School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering Seminar Series, “Manufacture of Carbon-Carbon Brakes at Collins Aerospace”, Presented by John Finley

About the event

Manufacture of Carbon-Carbon Brakes at Collins Aerospace

Presented by John Finley, Engineering Manager, Collins Aerospace

Abstract:

At our site, which is one of three across the USA, we manufacture carbon-carbon composite brake pads.  The manufacturing process begins with Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber and forms it into a non-woven textile material.  That material is used to build a thick, felt-like material, where it is then processed through a reactor to convert the fiber into pure carbon fiber.  Once carbonized, it is then processed through a series of reactors using chemical vapor infiltration of natural gas and propane to deposit pyrolytic carbon onto the fibers.  It is then machined and processed to final dimensions, ready for shipment.

Biography:

My name is John Finley, and I graduated from WSU with a degree in Material Science and Engineering in 2002.  I am currently the Engineering Manager at Collins Aerospace in Spokane, WA, where I have worked for 20 years in varying roles.  My wife, Katie, graduated in the same class (she had better grades) and started work at the same company. At the Collins site in Spokane, we manufacture brakes for the major airplane manufactures across many different programs.  If you have flown domestically, there is a good chance that your plane was stopped by our brakes.