Metallic coatings for structural enhancement (METCOAT)

Concepts to Systems, Inc. (C2Si), cooperating with Professor Steve Nutt of University of Southern California (USC), proposes to develop a low-cost, versatile, durable and structural properties enhancing metallic coating process for near net-shape plastic structural parts. C2Sis innovation is in the use of a cold spray technique to deposit optimum thickness of metal coating that enables minimum weight structural near net-shape parts. C2Si is proposing to utilize high-pressure cold spraying to deposit a metallic layer on plastics or short-fiber reinforced plastics to improve stiffness and strength of structural parts with minimal added weight. Cold spray deposited metals exhibit exceptional mechanical properties, and grain size and structure can generally be maintained from the powdered state to the as-deposited condition. The C2Si team possesses in-depth knowledge and direct experience of improving the cold spray deposition process (USC) coupled with modeling of advanced composite structures and low-cost environmentally suitable manufacturing process development for advanced composite structures (C2Si). Note that the thickness needed to enhance specific stiffness and strength cannot be processed cost effectively and by environmentally friendly process steps by competing deposition techniques. The C2Si team will demonstrate metal coating process and produce testing results at proof-of- performance level.