EICF World Conference in Paris a paper entitled, “Overcoming Common Wax Injection Problems: The First Step toward Automation.” He sits on the Advisory Board of the New Paltz School of Science and Engineering, receiving an award for invaluable contributions to the school’s Internship Program.
Prior to joining MPI in an official capacity, Aaron worked at A.W. Bell in Australia as a product engineer and in the Bio Medical industry. After joining MPI, Aaron worked his way through MPI taking on key roles including product and automation engineering, process engineering, establishing a training curriculum, department manager, VP of Sales and Service, VP of Manufacturing and Engineering and now President.
After working in all phases of engineering, Aaron took over the MPI Technology Center as manager, overseeing critical areas of the business including pattern production services, demonstrations, process validation, testing and operator/engineer training. The Technology Center is MPI’s state-of-the-art facility where engineering, innovation and R&D intersect to create real-world solutions to customer’s wax room challenges without having to interrupt their production.
MPI has experienced explosive growth in recent years, having doubled in size. Aaron has been an instrumental contributor to this growth as a talented problem solver who effectively collaborates with customers and vendors alike to develop solutions for a wide array of challenges.
Mag. Michael Weissenbacher
Technical Support Manager | Imerys
Mag. Michael Weissenbacher
Technical Support Manager | Imerys
Michael Weissenbacher studied mineralogy at the University of Innsbruck and finished with a Magister degree in applied mineralogy in 2010. In 2011 he started his professional career by joining the company Imerys. From 2011 to 2017 he was working as a research engineer on refractory projects concerning bricks, castables and sand casting. After these 6 years he became responsible for the research and development for sand casting and investment casting applications.
Since January 2020 Michael became technical support manager for advanced ceramics. In this role he is responsible for the technical support in the field of investment casting.
He is based in Villach, Austria, and thus has a direct connection to the ITC (Imerys Technology Center) where the Imerys S&T department for investment casting ceramics is located.
M.Sc. Michael Heuser
Co-Founder | Castcoil
M.Sc. Michael Heuser
Co-Founder | Castcoil
Michael is professional with a rich and diverse background in the areas of chemistry, materials science, and production technology. Michael's journey began with an apprenticeship in industrial management in Bonn, followed by studies in Chemistry with Materials Science (B.Sc.) in Rheinbach and Production Technology (M.Sc.) in Bremen.
In 2006, he began his professional career at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials, where he initially worked as a technical employee in the casting technology department. From 2017, he was significantly involved in material and process development in foundry technology as a as leading engineer.
Since the first idea to produce cast coils for electric motors at Fraunhofer IFAM, Michael and his research team have continuously developed the technology further. He played a leading role in the development of the casting process. Recognizing the potential of the technology, he and his colleagues founded Cast Coil GmbH in July 2023 with the vision of bringing this groundbreaking technology to the market commercially.
Dr.-Ing. Irina Sviridova
Scientific Researcher | Access
Dr.-Ing. Irina Sviridova
Scientific Researcher | Access
Irina Sviridova is a scientific researcher at Access e.V. She obtained her bachelor's degree in metallurgy from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in 2012. She holds a master’s degree in processing technologies of materials and a Ph.D. degree from the Brandenburg University of Technology in 2014 and 2022, respectively. From 2015 to 2023, she worked as a scientific researcher at the Chair for Mechanical Design and Manufacturing at the Brandenburg University of Technology. Her research interests included hybrid manufacturing of components from high-temperature alloys. Currently, she is working on innovative approaches to combining ceramic additive manufacturing and investment casting
Dr. Antonio Chiechi
Senior Process Engineer | Salentec
Dr. Antonio Chiechi
Senior Process Engineer | Salentec
Antonio Chiechi has a Master’s degree in Materials Engineering at the University of Salento (Lecce-IT) with a specialization in aerospace materials in 2003 . Subsequently, he obtained a PhD degree in Materials Engineering at the University of Lecce in “Composite ceramic materials development for aerospace applications” in 2008 . During his PhD he had the pleasure of being a Phd visiting student at the NTNU - University of Science and Technology in Trondheim (Norway). There are several scientific literature articles published in journals and/or sector congresses. Together with other university colleagues he is co-inventor of some European and non-European patents in the aerospace and industrial field. Fifteen years experience in inorganic Materials development; leader of several research activities on ceramic processing and synthesis of inorganic oxides.
