Alternative Materials for Tactical Vehicle Wheeled Hubs

KaZaK Technologies and our program subcontractors and technical associates are proposing several concepts to reduce Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) wheel hub weight to increase cargo capacity and improve vehicle handling. An increase in cargo capacity provides the MTVR to be outfitted with the MAS up armor protection minimizing impacts to vehicle performance. One obvious approach to reducing wheel assembly weight is to change materials used to make wheel components from its current steel construction to a much lighter fiber reinforced composite system. Cost reductions are possible by careful selection of the manufacturing process as well as by reducing/automating assembly. During Phase I, our team will develop concepts and refine sub-component material handling/assembly systems and integration with automated in-line production/assembly processes. If awarded a Phase II, our team will work to apply Phase I automated process manufacturing technology to the fabrication and assembly of a prototype low cost MTVR wheel assembly for qualification testing.