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An Innovative Machining Process to Rifle Titanium Alloy Line Gun Barrels

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Army
Contract: W15QKN-09-C-0035
Agency Tracking Number: A082-044-0559
Amount: $70,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: A08-044
Solicitation Number: 2008.2
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2008
Award Year: 2008
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2008-11-06
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2009-05-06
Small Business Information
7960 S. Kolb Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85706
United States
DUNS: 147518286
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 James Withers
 C.E.O.
 (520) 574-1980
 jcwithers@mercorp.com
Business Contact
 Raouf Loutfy
Title: President
Phone: (520) 574-1980
Email: mercorp@mercorp.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Tantalum alloy lined gun barrels offer significant promise over chromium lined barrels as well as the chromium lining process has been restricted for environmental reasons. However, tantalum’s inherent properties have presented a significant challenge to machine rifling in a tantalum lined barrel. An established cost effective machining process has demonstrated straight aligned rifles can be machined into Ta-10W. This program proposes to set-up synchronized motions to adapt this demonstrated Ta-10W machining process to produce rifling profiles that meets the 25 mm Bushmaster barrel specifications. Because high contact forces are not required, rifling profiling will initially be demonstrated in commercially available Ta-10W tubes followed by rifling explosively bonded Ta-10W clad truncated 12 inch barrel sections and delivery of such barrel sections to the Army. The cost effectiveness of this machining process to rifle production length barrels will be demonstrated.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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