Antonio has many skills in ceramic and metal injection moulding and 3D printing processes in investment casting, industrial, energy and medical fields.
Patrick Dunne
Vice President, Application Innovation Group | 3D Systems
Patrick Dunne
Vice President, Application Innovation Group | 3D Systems
Patrick Dunne is Vice President, Application Innovation Group (AIG), 3D Systems. Since joining the company in 1999, he has focused on application development for additive manufacturing (AM). Prior to his current role, Patrick led the Application Development Lab based in Berkeley, California, as part of the broader global AIG since 2010.
Advocating an open-minded, creative, and holistic approach to problem-solving within manufacturing workflows, Patrick brings expertise to utilize a broad toolbox of conventional and AM technologies, including direct and indirect metals, SLA, SLS, DLP, and Inkjet, all pointed towards a wide range of industries including, dental, medical, automotive and aerospace. In recent years his focus has been on originating, developing, and scaling up mass custom and mass complex manufacturing workflows in collaboration with industry-leading companies.
Katsumasa Chiba
R&D Center | Daido Steel
Katsumasa Chiba
R&D Center | Daido Steel
Katsumasa Chiba san is a graduate from the Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University. Joined Daido Steel Co. Ltd. in 2018. During 2018 till 2021 he was enrolled in the steelmaking sect. Since 2024 he is enrolled in the process technology research sect.
Professor Dr. Jianxin Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Professor Dr. Jianxin Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Jianxin Zhou was born in Hunan, China, in 1975. He received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in materials processing engineering from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. He is currently the Vice Director of the Department of Materials Processing, the Vice Director of the State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, the Chief Professor of the Research Team of Intelligent Green Casting Technology and Application, the Head of the Research Team, InteCAST Software Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. He has published over 200 articles and two books. He has edited five proceedings in the conference. His main research interests include CAE technology, solidification, simulation, software development, and engineering application research, digital casting technology, such as process optimization design and production quality control
State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology. - HUST – The Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Isabel Potestio
Director of Global Sales and Marketing | Lithoz
Isabel Potestio
Director of Global Sales and Marketing | Lithoz
Isabel joined Lithoz in 2017 as Business Developer where she is committed to searching for growth opportunities for the Additive Manufacturing of technical ceramics.
Isabel is supporting Lithoz in attracting and developing new customers as well as implementing strategies to raise market awareness on the industrialization of Additive Manufacturing in the technical ceramic field.
Isabel has more than 6 years of experience with Lithoz, currently job position is Director of Global Sales and Marketing having gone through previous positions such as Head of Sales and Marketing, Business Development & Sales Manager, and Business Developer
Lithoz provides industry and research with Additive Manufacturing Systems for the production of High-Performance Ceramics.
More information at www.lithoz.com
Iñaki Vicario
Casting Technology Specialist | Consarc Engineering Ltd
Iñaki Vicario
Casting Technology Specialist | Consarc Engineering Ltd
Iñaki Vicario is the Casting Technology Specialist of Consarc Engineering. He belongs to the Technology Group of Consarc dealing with technical developments, and customer technical support.
He has almost 16 years of experience in the aerospace industry, specifically in investment casting technology as a foundry process owner, and also, as casting process specialist in several worldwide and high demanding vacuum casting projects.
He has also large experience in other metallurgical processes, such as vacuum heat treatment (10 years of experience in AMS 2750), VIM process for Ni based alloy manufacturing, HIP and gas phase aluminizing.
Mr. Vicario has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of the Basque Country in Industrial Engineering, specialized in Manufacturing Technologies.
Philippe Hoste
EICF Chairman | CEO Castingpar Group
Philippe Hoste
EICF Chairman | CEO Castingpar Group
Philippe Hoste is the EICF Chairman and CEO of the Castingpar Group , having today 3 plants: the SETTAS foundry (Charleroi, Belgium), the PRECIMETAL foundry (Seneffe, Belgium) and the MPO machine shop (Orléans, France
Vlastimil Kolda
Senior Sales and Technical Engineer | MECAS ESI
Vlastimil Kolda
Senior Sales and Technical Engineer | MECAS ESI
Graduated on Brno University of Technology as a Casting Technology Engineer
Become part of ESI Group on the position within casting support and service team for Eastern Europe market.
