SAWE Virtual Forum #9: Uncertainty

January 27, 2023 - 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm Eastern Time

Facilitated by:
John Nakai, The Aerospace Corporation
Robert Zimmerman, Lockheed Martin (Retired)

The SAWE is proud to present our 9th Virtual Forum, a panel and audience participation venue to inform and debate important issues in mass properties engineering.  This forum’s topic is Mass Properties Uncertainty Analysis, and our panelists are John Nakai from The Aerospace Corporation and Robert Zimmerman, Technical Director of the SAWE. 

The Forum will be via Google Meet and will run for an hour and a half commencing on Friday, January 27th at 12:00 EST (11:00 CST, 10:00 MST, 9:00 PST, 14:00 BRT, 15:00 GMT, 16:00 CET).

The forum will start with differentiating mass growth from mass properties uncertainties, then it will delineate sources of mass properties uncertainties.  The “meat” of the forum will concentrate on three inter-related uncertainty questions asked by working mass properties engineers:  How do you determine uncertainty ranges?  How do you characterize uncertainty?  And how do you compute uncertainties?  Next, because of various constraints, some uncertainties may be determined in a coordinate system that is not the project’s preferred coordinates, so a brief discussion with references to SAWE papers will point to how to treat rotated uncertainties.  The formal presentation will conclude by summarizing uncertainty modeling techniques.

Questions may be raised during the presentation and following the presentation the floor will be open for general discussion.

SAWE Members, Corporate Partners and Company members who register will also recevie a link to the meeting recording if unable to attend live. 

Not a SAWE member?  Join Here!

SAWE Technical Forum: SAWE and the Hydrogen Economy

October 28, 2022 - 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm EDT 

Facilitated by:
Jeff Cerro, NASA Langley

The SAWE is continuing its series of virtual, web-based Mass Properties Forums with an 8^th installment, “SAWE and the Hydrogen Economy”. This Forum topic addresses the use of hydrogen as a fuel for power and propulsion and how SAWE may incorporate the many changes this fuel imparts upon all our product sectors. Gaseous and liquid hydrogen vs conventional fuel characteristics will be a discussion topic as to how this change can affect transportation systems. More in-depth coverage of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle implementations in air ground and marine transportation will be provided by industry SME panelists with 25+ years of general and hydrogen vehicle design experience. The hydrogen economy is a de-facto global initiative seeking to alleviate many of the environmental impacts of energy use.

SAWE members, academics, and industry participants will start the discussion by providing some basic information on hydrogen properties and how that fuel type might affect transportation vehicles’ design/use. SAWE Offshore is included as well, being a possible infrastructure from which to generate, process and ship stored hydrogen to energy storage destinations. There are already applications of hydrogen use in ground, air, space, and marine transportation elements. Those vehicles as well as those of historical nature, and of future dreamed implementation, will be discussed.

Throughout topic overviews, the forum includes audience participation by requests for comments, and seeks further exchange of information coming from our virtual gathering. There is undoubtably a growing fraction of SAWE members becoming involved in hydrogen fueled transportation concepts.  Our forum encourages continued growth in developing common understandings which this change imparts on SAWE products’ design, manufacturing, and operations. 

Along with SAWE moderator Jeff Cerro, NASA Langley Research Center our planned SME’s include:

• Mr. Joe Rainville:  Bell Aircraft - Fuel Cells, Aircraft and Ground Vehicles
• Sr. Mauro Evangelisti:  Director, Gas and Heat, Livorno Italy – Marine Industry
• Tobin Lee and Brandin Northrop:  Boeing Aircraft and Space Systems
• Andy Schuster:  Principal in SAWE & Meta-MPE LLC – Offshore Energy, Marine
• Dr. Theo Dingemans:  CTO BlueSky Polymers, and Professor UNC Chapel Hill, - H2 Permeation

The Forum will be conducted on Friday October 28th, 2022, commencing at 10:00 AM MDT (12:00 PM EDT, 17:00 CET) and will run for 90 minutes. An email with sign-up instructions will be sent in early October.

