by Heather Caliendo The Journal Record August 6, 2009 TULSA – Local universities have pooled their resources to keep Oklahoma’s aerospace industry flying forward. 
Shivakumar Raman, director of SEAM (Shape Engineering for Advanced Manufacturing), with a coordinate measuring machine. (Photo by Maike Sabolich) Shape Engineering for Advanced Manufacturing (SEAM) strives to provide services for aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul services. The research and development center for SEAM is supported with faculty and resources from the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa. The idea for SEAM has existed for some time, said Shivakumar Raman, engineering professor at OU and director for SEAM. His vision for SEAM was to efficiently manage change within the aerospace industry and close technology gaps that might exist for Oklahoma-based companies. “We are selling a service, not a product,” he said. “We’re working to empower everyone involved in Oklahoma’s aerospace industry.” Since Oklahoma’s aerospace industry is one of the top economic engines for the state, Raman said, it’s vital for companies to stay on top. But the industry is changing and the competition continues to expand globally, meaning all aerospace companies, including Oklahoma-based companies, must be able to continually adapt to compete, he said. To keep airplanes flying efficiently, parts have to change and improve. Many companies don’t have the manpower or money to constantly keep up with new technologies for the aircraft. “There are high-quality parts with an immediate need,” Raman said. “Airplanes have very unique, very specific parts, and some companies don’t have the expertise or take the time, so they choose not to bid on the project.” That’s where SEAM hopes to play a role. OU College of Engineering Dean Tom Landers said he thinks it’s important for the organization to take a role in the aerospace market. In 2008, the SEAM proposal received $3 million in EDGE endowment funding. This will last the program until February 2011, when the group will have to begin living on its own funding. Raman said the grant helps connect the dots to create an industry organization. The organization has new equipment that several aerospace companies have not acquired. These technologies can help identify and correct errors early in the design process and before the tooling stage, he said. Currently, SEAM representatives are talking with local aerospace companies about the group’s capabilities. Raman said one advantage SEAM has is providing a group of Ph.D.-level researchers. By getting students involved with SEAM projects, it can help demonstrate an interest in a field that has failed to connect with much of the younger generation, he said. With SEAM flying forward, Raman said it can help put Oklahoma above the competition in aerospace. “Oklahoma is already positioned to be the new leader for MRO globally, not just the United States,” he said. “We just want to give it a push.”
