
The staff of The Shot Peener magazine is pleased to recognize Dave Barkley, Director of Training for Electronics Inc., as the “Shot Peener of the Year.” Dave was chosen for two reasons: His extraordinary efforts to maintain a training program during the pandemic and his dedication to refining and expanding training for the shot peening and blast cleaning industries.
Successful outcomes in 2020 required skill, perseverance, and creative thinking. Dave exemplified all three during a year that tested the shot peening industry like no other. Training, a critical part of a quality shot peening program, was hit especially hard due to lockdowns in air travel and hotel accommodations.
Dave led seminars in Ireland and Japan before the global lockdown started in February 2020. His on-site training events followed strict safety protocols but, even so, on-site training was down 30% from 2019. It seemed inevitable that the USA workshop would not be held for the first time since 1991. But Dave had an idea—he would organize a small seminar in South Bend, Indiana. Only 30 students and five instructors could attend—thereby maintaining social distancing. The program quickly sold out to 30 students from 22 companies.
These organizational skills have greatly contributed to Dave’s success. He oversees all aspects of the seminars/workshops and on-site training sessions while continuing to conduct classes in fundamental and specialized peening processes. He is an active member of the SAE Surface Enhancement Committee which maintains industry specifications for Shot Peening and Rotary-Flapper Peening processes. He is the sponsor of SAE AMS2590A, Rotary Flap Peening of Metal Parts. Dave is a FAA FAASTeam Representative specializing in shot peening education.
Dave earned a degree in engineering from Purdue University’s School of Technology where he later taught as an adjunct professor in the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering departments. Dave began working for Electronics Inc. (EI) in 1987 and his duties included regional training and product documentation. He left EI to work as an Electrical Control Engineer for an associate company but returned to EI in 2003 to serve as a Product Engineer and Engineering Manager. Dave began organizing training events in 2006 and he became Director of Training in 2008.
EI’s training division has grown under Dave’s stewardship. He took the solid program developed by Pete Bailey and Jack Champaigne and developed new presentations, classes, and workbooks based on his years of actively engaging with students. “Dave is passionate about shot peening and rotary-flap peening and wants the collective acceptance of the processes worldwide,” said Tom Brickley, Vice President of Electronics Inc.
Dave oversees the practical aspects of the program, too. “Dave works closely with the hotels to secure the best rates and provide good value and a good experience for students,” said Tom. He has expedited the certificate printing process so students get them quicker. He even coordinates the group photo at the USA seminar/workshop and designs the t-shirts for the event.
In addition, Dave not only handles the behind-the-scenes work but he is also a lead instructor. According to Tom, “Dave loves to interact with people and he has a gregarious personality. He has a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude to life and it carries over to teaching. Dave enjoys the interaction with students in their work settings. Seeing their peening facilities and how different companies approach the shot peening process around the world has been key to his success in his career.”
Every student that takes an achievement exam receives a personalized email with their score from Dave. The following are responses from students at the 2020 USA workshop.
“Thank you Dave! Great class and I had no idea how much was involved in the day-to-day shot peening world. Very informative!”
—Brian Carey | CESCO, Product Manager
“Good afternoon Dave. Thank you for the wonderful presentations, as well as the tremendous amount of knowledge and insight you had provided. You were so helpful, and made me to understand the process properly. I still need to learn and understand a lot. Thank you again for everything!
—Darshan Talagalage, Process Engineer
(Balancing/Chem Processing/Shot Peen/Water Jet)
StandardAero Component Services
“Thanks Dave. Enjoyed the experience and fellowship amongst the group.”
—Robert Arnett, Vice President, Earp Aviation Repairs
“Good morning Dave. I want to thank you for presenting your lectures the last two days. I learned a whole lot and I had as much fun as one can practicing saturation curves. Hopefully I’ll get to come back next time.”
—Jake Swenson, Toyo Seiko North America Inc.
In addition to working with students, Dave has a close working relationship with the other instructors. Here are a few comments from instructors on why he deserved the “Shot Peener of the Year” award.
“With Dave being the face of Shot Peener training events all over the world, he is a great recipient for this award! His planning and attention to detail keep the events running smoothly. Everyone remembers the great food and social gatherings that keep this community together. I still have all of the t-shirts from past events with Dave’s clever designs!”
—Dave Breuer, Director of Sales, North America, CWST
“I could not think of a person more deserving of receiving the “Shot Peener of the Year” than Dave. The award is given for achievement in the shot peening community and Dave has personally impacted so many with his dedication and perseverance to providing the best shot peening training experience for those new to peening. His passion for this role is amazing and his enthusiasm for the subject is appreciated by all who attend. Congratulations, Dave!”
—Jim Whalen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Progressive Surface
“Dave is like the assortment of components inside an engine that do the critical work that produces its magnificent performance. His accumulation of time dedicated to teaching the meaningful aspects of shot peening and his behind-the-scenes orchestration of nicely run Workshops, makes Dave most deserving of this award. Congratulations Dave, well done!”
—Joe McGreal, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Ervin
“I’ve worked closely with Dave as he tirelessly compiled workshops, seminars and exams over the years. “Good enough” has never been acceptable to Dave, and many users that he has trained around the world have benefitted from this perfectionist attitude. Over the years, Dave has polished shot peening training to the extent that it has fortified the desire in its users to do it right, and not just treat it as another blast operation. Dave has a knack of simplifying the understanding of concepts and making them palatable for practical use. It is only fitting that Dave was awarded “Shot Peener of the Year” this year, and my only surprise is that this didn’t come sooner! I look forward to working with Dave as he continues to propagate his knowledge of shot peening into familiar as well as new industry sectors.”
—Kumar Balan, Blast Cleaning and Shot Peening Specialist