Resume
Kenneth H. Holko, P.E.
Education:
BSWE – Bachelor of Science, Welding Engineering, Ohio State University,
June, 1967
Graduate Study – Material Science, University of Toledo, 1970
Licenses:
Registered Professional Metallurgical Engineer in California
Registered Professional Welding Engineer in Ohio
Technical Competence:
My core competence includes most aspects of welding, brazing, heat treating,
metallurgical coating / surface treatment and manufacturing engineering. This
includes finding solutions to a variety of processing problems such as cracking,
lack of bonding, porosity, dimensional control and material and process selection.
While I have worked with and gained competence in most conventional
manufacturing processes, I am also technically competent in lesser known
processes such as diffusion welding, diffusion brazing, aluminum vacuum brazing,
and plasma nitriding. My metallurgy background is diverse and covers most alloy
systems including high temperature superalloys, dispersion strengthened alloys,
precipitation hardening stainless steels, low alloy steels, tool and die steels,
titanium alloys, aluminum alloys and other reactive and refractory alloys. I rely
heavily on metallurgical analysis in my work. I have done turnkey manufacturing
on a number of products.
I have conducted numerous failure analyses. This has included solving general
metallurgy problems, from forming in manufacturing to corrosion in service. Also,
metallurgical evaluation of products that have been welded, brazed, heat treated,
or coated has been key to determining root cause of failure.
I am experienced in manufacturing codes and specifications such as ASME and
AMS. I am competent in initiating and running testing programs to determine
mechanical properties of weldments and brazements. I have conducted many
drawing and design reviews involving material selection and manufacturability. I
have improved product profitability by identifying manufacturing cost reductions.
Expert Witness:
I have over 25 years experience in accident investigation and expert witness
testimony. I have given numerous depositions and appeared in court. This work
has been in many fields such as industrial equipment, aircraft, medical products,
transportation, and fasteners.
Industrial Experience:
I have spent twenty – nine years as an engineering consultant in a variety of
industries. Some examples follow.
In the heat exchanger industry I have extensive experience in manufacturing and
metallurgical testing for reliability. Applications have been in nuclear power, fossil
fired power, electronics, medical, and consumer products. An example is brazing of
heat exchangers for space limited computer chip testing machines.
I have extensive experience in making and repairing components for the power
generation industry. This has included land based turbines, solar, wind, nuclear,
and fusion applications. An example is application of plasma welding to
remanufacture of turbine components.
I have provided valuable consultation to companies in the plastic injection molding
industry by identifying better mould materials and manufacturing processes. This
has included equipment purchase specification and training for vacuum furnace
heat treatment.
My experience in medical product manufacture has included material selection, heat
treatment, welding, brazing, coating and surface treatment. For example, I
developed a coating for surgical equipment used daily in the “OR”.
I have worked for major aerospace companies in providing services from
consultation to making “turnkey” parts for spacecraft launches. In the commercial
aircraft business, I have performed all metallurgical evaluations and failure analyses
for a major aircraft turbine engine overhaul facility.
In the laser industry I have been responsible for the manufacture and analysis of
components for several types of lasers. This has been as basic as developing
electrodes for excimer lasers.
In government and military R&D programs, I have participated both as consultant
and PI. Participation was as diverse as finding a high temperature brazing solution
for carbon-carbon to resistance welding a zirconium alloy for fusion power.
Specific Company Experience:
I founded, operated, and sold Hitech Metallurgical Co. to Bodycote Thermal
processing after 17 successful years of operation. This facility operated vacuum
and controlled gas furnaces as well as a metallurgical laboratory. I continue to
provide technical consultation to BTP facilities engaged in vacuum furnace, inert
and reactive gas brazing / heat treating, metallurgical coating, diffusion controlled
surface treatment, diffusion welding, precision fusion welding, and turn-key
manufacturing.
My six years with General Atomics Co. ultimately lead to Materials Applications
Branch Mgr. responsible for conduct and supervision of failure analysis; corrosion
studies; welding, brazing, coating and testing programs for fabrication of fusion,
nuclear, and fossil fired pressure vessels and components; and material selection
for a variety of programs.
My two years at Rohr Industries (B. F. Goodrich) as Manufacturing Research
Engineer provided experience in joining and forming aerospace structures,
industrial gas turbine components, and Navy surface effect ship fabrication
development.
During my five years at NASA / Lewis (Glen) Research as Materials Engineer and
Contract Mgr., I was responsible for forming and joining high temperature
superalloys by diffusion welding and brazing, aircraft turbine compressor joining,
braze alloy development, and instructing in-house courses for engineers on
joining, design, and NDE.
Professional Achievements:
Recipient of James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation Award – Three Years
Recipient of NASA Special Achievement Award
Past Chairman of IMECA, California
Past Chairman of AMS International, San Diego Chapter
Past Chairman of AWS, San Diego Chapter
AWS Brazing & Soldering Committee Nominee
AWS Welding Metallurgy Course Instructor
ASM/MEI Metallurgy of Welding and Joining Course Instructor
ICAS Materials and Processes Course Instructor
Guest Lecturer at UCSD on Welding Metallurgy
Guest Lecturer at SDSU on Failure Analysis
Professional Memberships in AWS, ASM, IMECA, SME
Over seventeen patents granted or pending
Seventeen technical publications
Publications and references available on request.
