John Lile Hartmann to receive the 2005 SAE Thomas H. Speller Award

Warrendale, PA (August 10, 2005) - John Lile Hartmann, vice president of Electroimpact, Inc., an aircraft assembly tooling and automation equipment manufacturer, has been selected to receive the 2005 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Thomas H. Speller Award. He will be presented with the award on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 during the SAE 2005 AeroTech Congress & Exhibition at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport Area of Texas.

This award, established in 1983, recognizes the remarkable achievements of Thomas H. Speller who, through dedicated service, tireless efforts, high ideals and vision, contributed significantly to the implementation of manufacturing processes and methodologies in the area of automated fastening machines and their applications.

Hartmann has been with Electroimpact for over 18 years. His current work ranges from developments in the automation of structural wingbox assembly to the enhancement of conventional, articulated robots to meet aerospace assembly requirements. Early in his career, he focused in the area of low-voltage, electromagnetic riveting systems. His work helped lead to the adoption of this technology in major airframe assembly at both Boeing and Airbus. In the mid-1990s, his focus expanded into automated tooling and large-scale system integration projects, directed primarily for automated assembly of large aircraft components, including new and revolutionary assembly and fixturing techniques for wing assembly automation on the 737, C-17, A320, A340-600 and A380.

Hartmann has published many technical documents on riveting, fasteners and assembly systems in aerospace manufacturing. He also holds an oral presentation award from SAE, as well as the Excellence in Technology Transfer Award from Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (1988).

Hartmann is a member of SAE and holds bachelor's degrees in both chemistry and mechanical engineering from the University of Washington. He received his master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.