Neil Matthews of RUAG Australia appointed Member of the Order of Australia

The Member of the Order of Australia is awarded to an individual who has contributed to service worthy of specific recognition. Over more than 25 years, Matthews has dedicated his career at RUAG Australia to researching and developing innovative aerospace component repair technology solutions.

“Today, we congratulate Neil on his outstanding achievement of being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia,” said Terry Miles, General Manager RUAG Australia. “Leading the way in component repair and coating technologies and making them accessible on behalf of our Defence Industry customers is a mission Neil and RUAG have followed consistently and continue to share. We are pleased to have Neil’s work recognised for the valuable contribution it creates for our customers.”

Matthews holds an aeronautical engineering degree and a Master of Science in Aircraft Design. He has been involved in Military Aircraft Engineering support for over 45 years, both as a serving air force officer and then in the commercial and military aviation industry.

Matthews has pioneered the use of additive manufacturing in the form of Additive Metal Technologies, including Supersonic Particle Deposition (SPD) since 2004. He has worked closely with the Australian Department of Defence, local and international research and academic institutions to have SPD technology adopted for a range of aerospace, aviation and commercial applications. The repair applications include corrosion and wear protection and restoration of damaged aircraft components, resulting in significant cost savings for customers. Matthews was awarded a Defence Industry Service Commendation in 2019 for his contribution to Defence.

Matthews has co-authored leading Journal Papers, been a keynote speaker regarding additive metal technology in Australia and internationally, and developed patented SPD technology for RUAG Australia. He is a member of the Defence Technology Transition working group, a member of the RMIT University Centre of Additive Manufacture Advisory Board, and is the principal Industry participant in a number of metal additive programs.