COST REDUCTION APPROACHES FOR MULTI-PHASE SYNTACTIC FOAM ANECHOIC MATERIALS

A PROGRAM IS PROPOSED WHEREIN THE VARIOUS COST FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF A PARTICULAR CLASS OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS ARE TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED, THUS PERMITTING ITS MORE WIDESPREAD USE WITHIN THE NAVAL COMMUNITY. THE CLASS OF MATERIALS OF INTEREST CONSISTS OF SYNTACTIC FOAM, WITH A VARIETY OF INCLUSION MATERIALS AND GEOMETRIES. THE PROGRAM WILL EVALUATE THREE PRIMARY COST REDUCTION APPROACHES: (1) RAW MATERIAL COST, (2) TOOLING COSTS, AND (3) REDUCED LABOR COSTS. ACTUAL ACOUSTIC MEASUREMENTS WILL BE PERFORMED BY THE NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER, FOR REASONS DESCRIBED IN THE BODY OF THIS PROPOSAL.