Finalists Named for the 2022 Maintenance Innovation Challenge

The DOD announced today that the six finalists for the 2022 Maintenance Innovation Challenge (MIC) have been named. The Joint Technology Exchange Group (JTEG) principals reviewed and selected the finalists from a total of 92 outstanding entries. The finalists, listed in alphabetical order are: 

  1. Cold Spray Pop Up Production Cell, submitted by Susan Simms, US Navy NAVSEA 05T / VRC Metal Systems 
  2. E-Drill: A New Way to Remove Aircraft Fasteners, submitted by Jared Wright, NAVAIR 
  3. Optic Fusion Splice Repair, submitted by Brett Jordan, Air Force Research Laboratory 
  4. Letterkenny Army Depot (LEAD) Innovative Cold Spray Repairs, submitted by Sam Evans, The Pennsylvania State University Applied Research Lab 
  5. Metal Components from Hybrid Additive Manufacturing, submitted by Slade Gardner, Big Metal Additive 
  6. Witness Integrity Sensor Platform (WISP), submitted by Seth S. Kessler, Ph.D., Metis Design Corporation 

The finalists will present their solutions in person on December 12 at 2022 DOD Maintenance Symposium. The symposium will be held December 12-15, 2022, in Orlando, FL, with the theme, “Next Generation Materiel Readiness Forged through Data Advantage, Technology, and Innovation.”  To register, visit https://www.sae.org/attend/dod. 

Audience members at the MIC session will have the opportunity to select the MIC People’s Choice Award winner from the six finalists based on their presentations. The Overall Award winner will be determined by senior DOD sustainment leaders.  

NCMS is pleased to support the DOD’s 2022 Maintenance Innovation Challenge (MIC) by providing $50,000 of in-kind support to enable demonstrations, for both the overall MIC winner and the People’s Choice winner.   

For more information, please visit https://competition.ncms.org/.