August 2025 Volume 7

FORGING RESEARCH

Characterization. Most recently, the university declared new focus areas within its Science & Engineering Frontiers: Materials & Manufacturing of the Future. Teaching forging through the combination of practical hands-on experience and immersion in metal forming mechanics and metallurgy directly supports the education and research priorities of the university and the forging industry. The ultimate success of forging education is when students bring their learning to the forging industry. We conclude this article with a very positive outcome: former forging student Isaak Keskula, as shown in Figure 2, learning blacksmithing in January 2025, was recruited by Nichols Tillage Tools and began working in July 2025 as a Forging Project Engineer. Isaak appears in Figure 10 sitting at the entrance to Nichols Tillage Tools where he joins the engineering team (all graduates of the Colorado School of Mines) and over 130 metal workers carrying forward excellence in forging processes and products for agriculture.

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Figure 10: Newly hired Forging Project Engineer Isaak Keskula at the entrance to Nichols Tillage Tools where he will be applying his integrated apprentice/ classroom forging education. Forging is at the core of the future of manufacturing. Forging companies play a critical role in shaping this future, providing essential components with unmatched strength, durability, and reliability. Integrated apprentice-style/classroom education is an excellent approach to help maintain and build excellence in forging. Prof. Terry C. Lowe, PhD, Dr.h.c. Research Professor and FIERF Professor George S. Ansell Dept. of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Colorado School of Mines

Contact Tricia Abruzzino for more information at tricia@forging.org

Phone: 303-273-3178 Email: lowe@mines.edu

FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2025 67