Additive manufacturing has proven to be a disruptive technology that is opening the door to innovating products and making them better and more efficient. But inherent with new technologies is the need to examine the health and safety risks that are introduced into processes. Metal additive manufacturing uses well-known and proven materials, but new risks and hazards that arise from processing methods must be taken into account.
What precautions should be taken to ensure your employees are safely interacting with additive equipment and materials? This presentation will introduce you to risks associated with metal additive and present actionable approaches to occupational safety and environmental protection.
Speaker
Wilhelm (Willie) Feichter
Senior Manager Environment, Health & Safety
GE Additive
Willie Feichter was born in Innsbruck, Austria. He holds degrees in electrical engineering/power systems from the Munich University of Applied Sciences in Germany and electronics and computer sciences from the Higher Federal Technical and Testing Academy in Innsbruck, Austria. Willie is a certified occupational safety & health expert, certified ISO 14001 & 45001 expert, medical device officer according to the EU Medical Device Directive and a certified pollution control officer. He is also a member of the German Association of Health and Safety Engineers (VDSI).Willie joined GE Global Research Europe in 2004 as a research engineer in fields of hybrid and renewable energy systems. In his role he was working on several projects involving customers for oil & gas, wind energy and water businesses.
Through his work experience, Willie was able to claim several patents in the fields of lightning strike detection and advanced fiber optics applications. In 2008 he transferred to GE Global Research as an EHS expert and was promoted in 2012 to EHS manager for Global Research Europe. In 2015 Willie was appointed as regional governance leader for the Europe, Sub-Sahara, Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States regions in the GE Corporate Environment Health & Safety organization. Since 2018 he has been leading EHS programs for GE Additive in Germany.
