Global Fastener News

FTI Technical Achievement Awards Honor Unferth, Greenslade, Sherman & Singh

Bill Unferth, Joe Greenslade, Russell Sherman and Sumanjit Singh received Fastener Technology International magazine’s 2008 Technical Achievement Awards. The FTI awards are given annually to individuals responsible for major technical development related to making, distributing or using fasteners.

Unferth, special projects manager for Lindstrom Fastener Group, was honored for developing the Lindstrom Technical Manual.

Unferth started in the fastener industry in 1951 at Cleveland Cap Screw Company. In 1966 he became vice president at Universal Fastener Company; from 1976 to 1981 Unferth was regional manager of 15 southeastern and southwestern states for Holo-Krome; in 1982 he became vice president of Metric American Fasteners and vice president of sales & marketing for Bossard Metrics, the Bossard acquisition of Metric American. In 2001 Unferth became vice president of sales for Lindstrom. Unferth was the 1992-93 National Fastener Distributors Association associate chair. Web: lindfastgrp.com

Greenslade, director of engineering technology for the Industrial Fasteners Institute, started his fastener career in 1970. Prior to his IFI role he was the owner and president of Greenslade & Company Inc., a designer and manufacturer of dimensional measuring devices and a calibration laboratory.

Greenslade holds 12 U.S. patents on fastener-related products and has authored more than 200 trade journal articles. He has been active in ASME, AMTS and SAE fastener committees and was the IFI associate/supplier division chair. He was a member of the Public Law Task Force for the U.S. Fastener Quality Act and the Screw Thread Conformance Task Force for the revision of aerospace thread design and thread gaging practices for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense. He is a member of the NIFS Hall of Fame. E-mail: jgreenslade@indfast.org Web: indfast.org

Sherman developed a thermo-mechanical treatment process used in the manufacture of bolts.

Sherman, P.E., started his career in 1953 as a research metallurgist at Titanium Metals Corp. His first fastener experience was as chief metallurgist at Allen Manufacturing Co. from 1956 to 1960. He later was chief metallurgist for Voi Shan – now a division of Alcoa – where he directed efforts to produce fasteners from single-crystal tungsten, molybdenum alloys, titanium columbium and titanium. He also developed the thermo-mechanical treatment used to produce 200 ksi bolts from the normal 130 ksi alloy, A286. The bolt became a standard covered by aircraft and military specifications. Sherman also developed the warm rolling or expanded lead dies needed to thread roll at high strength steel fasteners from 011 tool steel.
As engineering vice president for Valley Todeco, Sherman used thermo-mechanical process to produce 220 ksi Inc 718 bolts used to hold engines on the Lockheed 1011. Sherman also developed the mass production method for titanium fasteners for the Boeing 747 wing and bolts for the 747 landing gear. Sherman patented the Sine-Lok interference fit fastener used in U.S. jet engines and holds patents for heat treating titanium-base alloy products and a titanium alloy system.

Sherman has been an independent consultant for fastener manufacturer Automotive Racing Products and holds a patent for a method of cold heading 260 ksi MP 35 fasteners. He is a fellow in ASM International.

Since 1973 Sherman has been vice president/technical director of metals consulting firm, NETCO (Nevada Engineering & Technology). E-mail: russmetal@aol.com Web: metallurgist.net

Dr. Singh developed the form-fit FF blind rivet and lock bolt technology. Since retiring as Audi’s research & development head of joining technology in 2001, Singh works as a freelance engineering consultant. The form-fit FF blind rivet bridges the gap between shank and workpiece through radial expansion of the shank using a splined mandrel. Singh studied mechanical engineering and holds a PhD from Aachen University in Germany. E-mail: sumanjit.singh@t-online.de

The deadline for nominations for the fifth annual awards is November 1, 2009. E-mail: mcnulty@fastenertech.com �2008/9 FastenerNews.com