Webinar: Materials & Processes for High-Rate Aerospace Manufacturing by Gardner Business Media, Inc. Webinars

Materials & Processes for High-Rate Aerospace Manufacturing

About

Next-generation aircraft are expected to demand a pace of manufacturer significantly greater than the status quo. This half-day workshop is designed to help the aerospace supply chain understand how materials and processes are being evolved to meet the need for high-rate, high-quality aerospace manufacturing. It will focus on four critical manufacturing technology areas: Composites fabrication, metalworking, additive manufacturing and finishing.

Sponsored by:

When

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 · 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada) (GMT -4:00)

Presenters

DeWayne Howell

Application Development and Expert Service Field Manager at Toray Composite Materials America

DeWayne Howell is an application development and expert service engineer and manager specializing in thermoplastic materials, part design, structural analysis and fabrication.

His career includes positions at NASA, Northrop Grumman, CompositeTek, Fiberforge and Peak Composites, where he authored the industry software CompositePro/Helius Composite.

Howell has 41 years of experience in the composites industry and holds an aerospace engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati. He has authored 15 technical papers on topics ranging from aerospace structures to the design and analysis of robotic arms and composite golf shafts.

Craig Neslen

Autonomous Collaborative Platforms — Manufacturing Lead

Craig Neslen is the Air Force manufacturing lead for composites structures manufacturing at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. He supports the Autonomous Collaborative Platforms initiative.

For the past 15 years, Neslen has led the strategic planning and execution of structures manufacturing activities for the ACP initiative, including contract management and in-house research. He works with vehicle design and structural test personnel from the Aerospace Systems Directorate and the Office of Naval Research to identify and execute programs for lower-cost, faster-throughput composite components.

Neslen earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Arizona State University and a master's degree in materials science from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He served on active duty in the Air Force for 8 1/2 years.

Stephen Schuster

Director of Engineering at Norsk Titanium

Stephen Schuster lives with his wife and three children in the Adirondack Park region of New York and serves as director of engineering at Norsk Titanium. With more than 20 years of experience in aerospace manufacturing and industrialization, he specializes in scaling advanced manufacturing technologies from development to production. He brings deep expertise in additive manufacturing, tooling and process optimization, and is known for aligning engineering execution with business outcomes. Schuster leads teams across new part introduction and production readiness, building on a career that began hands-on in fabrication while earning degrees from NHTI.

Bill Perez

Senior Product & Application Strategy Manager

Bill Perez is an innovative design engineer with more than 20 years of experience on various platforms to eliminate mechanically fastened attachments for the purposes of preserving structural integrity, eliminating corrosion risks, and reducing manufacturing and repair costs. As a senior product and application strategy manager for Click Bond, Perez applies his vast design engineering knowledge to his work with customers who are at the forefront of technology in building the next generation of aircraft. More than a supplier, Perez is a partner and trusted advisor, providing guidance to multiple engineering teams regarding innovative solutions that result in reduced manufacturing costs and decreased risk of potential build errors from drilling and welding. Perez frequently shares presentations to industry representatives on behalf of Click Bond to discuss the many benefits of the company's robust portfolio of more than 5,000 products sold globally. Learn more at clickbond.com.

Zach Smith

Chief Financial Officer

Zach Smith is the Chief Financial Officer of Acutec Precision Aerospace, bringing more than two decades of hands‑on industry experience and financial leadership to the organization. His career with Acutec began 22 years ago, when he joined the company at age 16 as an intern in the saw department through his high school vocational machining program. Within just three years, he advanced to running CNC equipment, including single‑ and live‑turn lathes, while simultaneously pursuing his bachelor’s degree in forensic accounting. In 2009, amid the turbulence of the global banking crisis, Zach transitioned into Acutec’s Finance team as a Staff Accountant. His ability to blend operational understanding with financial insight quickly set him apart. After completing his MBA, he was promoted in 2015 to Controller, taking on leadership of the Finance department and helping guide the company through continued growth and operational complexity. In 2019, Zach was named Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he oversees Acutec’s financial strategy, long‑range planning, and organizational performance, ensuring the company remains strong, competitive, and positioned for the future. His unique journey, from shop floor to C‑suite, gives him a rare perspective on the business and fuels his commitment to developing people, strengthening processes, and supporting innovation across the aerospace manufacturing landscape.

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