Change role to position of Casting numerical simulation solution sales manager responsible for Eastern Europe market.
Now after 15 years of experience in Casting simulation business working as a part of ESI Group Customer Experience team for EMEA Region.
Teresa Rey Wojcik
Sales & Technical Engineer | Imerys Technology Center Austria
Teresa Rey Wojcik
Sales & Technical Engineer | Imerys Technology Center Austria
Teresa Rey Wójcik studied chemistry at the University of Vigo and finished with a Magister degree in chemistry, specializing in Analytical chemistry in 2010. Simultaneously she studied a double master in quality and environmental management systems (2009-2011). In 2011 she started her professional career by joining the company Imerys in IKF La Guardia in Spain. From 2011 to 2016 she was working as technical engineer in the laboratory, responsible for the tests for Refractory R&D projects and quality control. In 2016 Teresa became S&T engineer at the Imerys Technology Center Austria focused on research projects and technical support of zirconia based materials for Advanced Ceramics. Since 2023 Teresa is in addition responsible for the research and development of minerals and ceramics used in the investment casting sector and part of the investment casting technical support team.
Rolf Tachibana
Europe Sales | AGC Ceramics
Rolf Tachibana
Europe Sales | AGC Ceramics
Foreign Experience: Lived and worked (Telecom sector) in Tokyo, Japan between 1986 and 1990.
Further professional Development:
1990 – 1996: Japanese Company „Nitsuko“ in Düsseldorf, Germany (Telecom sector)
1997 – 2015: German DAX-member Company „Henkel“ in Düsseldorf, Germany (FMCG sector)
2016 – today: Running an own Consulting business for Japanese companies, therein also for AGC Ceramics, Tokyo, as European Sales Representative (introducing printers and molding materials to foundry shops and others, while following up on casting tests and joint research contracts etc.)
Austin Scheer
Sales Engineer Crucibles & Insulating Structures | Zircoa
Austin Scheer
Sales Engineer Crucibles & Insulating Structures | Zircoa
Austin Scheer is excited to be presenting here at the 32nd EICF conference in Naples, Italy. A graduate of Missouri University of Science and Technology with a B.S. in ceramic engineering, Austin has dedicated five years to the investment casting and refractory industries.
Currently, he works as the Sales Engineer at Zircoa Incorporated in Solon, Ohio, USA, Austin holds the lead commercial and technical support role for Zircoa’s crucible product line. He collaborates with investment casters worldwide to optimize their operations and develop new solutions as the industry evolves. Austin is supported by his counterparts at Zircoa GmbH who are dedicated to the Europe, Middle East, and African regions.
Before joining Zircoa, Austin was employed as an Application Engineer at Kyanite Mining Corporation and has co-authored several papers presented at the Investment Casting Institute Annual Conference and the Unified International Technical Conference on Refractories.
Austin currently serves at the President at the Refractory Ceramics Division of the American Ceramics Society.
Dr. David Cheng
Deputy Manager, Research & Development Department | Fusheng Precision
Dr. David Cheng
Deputy Manager, Research & Development Department | Fusheng Precision
Dr. Cheng holds a PhD and Masters´degree by the National Taiwan University. He joined FUSHENG PRECISION CO., LTD in 2016, focusing on research of novel titanium alloys and titanium alloy precision casting processes.
Research on novel titanium alloys aims to enhance the performance of golf club shafts and titanium alloy-related joining technologies.
Key areas of research in titanium alloy investment casting processes include prime coat material investigation and integration of cross-technologies with conventional methods.
Carel Wegman
Application Engineer, Technical Expert | Ransom & Randolph
Carel Wegman
Application Engineer, Technical Expert | Ransom & Randolph
Carel joined the R&R team in 2011 as an Application Engineer. He is responsible for providing on-site technical support, implementing comprehensive solutions and application technologies for ceramic shell customers in the Benelux, Scandinavia, Finland, Israel and the United Kingdom. As a technical expert in ceramic shell application, Carel helps customers improve their casting quality and production efficiency. He earned his Chemical Degree in Laboratory and Analysis Techniques from ROC Aventus Deventer the Netherlands.
