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H.A.L. Watkins is a leading innovator in advanced textile material manufacturing. As the founder of Kelvin & Kinetics (K&K), he has positioned the company as one of the few U.S. manufacturers specializing in high-tensile-strength composite fabrics, including aramid (Kevlar) and carbon fiber. Headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, Kelvin & Kinetics is at the forefront of advanced manufacturing, leveraging cutting-edge additive manufacturing techniques to engineer next-generation materials for aerospace, defense, and high-performance applications.

At K&K, innovation is market-driven, delivering real-world solutions to some of today’s most complex challenges in thermal management, structural reinforcement, and protective technologies. A cornerstone of H.A.L.'s work is a patented thermal management system, a breakthrough technology designed for aerospace, defense, and high-power electronic applications.

This next-generation system integrates proprietary cooling pathways to efficiently dissipate heat, significantly enhancing durability and reliability in extreme environments. Unlike conventional cooling methods, Kelvin & Kinetics' thermal hardware optimizes heat transfer while maintaining structural integrity, making it ideal for hypersonic platforms, high-power electronics, and next-generation defense systems. Its lightweight, scalable design offers a cutting-edge alternative where traditional cooling solutions fall short.

H.A.L. and his team had been marketing this break-through technology to the Department of Defense (DoD).

Situation:

Looking to expand outside of the commercial sector, K&K wanted to pursue contracts utilizing its thermal patent with defense contractors. Within this pursuit, K&K found a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) opportunity that would benefit their new patent for advanced cooling textiles. Unfortunately, it had a tight submission deadline under two weeks from when it was discovered. The team reached out to Purdue MEP for grant assistance for the endeavor.

Solution:  

Purdue MEP dove in head-first alongside the team to provide grant writing and data collection services for the SBIR submission. Through the process, the Purdue MEP team also assisted with CMMC education and compliance.

Results:

The SBIR grant funding opportunity for K&K’s cutting-edge cooling textile was successfully submitted on time. After weeks of consideration and progressing through the grant application review process, it was determined that in order to be awarded funding, the team needed to focus on including third-party verification and analytics.

The K&K team was encouraged by how far their initial grant submission advanced in the process. Despite the challenges of a quick turnaround and navigating the SBIR process for the first time, the experience yielded positive outcomes. Although this funding attempt was not successful, the feedback received and the relative success of the submission have equipped the team with valuable insights and confidence to pursue future opportunities.

Traditionally focused on the commercial market, K&K is now confidently expanding into the government and DoD sectors. Discussions are underway with several major DoD contractors, paving the way for new opportunities. To support anticipated growth, the team has proactively added a new support staff position.

"Working with Purdue MEP took something that was inherently very daunting and overwhelming and filed it down to something that seemed easily achievable. As a small manufacturer, the Purdue team really supported us and helped us believe that it was possible to break into this new sector and that we belonged to be there.” 

- H.A.L. Watkins, Owner, Kelvin & Kinetics

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