Not a SAWE member?  Join Here!

The 2022 Conference Program is accessible online to all registered attendees!
Use the SAWE Attendee Hub website or app to access the conference program, agenda technical content, etc.
(use registered name, email or phone requried for access)

Attendee Hub and access to technical content was closed on Sept. 30, 2022.

Attendee Hub is also available in Google Play Store for Android and App Store for Apple by searching "Cvent Events".  Then search for "81st International Conference on Mass Properties" within the app.

Attendee Hub walk-through video

Conference Sponsors

Diamond

Ruby

Conference Exhibitors

SAWE CP	SAWE CP
SAWE CP	SAWE CP
SAWE CP

SAWE Technical Forum: WEIGH - Weight Estimating in Great Haste

March 25, 2022 - 11:00 am to 12:30 pm EDT 

Facilitated by:

Manuela Bucci Naval Architect MSc CEng MRina Tymor Marine Limited	John Nakai Senior Engineering Specialist The Aerospace Corporation

As mass properties engineers, we must periodically verify the predicted or standardized mass properties of a vehicle, vessel, or other item by measurement. We must:

· inspect and inventory what is or is not on the vehicle, vessel, or item to be measured

· correlate the as-measured configuration to the predicted (or a standard) configuration

· obtain, measure, or estimate the relevant mass properties of the items that differ between the predicted or standard configuration and the as-measured configuration

· perform the measurement tests and collect data

· compute final mass properties results from the predicted, measured, and estimated data collected

Often, we face very limited time and other resources to perform the above processes.

· Maritime Weight Engineers often must make on-the-spot weight estimates of onboard or missing items during ship inspections

· This situation may also be encountered by mass properties engineers in other construction and transportation industries

This forum will explore strategies and practices in optimizing on-the-spot weight estimates during an inspection, when only visual observation and very limited data about any item are available on site due to time and resource constraints.

· This type of weight estimating will be compared to weight estimating during various stages of design, where databases are accessible.

· The importance of the number of items to be estimated to achieve acceptable overall weight accuracy will be also discussed.

The forum’s leaders are interested in discussing practices, tips, and shared experiences for this type of weight estimation among the participants.

Please join us to share your experiences, tips, and strategies, and to creatively brainstorm possible ways to improve associated methods and tools for Weight Estimating in Great Haste. Participants from all industry sectors represented in SAWE are invited!

Zoom Instructions

To join the meeting, you must register using the link below.

After registering, you will receive an email confirmation. Save this email, as it has the links required to join the meeting along with Add to Calendar links and dial-in instructions.
Please note that to join the meeting, you MUST use the Zoom desktop client or mobile app. You will not be able to join using the web client.

After the conclusion of this forum, a link to the recording will be provided to SAWE member registrants, allowing members who miss the Zoom meeting to be able to view it later. 

Not a SAWE member?  Join Here!

SAWE Technical Forum: Parametrics – Description and Utilization in Mass Properties

January 21, 2021 - 11:00 am to 12:30 pm EDT 

Facilitated by: Doug Fisher, Collins Aerospace
Panelists:  Andrew Walker, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and David Hansch, Newport News Shipbuilding

Kicking off 2022 with a bang, the Society of Allied Weight engineers is hosting a Virtual Forum on Parametrics – Description and Utilization in Mass Properties.  The Forum will commence on January 21, 2022 at 11:00 AM EST via Zoom (see information below).  This forum will explore what Mass Properties parametrics are, how to effectively use parametrics in your mass properties determinations, how accurate are parametrics, and what are the pitfalls in using parametrics.  Leading this exposition and ensuing discussions are industry leaders Douglas Fisher from Collins Aerospace, Andrew Walker from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, and David Hansch from Newport News Shipbuilding.

