Innovative Methodologies for Manufacturing of Lethality Test Articles

The experimental validation of the DoDs weapon systems is at the cornerstone of national security considerations. The structural requirements for the targets utilized impose a severe cost and lead time burden due to the limitations imposed by the traditional manufacturing processes currently used. Novel manufacturing methods for metal alloys have been established in the past years, but they have yet to be incorporated into the DoDs target manufacturing supply chain. Our extensive experience with powder consolidation, parts manufacturing and additive manufacturing (AM) has led us to identify a combination of technologies to rapidly produce the required test items at a fraction of the current cost. We thus believe that 3D printing holds the potential for the production of printed green parts suitable for microwave (MW) sintering to consolidate them into materials of near theoretical density and strength. Our proposal will outline the advantages and limitations of each method, a robust work plan to address the current challenge and a solution to provide an expedited and low-cost manufacturing process for MDAs lethality articles. Beyond this specific application, we foresee a market in specialized industrial parts where the machining costs are elevated, all of which MATSYS will become a commercial supplier.Approved for Public Release | 18-MDA-9522 (23 Feb 18)