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Innovative Manufacturing Process Improvements

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Missile Defense Agency
Contract: W9113M-05-C-0211
Agency Tracking Number: B041-035-1681
Amount: $749,549.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: MDA04-035
Solicitation Number: 2004.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2004
Award Year: 2005
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2005-09-27
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2007-09-26
Small Business Information
150 Dow Street
Manchester, NH 03101
United States
DUNS: 009254546
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 John Dignam
 Vice President
 (603) 624-9197
 dignam@mentissciences.com
Business Contact
 John Dignam
Title: Vice President
Phone: (603) 624-9197
Email: dignam@mentissciences.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

The projected cost for the Mentis Sciences, Inc., (MSI) prototype PAC3 radome is 1/6th of the total cost of the present system. A Pareto analysis of the current MSI process indicates that the two largest costs in radome production are the direct labor associated with fabrication and the cost of the raw materials. In Phase I MSI demonstrated that COTS paint spraying technology reduced the direct labor costs associated with fabricating a radome and improved the quality of the radome. Specifically, MSI developed an automated resin spraying system using a high-volume, low-pressure (HVLP) paint gun and a computer controlled positioning system. In Phase II, MSI proposes to utilize the automated paint spraying technology to reduce the direct labor and materials costs associated with fabricating a full-scale radome and improve the quality of the radome. This research will involve development of the hardware and software to control the process, the implementation of process control systems, and the fabrication and testing of full-scale radomes. The solution proposed within this submission is scalable, and easily implemented into current parallel efforts at MSI such as the development of a full-scale prototype Nosecone TPS and Radome for the Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI) platform.

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

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