REDUCE THE VEE-LOCK JOINT TO ITS MOST COST EFFECTIVE MANUFACTURING METHODS

THE VALUE OF LIGHTWEIGHT\HIGH STRENGTH TRAIGLAR TRUSS STRUCTURAL MEMBERS ARE RECOGNIZED FOR THERE STRENGTH AND DESIGN EFFICIENCY.MULTIPLE SECTIONS MAY BE JOINED TOGETHER WITHOUT THE USE OF TOOLS USING A VEELOCK JOINT ATTACHED TO THE ENDS OF THE TRUSS. THE VEELOCK JOINT WILL CONNECT TO ITSELF INSTANTLY PROVIDING A LONG SPAN OF TRUSS. QUICK- CONNECT\DISCONNECT VEELOCK TRUSS STRUCTURES WOULD HAVE BROADER APPLICATIONS IF BETTER AND MORE ECONOMICAL MEANS OF MANUFACTURING COULD BE FOUND. IN THAT THE VEELOCK IS A UNIQUE DEVICE THERE IS CONSIDERIBLE INTEREST IN ITS DEVELOPMENT AND THE MOST COST EFFICIENT MEANS OF MANUFACTURING MUST BE FOUND TO MAKE THE DEVICE ATTRACTIVE IN PRICE TO THE GOVERNMENT. IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH TO BALANCE THE OPIMUM STRUCTURAL DESIGN CRITERIA FOR THE VEE-LOCK WITH THE NEED FOR GREATER COST EFFICIENCY BY ESTABISHING OPTIMUM MANUFACTURING COST CRITERIA. THEREFORE, THE RESULTS OF VALUE ANALYSIS WILL NOT DENIATE FROM ESTABLISHED STRUCTURAL CAPACITY OF THE VEE-LOCK TO SIMPLY DECREASE THE COST OF THE DEVICE.