TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Materials/Processes, Weapons

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: IWS3 Standard Missile ACAT IV

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a robust design and manufacturing process that is capable of producing affordable, high quality/strength and lightweight Lattice Block Structures (LBS) suitable for use in missile structural applications.

DESCRIPTION: Lattice Block structures (LBS) are innovative periodic cellular materials that derive their outstanding mechanical performance from a structure of highly ordered unit cells such as triangles, rather than the properties of the parent material. By removing weight and preserving strength, they represent a significant advance in the state-of-the art of lightweight engineered structural materials. The desired LBS technology would offer an extremely flexible yet cost effective fabrication process for both limited and volume production of missile structural components such as grid fins, wings, and engine inlets. Desirable properties of periodic cellular materials of interest include high specific stiffness, high capacity for kinetic energy absorption, excellent vibrational absorption and damping characteristics, strain isolation in accommodating expansion/contraction or strain mismatch, acoustic noise attenuation, shear strength, fracture strength, and a higher capacity for heat absorption relative to the fully densified solid.

PHASE I: Develop a robust design and manufacturing process to produce affordable LBS suitable for use in missile structural applications. Phase I will demonstrate the technology through fabrication and evaluation of a sub-scale part.

PHASE II: Fabricate and characterize a full-size prototype missile airframe structural component or subcomponent such as a grid fin or wing. The Phase II work will also evaluate performance under operating conditions as well as cost versus structures made by competing fabrication routes.

PHASE III: Deliver a successful, production ready LBS technology suitable for producing components for use in a variety of military aerospace and defense systems including missiles and aircraft.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Structures for commercial aircraft and spacecraft, automobiles, furniture, buildings, etc.

REFERENCES:
1. M.G. Hebsur, R.D. Noebe, and D.M. Revilock, JMEPEG, 12 (2003).
2. H.N.G. Wadley, Adv. Eng. Mater., 4 (2002).

KEYWORDS: Lightweight, Cellular Materials, Metals, Missile, Casting, Structures

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between November 12 and December 7, 2008, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting December 8, 2008, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

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