Zoom Instructions

To join the meeting, you must register using the link below.

After registering, you will receive an email with the subject "SAWE Technical Forum Confirmation". Save this email, as it has the links required to join the meeting along with Add to Calendar links and dial-in instructions.
Please note that to join the meeting, you MUST use the Zoom desktop client or mobile app. You will not be able to join using the web client.

After the conclusion of this forum, a link to the recording will be provided to all registrants.  So even if you miss the Zoom meeting you’ll be able to view it later.  

Technical Sessions: November 1-2, 2022
Standards & Practices: November 3-4, 2022
Training:  November 5-12, 2022

Registration fees:
General Registration:  $249
Retiree or Student:  $29
Cost includes access to download recorded proceedings and papers following the event.

Registration is now closed, but 2021 Tech Fair attendees can access any missed session recordings and access shared presentations and papers by logging in to the 2021 Tech Fair Attendee Hub thru January 31, 2022

Check out SAWE 2021 Tech Fair Sponsor/Exhibitor Benefits!

SAWE President's Message

On behalf of the Society of Allied Weight Engineers I would like to personally invite you to join us for our 2021 International Virtual Tech Fair on Mass Properties, November 1st to 12th.  Once again this year, due to travel restrictions for our members, we have opted for an online experience.  Last year’s Virtual Tech Fair was very successful, and our Technical Team has put together another exciting and informative program including technical papers, sponsor presentations, standards and practices workshops, and training classes that only SAWE can offer.  We will also provide ample opportunities to connect with your peers and learn from experts in the field of mass properties.  

Registration is now open, so don’t delay!  Feel free to contact me with any questions at Damian.Yanez@sawe.org.  I look forward to seeing you there!

All sessions will be virtual thru a single website/portal called Tech Fair Attendee Hub.  Here's a quick video introduction/tutorial on how to get around once registered.

Training Schedule: November 5-12, 2022

Technical & Standards and Practices Schedule
All times listed in US Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)

Technical Agenda Session Details

Standards & Practices Session Details

SAWE Cross Chapter Meeting
Hosted by Capital Region Chapter

April 29, 2021 - 11:30 AM EDT 

Presentation: Analyzing the sinking of the USS San Diego using a time-based progressive flooding software
 by Mr. John Rosborough

USS SAN DIEGO ACR 6; Flooding and Capsize Investigation

The USS San Diego was the only major USN warship sunk during WWI. After being damaged off the coast of NY it flooded and capsized in about 25 minutes with the loss of only 6 crew. The USN Board of Inquiry investigating the event worked to determine how this loss could have occurred. Was it sabotage, mine or torpedo damage, and were the proper damage control procedures followed? The Captain and crew appear to have done their best before, during, and after the event. As the centennial of the 19 July 1918 sinking approached, the Naval History and Heritage Command embarked on a series of surveys and studies to evaluate the condition of the wreck and to perhaps address the question of how an armored cruiser could be lost in such a manner. The presentation provides an overview of the modeling and simulation efforts to investigate the 100-year-old mystery and answer the question of how such a capsize could occur.

Speaker Bio:

John Rosborough has 45 years of experience working in support of the US Navy. He has worked at NAVSEA, the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and NSWC Carderock Division where he was Branch Head for Stability & Weight Control Branch from 2001 to 2017. While employed by the Navy, he worked on new designs and in-service ship stability for amphibious ships, combatants, SWATHs, and aircraft carriers. Since 1977 he has been maintaining and improving the Ship Hull Characteristics Program (SHCP), creating pre and post processing software for stability model visualization and results analysis. This includes the software development oversight of the Flooding Casualty Control Software (FCCS), a joint USN & USCG effort, and the Advanced Stability Algorithms (ASA), a time-based progressive flooding software.

Zoom Instructions

To join the meeting, you must register using the link below.

