In this Phase I project, Geofabrica will adapt and expand its existing technology for forming high-quality joints between composite components for the U.S. Navy and the USMC. Composite UxVs are an important part of the US Navys and USMCs modernization strategy, however current composite joint technology does not provide the capabilities needed for next-generation UxV systems. Geofabrica has developed a proprietary composite material welding process for full ocean depth applications that provides significantly greater performance than current solutions. Sealing and mechanical properties exceeded targets in recent tests relating to DoD applications. This Phase I project will focus on adapting and expanding this technology for the needs of current and next-generation UxV manufacturing. Geofabrica will also offer solutions that can assembly UxV components close to the point-of-needs. The project will begin with a requirement gathering and testing method development and will continue to joint design, adapt and build welder and testing joints. The purpose of the Phase I project is to adapt and build prototype welder and validate that composite joints meet UxV operational requirements.
Benefit: Geofabricas composite welding technology is capable of meeting the challenging requirements of full ocean depth UxV standards. The technology can fuse components with complex geometry interfaces and does not damage metallic or electronic elements in the assembly. Successful completion of Phase I will validate that Geofabrica's new composite joint technology can improve the manufacturability and designs available to UxV developers. The technology will allow for composite hulls to be used in more applications. This technology is applicable to other DoD agencies as well as commercial use in vehicle or watercraft manufacturing.
Keywords: composite components, composite components, expeditionary, mobile fabrication, Manufacturability, UXV, advanced manufacturing, Joint, additive manufacturing
