SpeakerS  &  Abstracts

Author: Dr. Albert Feuerstein   |    Retired from Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc. 

 Albert Feuerstein began his career with Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc. in 1998. He retired from the company in 2019 as Corporate Fellow. He has contributed to the development of Electron Beam Physical Vapor Deposition process technology for thermal barrier coatings on aircraft turbine blades and vanes, TiN sand erosion and liquid droplet erosion abatement coatings on aircraft and IGT compressor blades, suspension plasma spray coatings, implementation of low pressure plasma spray and provided strategic guidance for coating and business development. Born and raised in Germany, Feuerstein holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Heidelberg. Prior to joining Praxair, Feuerstein had served in a wide variety of development, engineering and project management assignments for Leybold GmbH, AG A. Hering  and Howmet Corporation. 

Author: Michael Kügelgen   |    MK Technology

Michael Kügelgen, born in 1955, studied mechanical engineering in Aachen. From 1987 he worked for an international company as head of development and production for unmanned aerial vehicles, UAV’s.

In 1993, Michael Kügelgen decided to set up his own production facility for the development of special machines in addition to his consulting activities. A modern production facility has been established with its own R&D area as well as a training centre.

Michael Kügelgen has won sixteen innovation prices and awards with his company MK Technology GmbH and holds several patents. The company belongs to the exclusive circle of „Hidden Champions“ and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022.

Michael Kügelgen has been a pilot for over 40 years and holds a licence for airplanes and helicopters.

Author: Dr. Karin Ratschbacher   |    GfE Materials and Metals GmbH

Dr. Karin Ratschbacher obtained her PhD from the Montanuniversity Leoben in Austria for inventing and upscaling an industrial process to recycle Molybdenum, Niobium, Rhenium and Tungsten alloys, used in sputter targets. After her postdoctoral assignment at FEM-Research institute for precious metals, Karin Ratschbacher joined Modine Manufacturing Company as a vacuum brazing engineer for automotive coolers, working on an assignment in Shanghai. In 2019 she joined GfE Materials and Metals GmbH as Product Manager Powders and focuses on the atomization of specialized powders on an EIGA furnace.

Author: Dr. Karsten Fenske    |    Busch Vacuum Solutions

Studies in Physics, PHD in material science

Work experience: 

Glass Melting Manager,  Team Manager and Technical Sales for PVD coating department at Schott AG
R&D Manager, Plant Manager and Technical Sales for solar- and high reflective PVD, CVD coatings at Alanod GmbH and Bluetec GmbHCo.KG. 

Since 2015 Market Manager Medium & High Vacuum  Germany at Dr. Ing. K. Busch GmbH (Busch Vacuum Solutions)

Author: Dr. Andreas Merz   |    Leybold GmbH

Key Account Manager (LEYBOLD GmbH, Cologne, Germany) 

1983 – 1994    Studies of Experimental Physics, Doctorate and Post-doc in Physics at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern

1994 – 2001    Senior Engineer and Authorized Signatory of ISU GmbH  Engineering Company for Immission Protection,
                            Sound Engineering  and Environmental Consulting

01.11.2001     Joining the LEYBOLD VAKUUM GmbH, Cologne (since 2016 Part of the Atlas Copco Group)

since 2007     Senior Sales Manager & Key Account Manager for LEYBOLD Vacuum

Author: Phil Geers   |    BLASCH Precision Ceramics

Phil Geers, Director of Global Business Development Molten Metals, has been with Blasch Precision Ceramics since 2001. 
Phil has over 35 years of industrial sales, engineering, marketing and management experience, where he has worked to develop partnerships with companies nationally, internationally, large and small. In his current role, he leads a team whose goal is to provide solutions for improving processes using ceramic refractories by increasing life, reducing turnaround time and improving quality in all areas to our customers. 
Phil holds B.S. in Business and Marketing from SUNY Empire College and is a Board Member for the Investment Casting Institute.  

Author: Dr. Fuad Osmanlic   |    ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH

Fuad Osmanlic has been Vice President of Additive Manufacturing at ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH since 2018. Previously, he was the Managing Director of the Centre for Advanced Materials and Processes (ZMP) at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, where he also headed the Additive Manufacturing Group. He holds a PhD from the Chair of Materials Science and Technology of Metals at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg and a degree in Physics from the Technical University of Munich.

Author: Dr.-Ing. Julio Aguilar   |    Safran Advanced Turbine Airfoils, Safran

Education

1985 –1990 Metallurgy at „Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico

1998 – 2000 Master studies “Metallurgical Engineering”, RWTH Aachen University, Germany

2000 –2004 PhD studies at the Foundry Institute of RWTH Aachen University, Germany

Work experience

1991 –1998 Production engineer at „Cobre y Aleaciones Cia. Ltda.“, Guatemala (Sand and continuous casting of copper and aluminum alloys)

2005 –2016 Head of Casting Processes and TechCenter at ACCESS e.V., Germany 
(Investment Casting, TiAl Intermetallic Alloys, EQ/DS/SX Ni superalloys, Al and Cu alloys, numerical simulation, QM, Production Management)

since 2016 Casting Expert and Deputy Manager “Safran Advanced Turbine Airfoils”, SafranTech, France

Author: Dr. mont. Michael Zarl    |    K1-MET GmbH

Author: Dr. Reinhold Schneider   |    Univ. of Appl. Sciences Upper Austria

formerly head of R&D at Böhler Edelstahl

since 2004: Prof. for Metallurgy at the Univ. of Applied Sciences Upper Austria in Wels

Author: Dr. Jan Oke Peters  |    Lufthansa Technik AG

Author: Mohamed Ali |    Wacker Chemie AG

Author: Author: Pierre Forêt   |   Linde GmbH