ITA announces 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award winner

The International Titanium Association (ITA) has announced Clyde E. Forney as the winner of its 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award. Forney, who has worked in the titanium industry for 45 years, was instrumental in the development and commercialization of Ti-3Al-2.5V alloy as the material of choice for aircraft hydraulic tubing and other industrial and commercial applications.

A U.S. Army veteran, Forney is a graduate of Oregon State University and completed a two-year postgraduate management course offered through the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, today known as the National Defense University.

His career in the titanium industry began when he joined Wah Chang Metals Corp. in 1959, working as an inorganic metals chemist. In 1971 he joined Zirtech and initially began working on zirconium tubing for the nuclear power industry. His work evolved into titanium tubing for aerospace applications.

In 1981 Forney joined Sandvik Special Metals to explore the commercial viability of Ti-3Al-2.5V alloy tubing for aerospace applications and sporting goods. In 2000 he joined Ti Sports as vice president of sales for titanium bicycles and specialty tubing. The company shifted its operations, became Ti Lite, and focused on using Ti-3Al-2.5V in the production of wheelchairs. He established a consulting business in 2004, retiring in 2008. Forney is the author of Ti-3Al-2.5V Seamless Tubing Engineering Guide.