Tony Kayhart

Tony Kayhart has a diverse work experience primarily focused on engineering roles. Tony began their career as a Mechanical Engineer Intern at the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center in 2007 and later transitioned to a full-time Mechanical Engineer role in 2012. During their time there, they conducted novel research in composites and personal protection, leading to multiple patent applications and the development of improved ballistic helmet shells. Tony also played a key role in composite armor research and development, including the design and construction of filament winding equipment for the fabrication of ballistic composites. Additionally, Tony was involved in blunt impact research and development, where they developed innovative solutions such as an additive-manufactured 3-D truss helmet suspension system. Tony demonstrated strong leadership and project management skills, serving as a team lead on multiple projects and managing budgets exceeding $2 million per year. Tony's time at the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center also involved laboratory development, including the construction of a compressed light gas gun ballistic laboratory and a blunt impact laboratory. In 2018, Tony joined Make Composites, Inc. as a Lead Process Engineer and played a crucial role in the successful acquisition of the company by Desktop Metal. Tony achieved significant milestones in the proof of concept product development, implementing a kinematically repeatable tool changing mechanism and electronic control system. Tony also contributed to the design and implementation of various tools and processes, including Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and micro-Automated Fiber Placement (uAFP) tools. Tony'sresponsibilities included fabricating PEEK and PA6 plastic parts and consolidating composite tapes. Additionally, Tony led the redesign efforts to meet project milestones and acquisition requirements. In 2019, Tony continued their career at Desktop Metal as a Lead R&D Engineer, specializing in composites. Tony spearheaded the development of the composite additive manufacturing process, successfully launching a beta version. Tony created printing processes for composite tape and plastic extrusion, developed in-situ bonding methods, and devised part support strategies. Tony also took ownership of printer configuration and successfully resolved a tool coupler problem through software controls. Most recently, in 2022, Tony joined 6K as a System Engineer.

Tony Kayhart earned a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University, where they studied from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that, they received a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where they studied from 2006 to 2012. In addition to their degrees, Tony obtained a certification in SOLIDWORKS Mechanical Design at the level of Professional from Dassault Systèmes in December 2016.