Precision Leveling Upgrade for WS3 Support Structure

ZKxKZ proposes to continue development and demonstration of hardware and software upgrades for the Weapons Storage and Security System elevator. Currently, motion at the four corners of WS3 is not controlled with adequate precision, resulting in differential motion measured at these corners of 1-mm or more. This can cause the system to become too far out of level, resulting in excessive wear of screwjack mechanisms, and potentially binding motion completely. In Phase I the ZKxKZ team developed concepts for hardware and software upgrades to the WS3 motive system, then demonstrated these concepts in a large-scale simulation of the WS3 mechanism. Demonstrated performance exceeded Air Force goals. During Phase II, a full WS3 upgrade system of hardware and software was developed and tested at our facility, along with a full scale WS3 simulator. In the proposed effort, the team will work toward commercialization of the technology via multiple test installations of the SBIR upgrade in operational WS3’s, and also employ the precision motion control technology developed in the SBIR to commercial manufacturing systems built by the team.