Rapid Application of New Technologies
An SCRA Applied R&D-led metalcasting program has generated an estimated $50M in savings for Defense Supply Centers.
SCRA-led teams apply composite materials to reduce the cost and improve the performance of a wide range of applications – from large and complex weapons platforms to sensor systems to prosthetics. SCRA Applied R&D leads teams that use copper to reduce the cost and increase the reliability of motor rotors. SCRA Applied R&D’s vanadium research team applies this metal element at the molecular level to decrease the mass while increasing the strength of steel bridge, building and vehicle components. SCRA Applied R&D also leads programs that develop technologies to support rapid supply of mission-critical cast and forged metal defense parts.
Metalcasting Teams led by SCRA’s affiliate, SCRA Applied R&D, apply metalcasting technology so that the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) can obtain reliable replacement parts for aging weapons systems, and new systems can take advantage of manufacturing improvements coming from university research.
Forging SCRA Applied R&D manages a DLA program whose members are improving metal forging tools, processes and purchasing in support of the US military. Through partnership with America’s premier forging industry trade and technical organization, the SCRA team delivers technology improvements across the entire US forging industry.
Vanadium An SCRA Applied R&D-led team is exploiting the unique properties of vanadium, a recycled material that is added in small amounts to steel to increase its strength. Vanadium micro-alloyed steel offers benefits such as vehicle light-weighting, extending the reach of steel spans, and the construction of blast-resistant structures.
Copper An SCRA Applied R&D-led team uses copper’s unique physical properties to meet needs for lighter weight, lower cost, environmentally friendly, more reliable weapon system components. In Army ground vehicle traction motors, copper rotors save weight and improve reliability. In helicopter airframes, weight, smaller size, and longer life are the benefits. Spin-offs of applied research for the Army has helped reduce cost, improve reliability, and increase corrosion-resistance in Navy components.
Composites applications developed by an SCRA-led research team will save over $100M in acquisition costs on the Navy’s VIRGINIA Class submarine.
Composites Manufacturing SCRA leads an Office of Naval Research (ONR) Center of Excellence developing composites technologies for Naval platforms. Composites are engineered materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level within the finished structure. SCRA’s 30 industry partners develop composite technologies for Defense applications, such as high-performance airframes for aircraft and missiles, weight-saving and corrosion-resistant structures for ships and submarines, and lighter, smaller, more agile land vehicles.
Applied research in metals has cut DLA lead times and increased readiness.
Manufacturing Innovations for Cast and Forged Metal SCRA Applied R&D leads programs supporting the Defense Logistics Agency’s mission of supplying critical metal parts for weapon systems. Clearly, it is not desirable to rely on foreign sources for the metal parts used in defense applications, but US capability has diminshed in this era of global markets. Technological innovations transferred to the US metalcasting and forgings industries can resolve this dilemma by increasing the number of qualified suppliers for vital metal parts.
Through several trade associations, SCRA Applied R&D is partnered with the majority of domestic metal parts manufacturers. Research discoveries from the academic world are quickly disseminated for quick, wide-spread impact. Examples include:
An SCRA Applied R&D-led program demonstrated a 21% weight reduction in steel trailers used by the Army.
Cast Part Performance in the Presence of Discontinuities - Design tools to predict whether or not steel castings will perform as required despite minor defects.
Digital Radiographic Inspection for Aluminum Castings - Replicating universally recognized radiographic film standards digitally for the metalcasting industry.
Casting Tooling Database - A database of existing tooling from previous procurements to eliminate costly production of new, redundant tooling. Over 2,400 solicitations have been directed to over 85 suppliers using the database, resulting in actual cost savings of over $1.4M and lead time reductions averaging 12 weeks.
Tank Track Inserts - New manufacturing techniques were employed that deliver a high quality product that lasts 500% longer with only four weeks leadtime.
Exploiting the Benefits of Copper
SCRA Applied R&D leads a team developing new applications based on the unique variety of copper’s physical properties. Forging-like integrity is now being accomplished in copper alloys by die casting in a semi-solid state.
Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck - By changing the cast rotors from aluminum to copper in heavy, powerful motors, the efficiency of the vehicle was increased by more than 40%.
Semi-Solid Casting of Copper Parts - A copper fin design exploiting a novel semi-solid component manufacturing technique reduced the thermal resistance from the fin to the heat pipe by a factor of five.
Composite Applications for the US Navy
An SCRA-managed Navy ManTech Center of Excellence in Composites is developing ways to apply advanced materials in US military systems. Composites offer many benefits, including corrosion resistance and weight reduction, and can be tailored for individual applications. Recent work on VIRGINIA Class submarines will save over $100M in acquisition costs. Integrated Structural Apertures - Affordable and reliable manufacturing processes to embed multiple radar apertures in structural surfaces.
EFV: Troop Ramp Door - Incorporates composite structural armor into the expeditionary fighting vehicle troop ramp door, reducing the weight by 20%, reducing the cost, and maintaining the original ballistic protection.
Composite Marine Impeller - Low cost tailored composite impeller/blade sets to replace multi-axis machined titanium components.
Resin Infusion Process - Predictable and repeatable process for fabricating carbon/vinyl ester composite structures; critical to manufacturing key composite structures in support of an evolutionary US Navy vessel.
Zumalt Class Destroyers (DDG-1000) – Investments in large composite structures to reduce acquisition cost and life-cycle costs have realized a per ship cost avoidance of over $3M to date resulting in a total cost avoidance of over $9M.
Virginia Class Submarines –The Navy has invested heavily in composite applications to reduce acquisition and life-cycle costs while improving performance and increasing the payload capacity of these platforms. The per ship cost avoidance realized to date is $5.5M resulting in a total cost avoidance of over $110M.
Out of Autoclave Processes - Very large tooling - or autoclaves - are currently required to produce many high-performance composite parts used in submarines, planes, ground-based weapon systems, and NASA launch vehicles. SCRA leads a team that is developing new manufacturing techniques to produce these mission-critical parts without the use of expensive autoclaves.
Propulsion Shaft Surface Treatment
To lower lifecycle costs, a twelve year docking cycle has been specified for the CVN-78 and all subsequent aircraft carriers. To meet such a stringent requirement, the Composites Manufacturing Technology Center, working with Northrop Grumman Newport News, the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University, and the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, first identified the design factors that prevent the current propulsion shaft covering from meeting that goal. The team then developed and validated a new composite covering system, along with an innovative application process, that provides more than twelve years of reliable corrosion protection for Navy wet shafting.
Lifecycle cost savings are estimated at $750,000 per ship per 12 year cycle based upon eliminating a waterborne shaft overhaul during this interval. Engineering change activities are currently underway to incorporate the new covering system into the shipyards’ manufacturing and repair procedures.
On average 469 shafts are now replaced or repaired every 7 years at a cost of $64,000 to $192,450 per shaft relative to the shaft size. By eliminating one or two repair cycles for each shaft and extending the frequency of each docking cycle, the total estimated repair cost savings is $6M per year across the fleet.