After registering, you will receive an email with the subject "SAWE Capital Cross Chapter Meeting Confirmation". Save this email, as it has the information required to actually join the meeting. 
Please note that to join the meeting, you MUST use the Zoom desktop client or mobile app. You will not be able to join using the web client.

After the conclusion of this forum, a link to the recording will be provided to all registrants.  So even if you miss the Zoom meeting you’ll be able to view it later.  

Virtual Forum: Preliminary Design Mass Properties Estimation

March 26, 2021 - 11:00 AM EST 

The SAWE is continuing its series of virtual, Zoom-based Mass Properties Forums with the fourth installment, “Preliminary Design Mass Properties Estimation”. This forum topic was the most requested topic in a survey of SAWE membership and prior Forum attendees.

A panel of industry Subject Matter Experts will start the discussions by expounding on how they would approach deriving the initial mass properties upon presentation of an RFP, ultimately resulting in delivery of preliminary mass properties to their proposal customer. These mass properties would include Not-To-Exceed mass, a preliminary analysis of Center of Gravity bounds, and if applicable, initial estimation of Moments and Products of Inertia. Following these introductory remarks by the panel, the Forum will proceed to questions, comments, and further examples from the audience.

Zoom Instructions

To join the meeting, you must register using the link below.

After registering, you will receive an email with the subject "SAWE Forum: Preliminary Design Mass Properties Estimation - Zoom Meeting Confirmation". Save this email, as it has the information required to actually join the meeting. 
Please note that to join the meeting, you MUST use the Zoom desktop client or mobile app. You will not be able to join using the web client.

After the conclusion of this forum, a link to the recording will be provided to all registrants.  So even if you miss the Zoom meeting you’ll be able to view it later.  

SAWE Workshop: Certified Mass Properties Engineer Question Development

January 29, 2021 - 10:00 AM CST 

Do you feel there are "Mass Properties 101" basics that every Mass Properties engineer should be knowledgeable about regardless of industry?

The SAWE Mass Properties Engineer Certification Committee is hosting an exam question brainstorming workshop where you can help shape the questions included on an Associate-Level Certified Mass Properties Engineer exam.  This exam will be non-industry specific, and will be geared toward members who have either a Bachelor’s degree and 2 years of experience OR 5 years of applicable MPE experience.

The workshop will be virtual with "breakout rooms" for different Mass Properties topics:

• Verification
  • check that MP data you or others evaluated are to the required accuracy
  • How to identify anomalies or errors in the MP data
• Analysis
  • Be familiar with statistical and probability tools and methods:
    • Basic statistical variables: skew, mean, median, standard deviations, probability distributions.
    • Error analysis, precision, accuracy, sensitivity, bias.
    • Forecasting, extrapolation, curve fitting, confidence bounds, probability calculations. 
    • Data analysis: exploratory data analysis, Monte Carlo method, ANOVA, risk analysis
• Component Knowledge
  • Basic knowledge
    • Sizing
    • weight driving requirements
    • history of technology
    • different design solutions
    • material constraints
    • manufacturing constraints
    • interaction between components
• Systems Engineering
  • Basic Systems Engineering working knowledge
    • Difference between MPCP, SEMP, TEMP
• Engineering Knowledge Other Engineering Topics
  • Math - Tensor calculus, Probability, statistics, scientific experimentation,
  • Physics and Chemistry
  • Engineering University Classes – Strength of Materials, Statics & Dynamics, Fluid, electricity, metallurgy
  • Economics
• Mass Modeling
  • Basic concept knowledge of part/drawing indenture and work breakdown structure
  • General understanding of 3D-models and tools

Not only is this an opportunity to help shape the knowledge base required for future Certified Mass Properties Engineers, this is also an opportunity to get to know your mass properties colleagues in an interactive setting.

If you are unable to attend the workshop but still want to submit questions, please submit them to Anjie.L.Emmett@NASA.gov

The facilitators will send out topics, an agenda, and materials on January 20th.

