SBIR-STTR Award

Missile system combinations such as MK-21 / SM-3 have reached the total weight limit of ship-based launchers. Reduced canister weight would provide margin needed for increased encanistered missile performance without exceeding total system weight limits. KaZaK will work with Raytheon Missile Systems to design and demonstrate a replacement for MK-21, used with multiple sea-based missiles. Replacement of steel structure with more modern composites would save considerable weight. However, composite canisters made by more conventional manufacturing methods such as filament winding, braiding, VARTM, fiber placement or RTM would unacceptably increase cost. KaZaK propose to address both weight and cost while optimizing a form, fit and function composite MK-21 for pultrusion manufacturing. Pultrusion is a highly automated method for making constant cross section hardware at half or less of the cost of other composite manufacturing methods. In Phase I KaZaK will design pultruded composite corners, then test to verify they survive pressure loads resulting from missile launch. Our team will address multiple other design concerns including restrained fire, moisture permeability, and straightness associated with material transition from steel to composite. Phase I will conclude with confirming test results along with cost and performance predictions for a fully integrated composite MK-21 production unit.

Keywords:
Weight Reduction, Weight Reduction, Pultrusion, Composite Canisters, Mk-21, Cost Reduction, Delamination, Automated Manufacture, High Internal Pressure

Large Navy missiles such as SM-3 and SM-6 are designed to be transported, stored and launched from 20-foot long, 25-inch square steel canisters. One canister of specific interest to the Navy is the Mk 21 Mod 2. Current Navy launch systems must maintain a fixed maximum total weight of the canister plus enclosed missile. New missiles are expected to grow substantially in weight to meet increasingly sophisticated future performance requirements. To offset the expected growth in missile weight, the weight of the current steel canister must be considerably reduced. Building on the successes of Phase I that examined potential corner designs that were able to withstand a 100 psi internal pressure load, this Phase II program will continue to develop a composite missile canister for VLS applications. Major objectives of the program include 1) creating designs for Mk21 and Mk25 (“Quad Pack”) canister shells that include connector and access door cutouts and proper attachment points for metal hardware; 2) conduct trade studies for corner reinforcement materials; 3) design and manufacture production pultrusion tooling, 4) manufacture prototype Mk21 canister shells using pultrusion and assemble with attachment hardware and 5) conduct static, dynamic, pressure and thermal loading tests (sub-scale and full-scale prototypes).

Keywords:
,, Weight Reduction, Delamination, Pultrusion, Cost Reduction, Mk-21 , Composite Canisters, Automated Manufacture, High Internal Pressure