Blast Protection Panels Optimized for Automated Production

KaZaK will develop Blast Protection Panels Optimized for Automated Production. Sandwich construction allows stable crushing under pressure to mitigate transferred impulse and acceleration spectra to a vehicle exposed to a landmine or IED blast. There are many types of sandwich core materials and constructions that could be used, several options for face sheet materials, several methods of combining these materials, and attaching this assembly to a vehicle. The KaZaK team will use their experience in designing blast protection panels, developing analytical design tools, experience in large scale low-cost automated manufacturing, and experience in blast testing, to design a cost- and weight-efficient panel that can be efficiently produced in quantity for various vehicles. Our university partners will assist in developing and applying cost-effective testing techniques to rapidly evaluate prototype panels, and will assist in enhancing current design tools to include effects of changing shock-wave/structure interaction during the crushing process (which changes the net force applied to the exterior of the panel). This team effort will result in a test procedure, a design tool, and two or three panel designs that will be tested and shown to meet Navy weight goals, reduce impulse and acceleration-spectra transfer to the vehicle, and be cost effective in reasonable scale production.