HERMITAGE, PA – Before a sell-out crowd of 250 attendees in New York City, a Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP portfolio startup, Anderal Technologies, presented its Electrically Assisted Manufacturing (EAM) technology to a panel of angel investors, venture capital groups, and technology firms at the Shell Oil sponsored Future Energy Event. Shell invited only eight finalists, out of 169 applications, to present on topics related to new energy technologies.
Anderal Technologies, a tenant of the eCenter@LindenPointe Technology Incubator in Hermitage, PA, was ultimately awarded Second Place. Responding to the Second Place Award, Ronald Anderson, President of Anderal Technologies stated, “This truly qualifies as one of the most humbling experiences of my life”. He further added, “Dr. John Roth, the inventor of the technology and Professor at Penn State Erie – the Behrend College, deserves all the credit for developing what is truly a disruptive technology in the world of metal forming.”
James Kosco, Ph.D., Ben Franklin’s Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Director, commented, “When I saw the notice about this competition I immediately thought that Anderal with Dr. Roth’s technology would make a very competitive presentation. Their innovation is a game changer in that it enables the successful forming of brittle materials such as titanium and magnesium.”
Electrically Assisted Manufacturing is the process of applying direct current in a pulsed format, to ultra-high strength steels. Using low voltage and high amperage to form and shape the steel effectively reduces the time/energy consumed in bending, stamping, and forging processes. EAM requires less energy, a decrease in press requirements, and increases/improves the life of the die. EAM technology covers a broad array of metallic materials over many industries including automotive.
To date, shared positions on the patents covering this technology have been issued with Penn State University, Northwestern University, and Ford Global Technologies. Dr. Lane Mears with Clemson University, and the Clemson University Center for Automotive Research, who is associated with Anderal Technologies, also has a patent pending in the application of EAM technology.
About Ben Franklin Technology Partners:
Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority, provides funding, operational assistance, and entrepreneurial support to emerging tech-companies and small manufacturers in Pennsylvania. www.cnp.benfranklin.org.