20 People to Know in Manufacturing: John Barnes
John Barnes has been involved in additive manufacturing for about 30 years, and he now wears several hats that place him in the center of Pittsburgh’s additive manufacturing ecosystem, from consulting to actually making things. As president of The Barnes Global Advisors, he leads a consultancy helping to bring together the major players in AM and works to make connections and find solutions in the field. One solution is Neighborhood 91, the airport-based hub for additive manufacturing in the Pittsburgh region, where Barnes’ Metal Powder Works is located.
What got you interested in additive manufacturing?
I was a young materials engineer working in aircraft engines and was assigned to a project at Sandia National Laboratories to check out this new technology they’d developed. That was in the late 1990s, so I was incredibly fortunate to have been involved so early. From that time on, AM kept finding me, so I finally just went all in.
How does your work with TBGA, MPW, and Neighborhood 91 intersect?
Neighborhood 91 is about being a part of something big and I’ll say the “greater good” because it is a regional asset and I hope a national asset. Through TBGA, we link the different stakeholders of government, nonprofits, and commercial industry that are essential to make something like this work. MPW is at the pointy end that needs to sell metal powder.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the additive manufacturing industries?
I really see the needs in people and the workforce. AM will increase in productivity, and the application space will forever increase. What slows it down are the people who know what it is, how it works, how to effectively use it and basically do the teamwork to marry design, materials, manufacturing and supply chain to achieve some practical outcome.
What are the largest legislative issues that you are watching?
It is still awareness. AM is a form of advanced manufacturing and still not widely understood. We have gained a lot of traction when we move away from the messaging that ‘AM can do anything’ to let’s demonstrate how AM can augment casting and forging supply chain issues for our critical weapons platforms. This is where everyone makes the connection.
What advantages do you see for manufacturing firms here in the Pittsburgh region?
People in this region like, respect and are good at manufacturing. The saying goes that ‘culture eats strategy for lunch,’ and to draw a parallel, Pittsburgh has plenty of culture, so we need to build on that culture.
How do you support companies and organizations in the industry?
Through TBGA we offer initial strategy assistance, which can then run all the way through to qualification, combining the commercial and technical aspects. We have developed numerous tools to assist businesses from two-person startups to multinationals to all of the U.S. armed forces.
Could you share an example of a project that you’ve overseen that you are particularly proud?
When I worked for the CSIRO in Australia, my team 3D printed a titanium human heel. The patient was in his 70s and was going to lose his leg from the knee down, but a surgeon who had been working in 3D printed implants designed a replacement heel. The surgery was successful, and the gentleman kept his leg and quality of life.
What would you recommend as a good read?
I just finished the “The Culture Code,” by Daniel Coyle, which was really a great read. So much of trying to do complex things comes down to people and inherently the culture. “The Culture Code” gives many great examples. It is easier said than done.
Article published by Pittsburgh Business Times