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Laser Assisted Machining Applied to Rifling of Ceramic Barrels

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Army 		Award ID:
73530 		Program Year/Program:
2005 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
A043-058-1094 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
Nanohmics, Inc
6201 East Oltorf St. Suite 400 Austin, TX -
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 2005
Title: Laser Assisted Machining Applied to Rifling of Ceramic Barrels
Agency / Branch: DOD / ARMY
Contract: W911QX-05-C-0029
Award Amount: $69,986.00
 

Abstract:

Ceramic barrels have found little application as their extreme hardness make them quite brittle and difficult to machine. Grinding and diamond machining have found some success but both yield very low material removal rates and can induce defects. To address this problem Nanohmics Inc. and Dr. Y. C. Shin of Purdue University propose to apply the recently developed technique of laser assisted machining (LAM) coupled with a specially designed tooling system to develop a means of rifling ceramic barrels. In LAM a laser provides an intense localized heat source to the rotating workpiece just prior to the cutting region. The low thermal conductivity of ceramics allows excellent control of local temperatures (both in surface extent and in depth) and, for certain ceramics, leads to a reduction in strength in the heated regions and an increased machinability. Dr. Shin has been leading the commercial development of LAM and has pioneered processing methodologies for several different ceramic compounds1-3 (e.g. Si3N4, mullite and partially stabilized zirconia. In addition, Nanohmics personnel have extensive experience in specialized tooling applications and will apply this expertise to adapt the LAM process to the production of a cost effective method of rifling ceramic barrels.

Principal Investigator:

Mike Durrett
Principal Scientist
5123899990
mdurrett@nanohmics.com

Business Contact:

Keith Jamison
President
5123899990
kjamison@nanohmics.com
Small Business Information at Submission:

NANOHMICS, INC.
6201 East Oltorf St., Suite 100 Austin, TX 78741

EIN/Tax ID: 743072245
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No