In light of current world affairs, the U.S.
military is searching for opportunities to give our troops advantages in
the combat field. AFT was recently able to assist in this mission by employing
ThixoForming™ technology in the development of the optics housing for the
military's new Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW).
The advanced design for the OICW gives soldiers a tactical edge with the
capability to hit potentially hidden targets. This ability lies in a sophisticated
fire control system and specially designed 20mm air bursting munitions.
The advanced sighting system utilizes a laser rangefinder that can accurately
measure the distance to the target and program the 20mm projectile to detonate
precisely at that distance.
As opposed to traditional injection molding processes, ThixoForming™ combines
materials at a lower temperature, thus diminishing cooling time during
molding. This inherent advantage, along with concurrent design of the part
and tooling, allowed AFT's ThixoForming™ Division to take the part from
concept to first unit delivery in only 12 weeks. |
