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The Perfect Match After upgrading from a Lear 31 to the Lear 45 in 2011, Brad felt he found the right airplane for his mission. “This is almost the perfect airplane for what I do,” said Keselowski. “We can get outside the weather, fit eight people comfortably, operating costs are rela- tively inexpensive and I can land on short runways which is critical so I can get close to my final destination. The capability of the Lear 45 changed my life for the better.” subtractive manufacturing is the tra- ditional means of subtracting material from an object through milling, machin- ing, carving or shaping. While additive manufacturing is not a new concept (it has been around several decades), it continues to evolve and the use of the technology is becoming increasingly common across many manufacturing industries. Motorsports, for instance, frequent- ly utilizes additive manufacturing in the construction of race car compo- nents. After noticing the benefits of manufacturers by making additive tech- nology more widely accessible. “Motorsports tends to operate ahead of other sectors in technology and time because of its competitive nature. When I saw this technology firsthand, I thought to myself this should be available to the mass market,” said Keselowski. “It’s on the fringe of doing just that, and I want to help lead the way to make sure it does. I think it’s got huge opportunities to improve the world we live in.” Currently, KAM is comprised of a team of about 30 engineers and machin- ists, with plans to scale up to 100 within the year. They have also partnered with companies like ALSCO, BIG KAISER, GE Additive, Mazak Corp. and Pinnacle X-Ray Solutions. With tens of millions of dollars in equipment, KAM special- izes in laser powder bed fusion – the process of creating a full component out of a bed of powder and metal by way of laser power. The company expects cus- tomers to come from several industries including medical, automotive, defense, oil and gas and aerospace. “There is a big, big interest in avia- tion. The response has been very strong, and you are seeing companies like General Electric and Honeywell who Each NASCAR race, Brad requires one or two teams of around 20 people each. To accommodate everyone, team members also fly on aircraft operated by Team Penske – the professional mo- torsports organization Brad races for. “In our sport, there is a bit of a dis- connect. Fans see you fly in a private airplane and they think you came from a fancy vacation when in reality, we came from another event or test session,” said Keselowski. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve embraced the fact people are not going to understand it, and that’s okay. But it’s nice to have publications like Twin & Turbine that do understand the major- ity of private aviation is not for leisure travel but for business.” Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is a process that uses computer-aided design and hardware to build up or add material layer upon layer to create an object. By contrast, such technology, Brad recognized its potential for widespread use and felt compelled to get involved in what he envisions will be the next industrial revolution. In January, he officially launched Keselowski Advanced Manu- facturing (KAM) based in Statesville, North Carolina. His goal: Blaze a new trail for the next generation of American have put a huge emphasis on it,” said Keselowski. “Additive manufacturing has opened up doors and opportuni- ties for them in both capabilities and supply chain management that didn’t exist before.” KAM is also involved in aviation proj- ects, however, Brad explained it is hard to give examples because most of the 16 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2019 BRETT SCHAUF, VMG