A Compact Swaging Machine for Aircraft Carrier Purchase Cable Terminals

For the U.S. Navy, Creare is developing a Compact Swaging Machine (CSM) to attach arresting gear Purchase Cable terminals on ship. Our CSM utilizes three innovative features to dramatically reduce the size and weight of the swaging machine to make it usable in a shipboard environment: (1) a high pressure hydraulic system which minimizes the actuator size, (2) an efficient swaging schedule which reduces the force required to yield the terminal material, and (3) innovative machine design features to maximize the strength of the structural components. The machine is capable of up to 1,000 tons of force, is less than 3 x 4 x 7 ft. in size, and weighs less than 5,000 lbs. During Phase I we completed a trade study to evaluate the problem and potential solutions. During Phase II we completed design and analysis for a machine which meets the necessary requirements. During an initial Phase III program, we fabricated a prototype machine which will be used in subsequent qualification testing by the U.S. Navy. Under this Phase II.5 program, we propose to make refinements to the machine in preparation for qualification testing conduct life testing and reliability analyses which will support future maintenance programs, and develop software end user documentation.