Waiting to enter combat in Iraq, Aaron Lewis distracted himself by thinking about automotive brakes. “We had about two weeks to get acclimated, so instead of worrying about what could happen in combat, I focused on developing a brake shape that could harness a lot of torque,” he says.
He used his deployment in 2009-2010 to save money and file a patent for his design for a brake system that could be integrated into vehicle drive trains. Now, Lewis Designs, the startup he established in Waterford upon his return, has received an investment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern PA to support continued product development.
Lewis says he's been encouraged at every step about the commercial potential for his design, which dramatically increases vehicle performance, stability and control. Lewis is targeting the medium-to-heavy vehicle market and he says that the design might make it possible to eliminate the need for brake systems at each wheel, reducing overall weight and boosting fuel efficiency.
Over the next year, Lewis plans to complete virtual modeling and testing at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center. The next step will be to build prototypes for testing. Within three years, he hopes to employ at least 50 at a manufacturing facility in Northwest Pennsylvania.
“While I served in Iraq … I learned a lot about economic development,” he says. “These same principles and practices that were proven to work in Iraq will be applied through my business to facilitate change in our economy.”
Source: Aaron Lewis, Lewis Designs
Writer: Elise Vider