Overview
Project Number: A2587-A-B
Project Technology: Automated Material Mixing for F-35
TOTAL MANTECH INVESTMENT: $731,000 (CMTC); $1,060,000 (iMAST)
Objective
Known automated mixing systems require extensive mixing process development, engineering, testing, and validation in order to meet the stringent material processing and performance requirements for the F35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) materials. The objective of this project is to develop and demonstrate mixing processes utilizing commercially available automated mixing systems to provide more uniform and consistent mixing of filled polymeric materials and to reduce the overall labor associated with the mixing process.
Payoff
Automated mixing of the F-35 material reduces hand-mixing costs associated with the actual labor time to retrieve materials and prepare them for use on the assembly line. Automated mixing also provides a more consistent product improving first-time yield by reducing non-conformance repair activity labor and material. An estimated $34.2M program cost savings is expected to result from this project over the life of the F-35 program.
Implementation
Technology developed by Applied Research Laboratory of Penn State will be evaluated within this ManTech project. Upon successful demonstration of the technology, implementation will be reviewed and funded through the F-35 Blueprint for Affordability program. Implementation costs are expected to be low and implementation is anticipated for 2017. This project is a joint COE effort between Composites Manufacturing Technology Center (CMTC) and Institute for Manufacturing and Sustainment Technologies (iMAST – Applied Research Laboratory of Penn State).
*Prepared under ONR Contract xxxxxx-xx-x-xxxx as part of the Navy ManTech Program.
*DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. DCN# xxxx-xxx-xx
