PRESS RELEASE 93-25 Immediate Linda S. Ellis (Bus: 216/433-2900)

Olmsted Township Engineer Receives Technology Transfer Award

Cleveland, OH -- A senior design engineer at NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, was awarded the Federal Laboratory Consortium Award of Excellence in Technology Transfer for 1993. Richard T. Barrett, an engineer in Lewis' Structural Systems Division, was one of 28 government employees who was awarded the plaque in ceremonies in Pittsburgh. The Federal Laboratory Consortium awards recognize U.S. federal laboratory employees who have done an outstanding job of transferring technology developed in their government laboratory to outside users such as other government agencies or the private industry sector. Barrett's recognition is based on his preparation of the first comprehensive fastener design manual, created for use by design engineers in the aerospace and construction industries. In the last 3 years, more than 5,000 copies of this document have been placed in engineering offices. Fasteners, such as screws, nuts, and bolts, are some of the most important features in the design of all hardware. On a typical desktop computer there are as many as 30 fasteners that attach peripheral devices to the computer motherboard and to the case. With proper selection of a fastener, a technician can assemble the computer in 30 minutes. With an improper selection, the assembly process can take as long as several hours. Barrett's manual assists the designer in selecting the proper fastener by providing correct configuration data on fastener sizes, types, materials, reliability and performance. Barrett resides in Olmsted Township, Ohio. # # # -end-