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OUR | PEOPLE THE FRUITS OF EXPERIMENTATION Jonathan Hurst is a senior aerospace application engineer – and a self-confessed tinkerer. He recently explained his experimental leanings to Connect . TEXT MARK DRAKE F or someone with eyes on the skies, Jonathan Hurst is well grounded. Perhaps that’s because his career path started on his father’s blueberry farm. “Dad was always tinkering with machines for berry processing,” he says. “From a young age, I was maintaining the equip- ment and learning how things worked. But I used to watch the airplanes that sprayed the fields, because I’ve always been attracted to things that fly.” Now 43, Jonathan is deep into flight, having worked with elastomer composite aircraft seals for around 15 years. While the occasional automotive project crosses his desk, it’s airplanes that really captivate him. “I like the complex geometry of aircraft, where everything is curved and interacting with the air,” he explains. Toying with interactions lies in Jonathan’s nature, and it’s made him a go-to resource for complex design. In fact, his tinkering helped revolutionize Trelleborg’s aircraft seal modelling – by introducing an unex- pected element. “We wanted to speed up our computer simulations, but nothing we were creating was any better,” Jonathan relates. “So, I went into trial-and-error mode, and I inserted a method from a completely different field. Not only was it faster, but it also improved our accuracy.” At home, Jonathan’s experimenting con- tinues in hobbies like 3D printing, urban gardening, and fermentation. He makes his own fermented Japanese foods such as natto, tempeh and kombucha, the last of which he has brewed at least 150 batches. He is happy to share the results with colleagues, with whom he is constantly exchanging ideas. “Within Trelleborg, there’s a sort of hid- den network of technical experts who are really good at different things,” Jonathan says. “We might be in different silos, or even in different divisions, but somehow we make connections. That’s the joy of working here.” Jonathan Hurst Role at Trelleborg: Senior Aerospace Application Engineer at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, based in Portland, Oregon, US Life motto: “Getting the right result can take time, and that’s OK. You just have to keep innovating.” Secret talent: “I’ve learned enough about fermenting that I make a mean batch of homemade sauerkraut.” 1 2 | connect Nr 1 2022