Zoom Instructions - Meeting Details

To join the meeting, first you must register using the link below.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with the subject "SAWE Workshop: CMPE Question Development". Save this email, as it has the information required to actually join the meeting. Please note that to join the meeting, you MUST use the Zoom desktop client or mobile app. You will not be able to join using the web client.

Virtual Forum: Persuading Leaders and Peers of the Value of Mass Properties

January 15, 2021 - 11:00 AM EST 

The SAWE is excited to announce the third installment of our Virtual Forum Series.  This forum will be somewhat different than previous forums in the following way - rather than a Forum leader and a host for the meeting, there will be a forum host and a panel of mass properties experts.  We have engaged people who have moved up to group lead and then to higher management levels, people who have risen to lead mass properties groups, people who oversee mass properties, and people who have experienced both well run and poorly run mass properties organizations.  Each have a tale to tell.
 
Each panelist will expound on their “secret sauce” on how to enable a well functioning mass properties effort, and more importantly, what the overall value of having such an organization (which could even be a single person) is to their group, company, and nation.  Each panelist will have a short period of time to present their case.  After all the panelists have spoken, we will open up the floor for our audience to comment, ask questions, and discuss what they have just witnessed.  Then there we will conduct a short wrap-up with the opportunity for discussions to continue off-line.
 

Zoom Instructions

To join the meeting, first you must register using the link below.

After registering, you will receive an email from Bill Boze (SAWE Executive Director) with the subject "SAWE Forum: Persuading Leaders and Peers of the Value of Mass Properties". Save this email, as it has the information required to actually join the meeting. Please note that to join the meeting, you MUST use the Zoom desktop client or mobile app. You will not be able to join using the web client.

79th SAWE Virtual Forum - Vendor Weight Control 

September 25, 2020

Zoom Meeting Details (SAWE Members Only)

The Society of Allied Weight Engineers is holding a 1.5 hour Virtual Forum on Vendor Weight Control on Friday, September 25th at 8 AM PDT (11 AM EDT, 5PM CEST) to discuss this ongoing challenge. Join us for this forum as we share our mutual experiences and opinions on how best to ensure that vendor supplied components do not scuttle your program.

Join Forum Leader Vidas “Whidy” Kiskunas, Forum Host Robert Zimmerman, and the SAWE Leadership in this first 2020-2021 SAWE Virtual Forum via Zoom (link to be provided later) and let your voice be heard. Be involved in solving a problematic aspect of mass properties engineering that impacts not only our ability to control weight, but our relationships with our management and customers.

2020 SAWE Tech Fair
June 22, 2020 - July 10, 2020

Registration for Tech Fair is now closed
 

View Full Tech Fair Program

Week 1: Technical Content  |  June 22-25, 2020

• Technical Paper Presentations
  • Mass Properties Measurement
  • Buoyant Systems
  • Structural Materials
  • Future Aircraft Trends
  • Mass Properties Systems Engineering
  • Looking to the Future
• Mass Properties Forum, Statistical Application
• Vendor & Sponsor Presentations

Week 2: Standards & Practices  |  June 29 - July 3, 2020

• Recommended Practices status updates
• Discussion on standard airline passenger weight guidelines
• Industry Workshops

Week 3: Training |  July 6-10, 2020

• Automated Weight and Balance System (AWBS)
• Designing the Aircraft of the Future
• Marine Vehicle Weight Estimating Methodology
• Structural Weight Optimization for Mass Properties Engineers
• Developing Basic Parametric Models

All webinar sessions will start each day at 7AM Pacific Daylight Time.  See the Tech Fair Program for more details.

The Tech Fair will utilize Zoom Webinar and Zoom Meeting. 

Check Zoom.us for some basic device requirements.  A Zoom account is recommended but not required.  A basic Zoom account is free.  For the best experience use the Zoom app from a Windows or Apple computer with a webcam.  Zoom Meetings and Webinars can also be joined thru a browser interface without installing the app.  If you are using a company provided device, check with your IT department on access limitations.  

