iTSSe TSS ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 47 iTSSe TSS 3 HALL OF FAME AWARDEES The ASM Thermal Spray Society (TSS) is pleased to welcome the following 2024 honorees into the TSS Hall of Fame: Nelso Antolotti, Michael K.A. Khor, and Daniel Sordelet, FASM. Nelso Antolotti founded Flametal in 1973, pioneering thermal spray technology in Italy to address material durability issues, initially focusing on coatings for corrosion and wear protection. Over time, Flametal expanded its clientele from local businesses to high-volume OEMs, such as ceramic coating for pump pistons. In 1999, Antolotti redirected his focus to biomedical coatings and gas turbine coatings, establishing Turbocoating and Eurocoating while selling Flametal’s remaining operations to Praxair. These ventures led to technological advancements, attracting major OEMs and fueling growth through patented innovations. In 2007, Antolotti acquired ARTEC, enhancing the group’s engineering capabilities for turnkey thermal spray equipment solutions. Vertical integration ensued, with Eurocoating offering comprehensive services from manu- facturing to final packaging and sterilization, including pioneering 3D printing for prosthetics. Turbocoating expanded its offerings in gas turbines and aerospace, culminating in a joint venture with GE Aerospace in 2015, positioning the company at the forefront of aerospace technology. Through strategic acquisitions and joint ventures, including establishments in the USA and China, Antolotti expanded the group’s global footprint. Noteworthy acquisitions include Coorstek Medical and Hitemco in 2019, and Danco Medical in 2022. Antolotti also contributed to the development of coating technology for solid oxide fuel cells. In 2020, a rebranding effort consolidated the group under the name Lincotek, with Antolotti serving as president of the Board of Directors. Today, with over 1700 employees and $300 million in annual turnover, Lincotek is led by Antolotti’s daughter, Linda, as it continues to innovate and solidify its position in the thermal spray market. His citation reads: “In 1973, Antolotti founded Flametal, revolutionizing thermal spray in Italy and Europe. As head of Lincotek, he drives advancements in coating at global level, energizing biomedical, gas turbine and aerospace industry.” Professor Michael K.A. Khor is director, Talent Recruitment and Career Support (TRACS) Office & Bibliometrics Analysis at NTU, Singapore, since 2018. He is concurrently a professor at the School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. Under the TRACS portfolio, he managed and administered the prestigious NTU Presidential Post- doctoral Fellowship, Nanyang Assistant Professorship (NAP) and the new Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship. He is instrumental in establishing thermal spray research in Singapore through his work on bioceramics coatings and thermal barrier coatings (TBC). Through his research projects, he builds an international network for thermal spraying involving researchers in Australia, PR China, Japan, India, France, Spain, and the Czech Republic. Among Professor Khor’s research interests are advanced materials processing; thermal sprayed coatings; spark plasma sintering, nano-bioceramics and nano-composites for artificial cornea implants, orthopaedic and dental implants, bibliometrics analysis of global research networks and specific technology for example, thermal barrier coatings. He has published over 406 journal and conference papers and edited several international conference proceedings. These publications yielded an H-index of 79 and over 18,000 citations. Several institutions have invited him as visiting professor and scientist over the years. These include the Japan National Defense Academy: Japan National Institutes of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Hanyang University, and Zhejiang University. A Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), UK, Khor received the IOM3 Overseas Medal in 2008. Professor Khor obtained his B.Sc. (Hons) and Ph.D. degrees from Monash University, Australia. Khor was recognized for “contributions to thermal spray technology in the processing of composite powders for TBC and biomaterials applications, post-spray processing, and the bibliometrics analysis of global trends.” ASM THERMAL SPRAY SOCIETY AWARDEES HONORED AT ITSC 2024 Antolotti Khor SOCIETY NEWS
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