SBIR-STTR Award

Flares are commonly used in the defense industry as light utilizing functionally-graded energetic materials for airborne expendable countermeasure applications. However, current flare production processes are rudimentary because they limit design flexibility and incur significant start up and maintenance costs due to low annual production volume. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a superior alternative to traditional flare casting methods because it is production-volume independent and allows control over mesoscale geometry with multiple energetic materials. SAS has been internally conducting State-of-the-Art advanced energetics AM research since 2015 and has used energetic feedstock to successfully 3D print ammonium perchlorate composite propellant solid rocket motors. During Phase I SAS will expand its energetics AM capabilities to allow 3D printing of 25g flare pellets using at least three different energetic materials with unique electromagnetic signatures. The Phase I Option program incorporates flare modeling software development and hot-fire testing and results analysis of 3D printed flares. Johns Hopkins University Energetics Research Group has been enlisted to provide energetic material research support and structural characterization of the 3D printed flare grains.

Benefit:
The foremost application of the energetics additive manufacturing technology developed is to tailored flare grains for airborne expendable countermeasure applications. The M278, M257, and M264 flares used on the Hydra 70 SRM are ideal candidates for near-term implementation of the 3D printing technology developed in this SBIR program. Low production energetic material manufacturing costs will decrease substantially due to eliminated manufacturing startup and maintenance costs. The technology will have additional application in the defense and aerospace industries. Solid rocket motor (SRM) manufacturers will see greatly reduced manufacturing expenses because of flat production costs independent of market demand. The novel energetics additive manufacturing technology will lead to an increase in prime domestic SRM manufacturing, a more competitive business environment, and decreased ordnance production costs. SAS believes that energetics additive manufacturing is a disruptive technology that will lead to a minimum $100 million federal R&D industry.

Keywords:
3D printing functionally-graded flare grains, 3D printing functionally-graded flare grains, energetics additive manufacturing

Flares are commonly used in the defense industry as light utilizing functionally-graded energetic materials for airborne expendable countermeasure applications. However, current flare production processes are rudimentary because they limit design flexibility and incur significant start up and maintenance costs due to low annual production volume. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a superior alternative to traditional flare casting methods because it is production-volume independent and allows control over mesoscale geometry with multiple energetic materials. During the phase I program, SAS demonstrated proof-of-concept flare AM with a printable strontium nitrate-based formulation. During the phase II program, flare pellet composition will be chosen by Navy and verified by SAS for 3D printer system compatibility via sensitivity testing, rheology analysis, and print settings development. Various printed sub-scale flare pellets will be hot-fire tested and MWIR data will be recorded to inform Navy of the IR output characteristics of the new formulations. Rocky Mountain Scientific Laboratory (RMSL) will be subcontracted for laboratory use, sensitivity testing, hot-fire testing, and Interim Hazard Classification (IHC) certification testing to allow transport of the printed pellets to Crane, IN for testing.

Benefit:
The technology developed during this N172-115 SBIR program directly supports the PMA-272 Tactical Aircraft Protection Systems division. The DON requires functionally-graded countermeasures with tailorable, spectrally-balanced profiles. As missile-seeker counter-countermeasure technology becomes more advanced, decoy flares must also adapt to defeat missile seeker technology and protect the target from detection. The technologies developed in this SBIR program enable manufacturing of next-generation functionally-graded flare grains with tailorable spectral outputs. Energetics additive manufacturing technologies will have additional application in the defense and aerospace industries to solid rocket motors, gun propellants, and high explosives. The technology will increase the performance of solid energetics, and manufacturers will see greatly reduced manufacturing expenses because of flat production costs independent of market demand. SAS believes that energetics additive manufacturing is a disruptive technology that will lead to a minimum $100 million federal R&D industry.

Keywords:
3D printing functionally-graded flare grains, energetics additive manufacturing