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DEVELOPMENT OF PULTRUSION TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCTION OF THIN-WALLED TUBES

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Air Force 		Award ID:
17903 		Program Year/Program:
1992 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
17903 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
American Composite Technology
306 Northern Ave Boston, MA 02210
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Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 1992
Title: DEVELOPMENT OF PULTRUSION TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCTION OF THIN-WALLED TUBES
Agency / Branch: DOD / USAF
Contract: N/A
Award Amount: $49,672.00
 

Abstract:

THE AIR FORCE DESIRES TO PULTRUDE VERY THIN TUBES. DURING PHASE I, ACT WILL DESIGN A PULTRUSION SYSTEM CAPABLE OF AUTOMATING THE PRODUCTION OF VERY THIN-WALLED TUBES, WITH WALL THICKNESSES RANGING FROM 1.0 TO 0.2 MM. SOME KEYS TO REDUCING MINIMUM PULTRUDABLE WALL-THICKNESS INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNIQUES FOR CONTINUOUS IN-LINE ASSEMBLY OF GEOMETRICALLY STABLE, ARBITRATILY-ORIENTED FIBER STRUCTURES, THE REDUCTION OF FRICTION AT THE TOOLING-TO-COMPOSITE INTERFACE, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF TECHNIQUES THAT PREVENT CRUSHING THIN TUBES IN THE GRIPPER/PULLER MECHANISM. THE PHASE I DESIGN STUDY WILL EVALUATE ALTERNATIVE FIBER-FORMING METHODS INCLUDING IN-LINE WINDING, BRAIDING AND PREFORM-WRAPPING. TECHNIQUES FOR REDUCING FRICTIONAL FORCE INCLUDING INNOVATIVE DIE DESIGN, MOVING DIE AND/OR MANDREL COMPONENTS AND LOW-FRICTION COATINGS FOR TOOLING WILL BE STUDIED. DEFORMABLE GRIPPING MECHANISMS DESIGNED TO CONFORM TO PRODUCTS WILL BE INVESTIGATED. IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH A BASELINE FOR CURRENT TECHNOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL WORK WILL BE CONDUCTED TO MEASURE THE SMALLEST DIAMETER EPOXY-MATRIX TUBE THAT CAN CURRENTLY BE PRODUCED AS A FUNCTION OF WALL THICKNESS AND WIND ANGLE. DURING PHASE II, HARDWARE AND PROCESSING TECHNIQUES IDENTIFIED IN THE PHASE I STUDY AS IMPROVED METHODS FOR PRODUCING THIN TUBES WILL BE DEMONSTRATED. A FUNCTION OF WALL-THICKNESS AND WIND ANGLE. DURING PHASE II, HARDWARE AND PROCESSING TECHNIQUES IDENTIFIED IN THE PHASE I STUDY AS IMPROVED METHODS FOR PRODUCING THIN TUBES WILL BE DEMONSTRATED.

Principal Investigator:

Thomas Heimann
6174264142

Business Contact:

Small Business Information at Submission:

American Composite Technology
306 Northern Ave Boston, MA 02210

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