CIOReview | | 19 NOVEMBER 2022By David Norman, Group Director­ Engineer, Advanced Technology, and New Business VenturesDavid Norman started his career as a product engineer at Moog after receiving his BS in Mechanical Engineering. While working, he returned to school, obtained a MS degree in systems engineering, and was able to apply these new skills on development activities at Moog. David used his knowledge and experience to take on increasingly complex projects and impactful leadership roles while working in the aerospace industry. He is currently responsible for all technical aspects of the Moog Aircraft Group's product life cycle management, including Product Development, Product Build and Delivery, and Field Support.In your opinion, how has the defense manufacturing landscape evolved over the years? What are some of the advantages of the current technological advancement?We have seen some very rapid integration of increased automation and the use of data through connected systems that lead us to new knowledge allowing us to reduce errors, time and cost. It also allows us to bring new knowledge to the entire product lifecycle. It's not just about manufacturing or even the development process. It's really about how our products are performing in the field. We were able to translate that knowledge back to lessons learned and improvements to our future product developments. At the same time, we have also introduced automation to help our skilled technicians in areas outside machining, including areas such as inspection and product tests. We have also invested in developing standards and processes related to additive manufacturing, allowing us to extend its use into safety and mission-critical components. Additive Manufacturing has become another tool for Engineers to help us solve customer problems. it boils down to having the right tool for the right job. So we are way past just doing demonstrations. We are now using these standards and processes to develop products for use in the market. What according to you are some of the challenges plaguing the defense manufacturing landscape and how can they be effectively mitigated?The biggest challenge we see in front of us very soon is the shortage of skilled labor. Being a defense manufacturing company, we see many folks nearing retirement they are the backbone of our organization, the backbone of our manufacturing teams, the experienced technicians, and machinists. Many of these folks who we have homegrown into craftsman are getting ready to exit their aerospace careers. So we have had to focus a lot of our energy on developing new talent acquisition, and talent development strategies, working closely and collaborating with vocational schools and community colleges. And we are trying to do it in a way that takes advantage of the current skilled workforce, DEMYSTIFYING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT IN DEFENSE MANUFACTURING SPACEDavid NormanCXO INSIGHTS
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