The Key Technical Leaders of FSL have unparalleled experience in friction stir welding, robotics and in welding in general.

Founder and Vice President of Technology - John F. Hinrichs
Mr. Hinrichs was Director At Large of the American Welding Society, and Chair of both AWS Safety and Health and Technical Papers Committees. He holds fifteen U.S. and three foreign patents related to welding processes. In 1989, he became the first American to be presented the Golden Robot Award at the International Symposium of Industrial Robots held in Tokyo. In 2004, John was named as the first recipient of a new American Welding Society Award for Excellence in Robotic Arc Welding. He has numerous technical publications on welding and robotics. John had a 40-year plus career with A.O. Smith Corporation, where he rose to Director of Manufacturing Engineering at its Automotive Products Co., leading a technical staff of 80. Projects included gas metal arc welding, energy beam processes, solid phase joining, and robotics. Under John’s leadership AOS produced over 100 million electron beam tailored blanks, and installed and operated over 1,000 Gas Metal Arc Welding Robots – the largest such application, worldwide, at that time. John received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University, and his master’s in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Wisconsin, a Certified Manufacturing Engineer, and a Fellow of the American Welding Society.

Co-Founder & Vice-President of Engineering - Christopher B. Smith
Mr. Smith led the development of the friction stir welding (FSW) process at A.O. Smith/Tower-Automotive until co-founding Friction Stir Link in 2001. Chris has been responsible for the development of new automation and welding technologies, from laboratory development to production installation, and specifically has been focused on robotic FSW for the past 8 years. He has written the software that controls the FSW robotic processes, and is responsible for developing the tool designs and process parameters that make the applications successful. Mr. Smith has authored 11 papers and has 2 patents. He has been awarded the American Welding Society’s A. F. Davis Silver Medal for one of these publications. Mr. Smith holds a MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado.

Chief Executive Officer - Bill W. Wilcock
Mr. Wilcock has 35 years of broad experience in general management, operations, planning, and finance. His most recent automotive experience was with AlliedSignal Corporation, and before that, with A.O. Smith Corporation. At AlliedSignal, Mr. Wilcock was President of AlliedSignal Braking Systems from 1991 to 1994, responsible for units in North America, Europe, and Brazil producing vehicle braking components and systems. At A.O. Smith, from 1987 to 1990, Mr. Wilcock was Chairman, A.O. Smith Automotive Products Company, the leading stamping and structural assembly supplier to the North American Automotive industry at that time. Bill received both his BS in Business Administration and MBA from the University of California, Berkley.

Project Manufacturing Engineer - Robert A. Lendosky
 Bob Lendosky had a 33 year career at A.O. Smith/Tower Automotive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, starting as a press operator while attending Marquette University for engineering and completing his career at Tower Automotive as the Senior Welding Engineer for the Milwaukee Works. During that period, Bob worked as a Press Operator, Production Weldor, Inspector, Maintenance Weldor, Tool & Die Weldor, Robotic Welding Technician, and Welding Engineer. These varied job duties were spread across numerous disciplines including production, prototype, tool design, integration, process laboratory, and robot simulation. Bob’s experience included the integration and installation of more than 400 GMAW robots and 100 Material Handling robots on automated light-truck frame assembly lines. In addition, he has 15 years experience using various CAD packages including Deneb Ultra-Arc, Catia, Ashlar Cobalt, and SolidWorks. Projects included Ford Ranger, Ford Explorer, General Motors Pick-up and Suburban, Dodge Dakota, and culminating in the design, installation, and operation of the 2002 Dodge Ram truck frame line in Milwaukee which ran for 4 years and produced more than 1 million truck frames. This line remains the only successful implementation of a completely robotic bracket fixturing system (Hold’n Weld) where material handling robots with grippers replaced hydraulic fixturing to locate and hold brackets while welding robots completed the attachment. Bob received his BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University. He is a member of the American Welding Society and is a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI).

Operations Manager - Westin Allen
Mr. Allen has gained over 20 years of progressive experience in welding, management, weld engineering, lean manufacturing and quality. Mr. Allen’s diverse background in underground piping, steel erection and fabrication, heavy equipment manufacture, destructive and nondestructive testing, welding, materials and the marine industry has given him an in depth knowledge of AWS, ABS and Military welding codes and standards. Mr. Allen currently carries certifications as an AWS Certified Welding Inspector, ASNT Level III PT, and ACCP Level II VT. In the past Mr. Allen has also been certified as ASNT Level II MT, and UT. Westin received his BS degree in Weld Engineering from Utah State University. He is a longtime member of The American Welding Society and the American Society of Nondestructive Testing.