Carel has to 22 years of industry experience. Prior to joining the R&R team, Carel worked as a Shell Room Team Leader, Chemical Analyst and Quality Manager for an aerospace and defense foundry, casting steel and aluminum alloys using ceramic shell and plaster block molds. He also has experience converting a foundry to attain AS9100 and ISO14385 certification.
Dr. Jürgen Jakumeit
Head of Process Simulation Business Unit | Access
Dr. Jürgen Jakumeit
Head of Process Simulation Business Unit | Access
Dr Juergen Jakumeit has a strong background in computer simulation of physical processes. His doctorate and habilitation at the University of Cologne were in the field of simulation of semiconductor components. During his work at the Fraunhofer Institute SCAI, he headed a group for the numerical optimization of industrial production processes. In 2002 he switched to Access e.V. and took over the management of the development of the casting process simulation program STAR-Cast in close cooperation with CD-adapco (later Siemens). Since 2016 he has headed the process simulation business unit at Access with applications in all areas of metallurgy, in particular casting and additive manufacturing.
Fernando Santos
Head of Research Line of Special Materials & Processes | AZTERLAN Metalllurgy Research Centre
Fernando Santos
Head of Research Line of Special Materials & Processes | AZTERLAN Metalllurgy Research Centre
Mr. Fernando Santos. Graduate in Chemical Engineering by the Basque Country University, has developed his professional activity during 10 years as Quality manager in foundry and assembly industry working mainly for the automotive sector followed by a 12 years experience as technical manager in investment casting companies working for the aeronautic industry, is remarkable the management for the obtention of NADCAP certifications for special processes during this period. Since 2012 has been project leader in the development of materials and technological solutions as head of the special processes and materials research line in AZTERLAN, comprising specifically the investment casting process.
Dr. Krutis
Assistant Professor Faculty of Mechanical Engineering | Brno University of Technology
Dr. Krutis
Assistant Professor Faculty of Mechanical Engineering | Brno University of Technology
Currently working as an assistant professor at Brno University of Technology (BUT), Institute of Manufacturing Technology, Department of Foundry Engineering. He graduated from the same university specializing in numerical simulation of foundry processes and foundry technology. From 2001-2018 he worked as a business development manager and later as a sales director for Central and Eastern Europe at the ESI Group. Vice president of the Czech Foundryman Society and Chairman of the Technology Commission. Chairmen of Working Group for Management at WFO. Since 2019 he has been responsible for the development of investment casting technology at the BUT workplace. Person in charge of organizing the EICF IC Manufacturing Technology Course.
John N. Stuecker
Vice President & Co-Founder | Robocasting Enterprises
John N. Stuecker
Vice President & Co-Founder | Robocasting Enterprises
John is currently the Vice President of Robocasting Enterprises since its founding in 2007. His duties include new business development, internal process improvements and quality assurance (ISO 9001), technical lead, and personnel management. The main focus for internal-capability improvement is the scaling up of size and quantity of parts produced by the automated manufacturing of advanced ceramics, i.e. robocasting. R&D projects and part production for the aerospace and defense industries constitute a large part of the day-to-day activities. Robocasting’s business model is volume production of ceramic parts using R&D projects to create new product lines. To date, over five million Printed FiltersTM have been shipped to aerospace customers for advanced filtration with customers utilizing Robocasting’s R&D facility to properly design and provide guidance for utilizing the next-generation of ceramic filters.
Mark White
Technical Director of Aerospace and Medical Components | Impro
Mark White
Technical Director of Aerospace and Medical Components | Impro
Mark White is an Investment Casting Engineering Leader employed with Impro Aerotek USA, Inc. as Technical Director of Aerospace and Medical Components. He holds a B.S. in Applied Engineering from Kent State University where his research was in foundry science and a Master of Science, in Quality Systems & Improvement Management, from Cambridge College and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt, from Juran Global.
Mark has supported many casting programs during his career which began in 1981, in Minerva, Ohio (TRW/PCC-Airfoils) spanning involvement as an airfoil and structural casting engineer in casting plants and at the OEM level, with Pratt & Whitney.