Neil Matthews, business leader for Additive Technologies RUAG Australia, has been appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia, recognizing his outstanding efforts for significant service to aerospace component repair technologies.
The Australian honors system began in 1975 and recognizes an individual’s service to its nation or humanity. The Member of the Order (AM) of Australia is awarded to an individual who has contributed to service worthy of specific recognition.
Neil Matthews has dedicated his 25+ year career at RUAG Australia to researching and developing innovative aerospace component repair technology solutions. “Today, we congratulate him on his outstanding achievement of being appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia recognizing his achievements. Leading the way in component repair and coating technologies and making them accessible on behalf of our Defense Industry customers, is a mission Neil Matthews and RUAG have followed consistently and continue to share” said Terry Miles, General Manager RUAG Australia. “We are pleased to have Neil Matthews’ work recognized for the valuable contribution it creates for our customers.”
Neil holds an Aeronautical Engineering degree and a Master of Science in Aircraft Design He has been involved in Military Aircraft Engineering support for over 45 years both as a serving Air Force Officer and then in the commercial and military aviation industry. Neil has pioneered the use of additive manufacture in the form of Additive Metal Technologies, including Supersonic Particle Deposition (SPD) since 2004. He has worked closely with the Australian Department of Defense, local and international research and academic institutions to have SPD technology adopted for a range of aerospace, aviation and commercial applications. The repair applications include corrosion and wear protection and restoration of damaged aircraft components, resulting in significant cost savings for customers. Neil was awarded a Defense Industry Service Commendation in 2019 for his contribution to Defense.
Neil has co-authored leading Journal Papers, been a keynote speaker regarding additive metal technology in Australia and internationally and developed patented SPD technology for RUAG Australia. Neil is a member of the Defense Technology Transition working group, a member of the RMIT University Centre of Additive Manufacture Advisory Board and is the principal Industry participant in a number of Metal Additive programs.
