TECH TRANSFER NEWS
October 1999
Next Meeting of the Technical Advisory
Board - (TAB)
(10/6/99) The next TAB meeting will be held on Tuesday,
October 19, 1999 instead of Wednesday, October 13, 1999. Invitations
have been faxed to all members. 
MTTC Participates in Air Force Symposium on
Micro- and Nano-Structures
(10/6/99) The Air Force Research Laboratory
Propulsion Directorate, Materials & Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Office of
Scientific Research, and Wright Technology Network (WTN) are jointly sponsoring a
symposium to transfer micro-structures, nano-structures, fullness, and supporting/enabling
technologies to users in Industry and Government. Experts will present these
technologies and partnering opportunities. MTTC has been assisting in the planning
of this Revolutionary Aerospace Micro- and Nano-Structure Applications
Symposium (RAMNAS).
Microtubes have almost universal application in areas as
varied as optics, electronics, medical technology, and micro-mechanical devices.
These tubes will provide the opportunity to miniaturize numerous products and devices that
are currently in existence, as well as allowing the production of new products.
In addition, the symposium will present nanotube and
nanomaterial technologies. Carbon nanotubes are stronger than steel at only
one-sixth the weight. They are thermal conductors, electrical conductors in three
specific types, and available for purchase in small quantities.
The symposium will be held on October 27 and 28,
1999 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Engineers Club of Dayton, Ohio. The
registration fee is $135.00 per person, and the deadline for registration is October 20,
1999. For more information on this topic check-out the WTN website at: http://www.wtn.org/Conferences_Seminars/RAMNAS.htm
MTTC Introduces Regional Manufacturers to Remarkable New
Lubricant Additive
(10/1/99) MTTC has arranged for Muscle Products Inc.,
Butler, PA, to demonstrate their wear-resisting lubricant products, designed for use in a
wide variety of applications, to regional manufacturers. Suggested uses for these
anti-friction based products include gears, piston, cutting tools, and sporting equipment.
Tests by independent laboratories have shown amazing reductions in wear.
A brief demonstration of these lubricant additive products
will be conducted at the November 9, 1999 meeting of the Louisville Chapter of the Society
of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). Mr. Randy Hill, Marketing Director for CJ
Distributing of Burton, MI, the regional distributor for the Muscle Products line, will
speak and demonstrate how these products can be used and the monetary benefits.
Dayton Small Business Seminar a Success, MTTC Planning Similar
Event for Louisville
(10/1/99) Representatives of MTTC attended a very
successful seminar in Dayton, OH on October 4, 1999 entitled, "Acquiring Innovative
Technologies to Grow Your Business: A Conference for Small Businesses."
The seminar presented information on innovative new technologies available from the Air
Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, assistance to small
businesses available for the State of Ohio, electronic business guidelines, sources of
funding, and the basics of business plans. Presenters included representatives of
the Air Force, the State of Ohio, and local universities. MTTC assessed topics that
might be of interest to small businesses and plans to offer a similar seminar at its
conference center in Louisville. Watch this website for details.
Navy Looking for Answers
(10/6/99) Our readers may be able to help the Navy solve an ongoing
problem. Shipboard watertight doors (WTD) have handles that, when not being used, are
stowed in the vertical direction. The handles are held there in place by spring metal
clamps. Some of these WTDs are operated hundreds of times a day. Unfortunately, the clamps
being used can corrode, lose their spring (which causes the handles to fall down and block
the doorway) or simply break off. The MTTC is looking for a replacement for these clips.
They do not have to be made of metal, but, if they are metal, they must be able to
withstand the salt-water environment. If you have a product or an idea that we could
propose to the Navy, please call or email Dick Gilbert at the numbers at the bottom of
this page.
MTTC Fleet Maintenance Projects
(10/6/99) The Project Status is as follows:
Portable Chlorinator. Suitcase unit is built. COMNAVSURFLANT has identified the USS CARR
as the test ship. Ship checks have been conducted and modifications have been installed. Underway
testing will commence soon.
 Lynx Motor. The Lynx Motor shock test will
probably be delayed until later in 1999 when a steel-cased motor becomes available.
 Heat Exchanger Descaler. Approved on January 13, 1999. This commercially-
available system will be tested and approved for shipboard use. This will permit emergent
maintenance and eliminate the need for costly removal/reinstallation of heat exchangers in
order to deliver them ashore. An estimated $4M/year cost avoidance is forecast. This
project commenced in September 1999.
 Watertight Door Hinge Replacement. Approved
at the January 13, 1999 meeting of the Office of Naval Research Working Group.
Testing of the new hinge pin assembly has commenced. The tests are nearly complete
months to complete. This is a Secretary of the Navy high interest item.
Bilge Paint Qualification. Approved on January 13, 1999. MTTC will be teaming
with NAVSEA and the Fleet Commands to test and qualify one or more epoxy paints for use in
ship bilges. This is a Secretary of the Navy high interest item will commence in December
1999. A savings of $6 million per year has been projected.
Topside Connector Corrosion Protection. Approved on January 13, 1999. MTTC will
qualify several re-enterable connector covers for shipboard use. The use of these
materials will minimize connector corrosion and result in greater electronic system
reliability and reduced maintenance. A detailed test plan has been approved and testing
will commence in a few months.
 Fast Track. K-Flex E Co. MTTC will
evaluate a test section of this new material on USS Rushmore. A baseline assessment
was conducted prior to ship deployment in June 1999. When the Rushmore returns, the
installation will be re-evaluated. If approved, larger savings in production costs
will be realized.
 Fast Track. DDG-5 Class Intake Louvers.
MTTC coordinated a test coating on several louvers using a fluidized bed ponder
coats process. Within a month of the fleet request, the lovers were
coated and returned to the fleet for at-sea testing. The test set was installed on
the USS Cook in July 1999.
New Fleet Maintenance Technology Transfer Projects
(10/699) The Office of Naval Research Working Group met in Washington, D.C. on July 8,
1999 and approved two new projects:
Tri-Tec Actuator. The Navy is looking for remote
valve actuators that are mechanically and electronically compatible with current models
and are considerably more reliable and user friendly. This project will procure and
test a new model actuator onboard an Aircraft Carrier for at least six months. M.
Rosenblatt, Inc. fwill coordinate this effort.
Ecotherm Insulation. Another MTTC project,
K-Flex ECO is proposed to replace the existing Calcium Silicate in low temperature
applications (<250 deg F). The Navy desires to test another CaSi replacement,
Ecotherm, for high temperatured applications (250-1000 deg F). This project will
install test sections of Ecotherm on a fleet ship and conduct extended at-sea trials on
the USS RUSHMORE in early 2000.
Please
Give Us A Call
For additional news or information about opportunities involving
technology transfer, sen an e-mail Dave Goddard or give him a call at (502)367-2186. |
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