High Speed Characterization of Arena Test Fragments Embedded in Capture Media via 3-D X-ray

Quantification of fragments from arena testing is expensive and labor-intensive. Currently, fragments are captured in 48-sheet bundles of -inch thick x 4x8 Celotex. Technicians spend thousands of hours recovering fragments from all tested sheets, measuring their position in three dimensions, then cleaning and weighing them. Evaluation of a single bundle can take 30 hours, at $100/hour. ZKxKZ and our program partners propose development of a system based on 3-D x-ray technology that will automate location and characterization of fragments down to 0.01 gram, without disassembling 48-sheet bundles delivered from the arena. Using off-the-shelf technologies adapted and packaged for this application, a new hardware / software system will reduce bundle inspection time from 30 hours to 30 minutes, while simultaneously generating summary reports on fragment dimension, 3-D location, mass, and material type, as fast as bundles can be supplied. In Phase I, the team will develop and cost a preliminary design for the complete inspection system (including packaging in a transportable ISO container), demonstrate the x-ray units ability to accurately locate all fragments in Celotex bundles, and develop an automated report generator. Phase II will culminate with field demonstration of the x-ray inspection system at an Army-organized arena test.