T.G.V. ROCKETS INC. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N211-096
T.G.V. ROCKETS INC. — SBIR Phase I award from Department of Defense.
- Amount
- $139,917
- Agency
- Department of Defense · Navy
- Program / Phase
- SBIR · Phase I
- Topic
- N211-096
- Solicitation
- 21.1
- NAICS
- —
- Place of performance
- DC
- Period
- 2021-08-02 → 2022-02-02
Description
The goal of this program is to demonstrate the use of 3D printing to print multifunctional data cables and connections. A new type of 3D printing, Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM), allows for thermal elements, electrical elements, structural elements, fiber optics, and radiation shielding to be printed into a single monolithic build. By combining three functions (fiber optics, copper wires, and radiation shielding) it will be shown that a lighter weight, higher performance solution can be customized with limited manual labor. Furthermore, such ribbon cables should provide a tighter bend radius than standard twisted pair alternatives. The success of Phase I will be measured by the team’s ability to effectively answer the following key questions: Can multiple features successfully be embedded in a single cable? What commercial off the shelf (COTS) connectors can be utilized in a 3D printed solution? How do 3D printed cables compare to traditional hand-built solutions? What is the most robust connection for transitioning from 3D printed cables to other devices?