Summer 2007, Vol. 4, Issue 2

Inside Y‑12's think tank

Robot builder. Magician. Woodworker. Cotton farmer. Dive instructor. As individuals, Lee Bzorgi, Ed Ripley, Ron Simandl, Roland Seals and Rusty Hallman have varied backgrounds and interests. Together, they are some of the brightest minds and problem solvers at Y‑12. Their inventions stem from viewing problems as opportunities, having unfettered childlike imaginations, persevering with an innate stick-to-itiveness and scouting out solutions as part of a uniquely talented team. These innovators' creative, novel approaches to meeting Y‑12's special needs have led to inventions that benefit the Nuclear Weapons Complex and industry.

Lee Bzorgi, Mechanical engineer

Research: robotics, electronics, chemical agents, sensors

As a child, he built his first robot modeled after the one in Lost in Space. In his 20s, he built robots to scout the reactor basement at Three Mile Island.

Now Bzorgi is thinking of even bigger things. “Y‑12 always needs products that aren't available on the market,” he said. “We have special needs and unique problems. As long as there's a need for innovative products or a need for improving existing products, my work will be important. I've done hundreds of designs throughout my career.”

Bzorgi noted that one of the advantages of working at Y‑12 is not only the team approach to assessing a problem and designing a solution but also the ability to fabricate a product. “Y‑12's great team of craftspeople and engineers turns ideas into solutions that work,” he said. “Seeing an idea turned into a product that works as intended is gratifying—no doubt about it.”

Ed Ripley, Nuclear/metallurgical engineer

Research: heat treating, nanostructures, sintering/bonding

As a jewelry maker, magician and inventor, Ripley has more than a few tricks up his sleeve and readily admits that sometimes he feels as if he's got “a head full of think.

“I can't solve everybody's problem,” he said, “but when a few of us get together who want to find a solution, we can usually come up with a simple, elegant solution to a complex, technical problem.”

He said he approaches problems not as an engineer but as an artist would. “My background allows me to combine a number of problem-solving methods,” Ripley noted. “I like to take ideas from multiple disciplines and bring them together. I like to chip away at a problem from different directions until we make some headway.”

He said that the technologies and capabilities he helps invent “provide people on the shop floor with the tools they need to do what they do best. I like to find better ways of doing things.”

Ron Simandl, Research chemist

Research: materials, carbons, solvent blends, microcellular foams

Simandl is a self-described Type A personality. “I like to push things to the extreme,” he said. “I'm like a bloodhound once I'm onto something, and at the end of the work, I like to see a product.” He said he likes the mental game of going for the patent challenge. “I don't go for the exotic, boutique patents that only rub the ego. It's got to be marketable.”

With nine patents and counting, Simandl has had his share of marketable ideas. General Motors bought the license for his process to clean fuel injectors to help prevent engine failure.

To what does he attribute his success? “Perseverance is the key,” he answered. “The world is full of smart people. Putting smart and perseverance together is what you've got to do—follow things to their logical conclusion. Don't be afraid of falling down and don't give up. Perseverance — that's the trait I want to pass to my grandchildren.”

Roland Seals, Chemist/materials scientist

Research: coatings, infrared heating, nanostructures, surface chemistry

Having grown up on a cotton plantation in southern Mississippi, Seals knows the definition of hard work, but the 30-year company veteran simply describes his Y‑12 work as fun. “I've always had fun here,” he said. “I've had the opportunity to work with bright, creative people on exciting research and development projects.”

Seals said that working with engineers, scientists, design agencies and others has been a highlight of his career. “Everyone has a unique viewpoint and contribution,” he explained. “I appreciate the depth of the team.”

He prefers mathematically based science that builds on fundamentals, and he is especially interested in nanostructures. “Nanometer-size structures have changed our whole perception of materials and what we can do with material properties,” he said. “With nanostructures, we can increase the toughness of a material and make better tools to precision machine a part.”

Rusty Hallman, Chemical/materials science engineer

Research: instrumentation, machine development, nanostructures

Telling Hallman no only fuels his creative juices. “From the time I was a kid, I would do things that others said couldn't be done,” he said. “I've never wanted to be trapped inside a box. Contending with problems and naysayers is what I do. Problems are fertile ground for work. Without them, I wouldn't have a job.”

One aspect of his job he particularly enjoys is learning the intricate workings of equipment and instrumentation in his laboratory. Hallman likens this work to pulling back the curtain in The Wizard of Oz. “I like to take worn-out equipment apart and see how the machine functions. The machine teaches me something, and with that self-education, I can apply it to new uses.”

Working with his colleagues is another job perk for Hallman. “I work with profoundly talented people at Y‑12,” he said. “Everybody's contributions add to the validity of the work.”

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