Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Lightweight, Low Cost Seeker Gimbals

Integran Technologies USA, Inc. (Integran USA) is pleased to provide this proposal in response to the Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Request for Proposal (RFP) “A10-127: Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Lightweight, Low Cost Seeker Gimbals”, to investigate the use of novel nanometal/polymer hybrids as lightweight, low cost alternatives to the materials used in conventional gimbal assemblies. By combining low cost, injection molded polymer substrates with high strength nanocrystalline metals coatings, new hybrid materials are created that exhibit strength and stiffness comparable to that of lightweight metals such as aluminum or magnesium, while maintaining densities comparable to those of plastics. Injection molding the substrate will allow for signification cost savings compared to machining or die casing and can still allow for intricately designed parts. This project will investigate the use of nanometal/polymer hybrid materials as lightweight and low cost alternatives to conventional materials for seeker gimbal assemblies. Phase I efforts will focus on selecting the optimal nanometal alloy and polymer combination and their respective volume fractions to yield the desired strength, stiffness, and thermal expansion requirements.