For security purposes, registration for SAWE Tech Fair will be done in two steps.

Step 1:  Register and pay for Tech Fair at www.sawe.org/registration.  Authors, sponsors and academic advisors will receive discount codes thru SAWE Technical Director, Vendor Relations and Academic Affairs points of contact.

Step 2:  Register for attendance to Zoom Webinars and Zoom Meetings.  When you complete Step 1, you will receive a series of emails confirming you have paid, and will include an email with a “Complete Tech Fair Zoom Registration” link.  You must register for each Zoom webinar or meeting via this link.  When you register with Zoom you will receive one or more emails (based on your content selection) confirming you have registered and including links to connect with the Tech Fair and any 2nd week workshops you have selected.  Save these emails as they also includes links that will put the Zoom webinar and meeting links into your computer’s calendar, if you so desire.

79th SAWE International Conference
on Mass Properties Engineering 

March 6, 2020

WHERE:
Fluor Corporation
Special Functions Room
1 Fluor Daniel Drive
Sugar Land, Texas 77478

See the Houston Chapter website for more information

79th SAWE International Conference on Mass Properties Engineering
May 23-28, 2020
Hamburg, Germany
Privathotel Lindtner

Registration is now closed

Sponsor/Exhibitor Benefits and Pricing

Conference Venue

Privathotel Lindtner
Heimfelder Str. 123, 21075 Hamburg Germany
Phone: +49 40 790090

Special Conference Rate:
Single Room €169/night
Double Room €209/night

78th SAWE International Conference on Mass Properties Engineering
May 18-23, 2019
Hilton Norfolk - "The Main"
Norfolk, Virginia, USA

Conference Website

Please bear with us as we are using a new registration system.  One thing to be aware of is that each ticket purchased will be assigned to an "Attendee".  So if you are purchasing 3 items (for example registration, reception, training) each ticket will be labeled with Attendee 1, Attendee 2, and Attendee 3.  There is a checkbox during checkout labeled " Use Attendee #1's information for ALL attendees".  Check this box to automatically populate registration info for the primary attendee to all tickets.  

If you are registering more than one person, click on the advance copy options and select which tickets to auto-populate with the primary attendee's information.

Hampton Roads Fall Regional Conference and Planning Meeting
November 29 - December 1, 2018
Hilton Norfolk - "The Main"
Norfolk, Virginia, USA

Conference Website: https://www.sawe.org/hamptonroads/2018regional/

The Hampton Roads Coastal Virginia Regional Conference and Planning Meeting has officially been rescheduled for Thursday, 11/29 – Saturday, 12/1.

We have maintained the same days of the week and conference rooms as originally reserved with the hotel.  Everyone’s registration has been moved to the new dates.  If you cannot attend, please contact one of our co-chairs via the contact information at the bottom of the conference website. 

Please Visit Conference Website for Latest Updates

77 ^th SAWE Inernational Conference
on Mass Properties Engineering
May 5-10, 2018
Irving, Texas, USA 

Southwest Regional Conference
March 8-10, 2018
Temecula Creek Inn
Temecula, California

The Los Angeles SAWE Chapter is happy to cordially invite you to join us for the Southwest Regional Conference on March 8-10, 2018 at Temecula Creek Inn. The venue is a beautiful golf resort with nearby wineries, casinos, old town attractions, hot air ballooning, restaurants, shopping, and other local attractions.

Conference Website

2017 Texas Regional Conference Website

76^th SAWE International Conference
on Mass Properties Engineering
May 20-25, 2017
Montreal, Canada

2016 Canada Regional Conference
November 3-5, 2016
Montreal, Canada 

75th SAWE International Conference
on Mass Properties Engineering
May 21-26, 2016
Denver, Colorado, USA

Download Conference Announcement