Retired Steel Expert Receives Merit Award

ASTM International (W. Conshohocken, PA) Committee A01 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys has presented the prestigious Award of Merit to retired steel expert Ron Bird of Germantown, WI.

The Award of Merit is ASTM’s highest organizational recognition for individual contributions to standards activities. Bird was recognized as a highly productive committee member who has done significant work related to the standardization of castings and corrosion testing of stainless steels and related alloys.

An ASTM member since 1987, Bird has been instrumental in the development of ASTM standards for steel investment castings within Subcommittee A01.18 on Castings. Committee A01 has noted his contributions with two Awards of Appreciation.

A graduate of Ohio State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in metallurgy, Bird retired from Stainless Foundry and Engineering (Milwaukee, WI) in 2014 after 50 years of service. He joined the company as a project engineer and received several promotions during his tenure, holding senior roles such as chief metallurgist and technical director, and finally director of research and development. During his career, he was involved in all aspects of the processes used for sand and investment casting of corrosion resisting alloys.

Bird was an active member of several trade associations during his professional career, including the American Foundry Society, the Investment Casting Institute and the Steel Founders’ Society of America.

He has received several industry awards, including the Robert G. Shepherd First Place Paper Award and Charles W. Briggs Memorial Technical and Operating Medal from the Steel Founders’ Society of America. He was named an honorary member of the Steel Founders’ Society in 2009.

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