Hartford Business Journal

22 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | OCTOBER 4, 2021 FOCUS: Manufacturing By Matthew Broderick Special to the Hartford Business Journal A fter nearly 15 years with aerospace giant General Electric, Brittany Isherwood had gotten adept at understanding industry trends. So, when she transitioned to Farmington-based Burke Aerospace, a family-owned supply chain company that provides electric discharge machining and milling services for the aerospace, industrial gas turbines, and defense industries, she knew the company would need to upgrade its technology. "A lot of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Pratt & Whitney and GE are [transitioning] to 3D-printed parts," said Isherwood, who has served as the company's president since 2020. "But that creates a [challenge] for our business because if OEMs are printing parts in 3D, there may not be as much of a need for our type of services." While Isherwood recognized a need to incorporate additive capabilities to her company, the costs for such machinery — several hundred thousand dollars or more — can be prohibitively expensive for small- to mid-sized manufacturers. But with support from the first- year Additive Manufacturing Adoption Program (AMAP), which recently awarded $100,000 grants to six Connecticut manufacturing companies — including Burke Aerospace – Isherwood was able to purchase an industrial 3D printer that she says will significantly improve capabilities, reduce lead times, and increase customer satisfaction. "A process that may have previously taken eight to 12 weeks to complete in the past might take one to two weeks," she said. That competitive edge and continuing innovation is a hallmark of Connecticut manufacturers, says Ron Angelo, president and CEO of the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), which helped administer the AMAP program in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). Funds for the program, which required an equal or greater match from recipient companies, came from the state's Manufacturing Innovation Fund, which received state Bond Commission approval this summer for an additional $20 million in support. "We had more than 60 companies inquire about the program and 16 submit applications [this past spring]," Angelo said. The adoption phase of the process – when companies make investment in additive technologies – is the final and most critical part of a larger process that CCAT has been building for several years to expose New grant program helps supply chain manufacturers adopt 3D-printing technologies HBJ FILE PHOTO Brittany Isherwood is the president of Farmington-based Burke Aerospace, which is investing in 3D-printing technology.

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