TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT & TRANSFER, INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: A16-091
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT & TRANSFER, INC — SBIR Phase I award from Department of Defense.
- Amount
- $99,973
- Agency
- Department of Defense · Army
- Program / Phase
- SBIR · Phase I
- Topic
- A16-091
- Solicitation
- 2016.2
- NAICS
- —
- Place of performance
- MD
- Period
- 2016-12-08 → 2017-06-08
Description
TA&T proposes to show how 3D printing of spinel domes and ogives with high optical transparency can meet the Army's requirements for low cost, aerodynamic missile domes by providing a lower cost alternative to the conventional processing techniques of dome production. 3D printing enables a significant decrease in labor, tooling, and capital equipment costs, with the added benefit of creating a more dimensionally accurate and repeatable blank. This increase in process reliability would help further decrease overall cost by reducing the cost of fixturing for grinding and polishing. Such a "digital" manufacturing process that has virtually unlimited geometric dome design flexibilty would be a great benefit.