Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
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10 Feb 23. Flarebright PCB Technical Progress. As we progress integrating our GPS-free software into other companies’ drones, we have a choice. We can either use their existing sensors and fully understand how they link into the drones existing software, which can be quite a challenge to unpick; or we can simply put our own sensors in another drone, knowing our software is already compatible with these and their configuration. So we have developed our “universal” PCB (Printed Circuit Board) over the course of January. We have been wanting to do this for some time, but with a global chip supply issue it was not the optimal time to develop this until recently. There are a number of peripheral benefits for us running our own PCB such as electrical surge protection, and simpler, more loosely coupled interfacing. It allows for vibration damping to occur more effectively as we can damp the sensors collectively.
10 Feb 23. Swiss Steel Group is producing the steel of the future at the Steeltec AG mill in Düsseldorf. Ultra-fine-grained, high strength and tough steel thanks to XTP®. When standard steels need to have specific characteristics, expensive alloying additions and supplementary heat treatment are generally used. Steeltec AG, a company of the Swiss Steel Group, has developed an innovative, alternative technology for this very reason.
The company is progressive and trendsetting with its development of “Extreme Performance Technology (XTP®)” and with high-quality technology has found a way to produce an ultra-fine-grained and tough high-grade steel which makes the need for additional alloys and special treatment obsolete thanks to a controlled thermomechanical processing phase.
Systematic temperature control and alternative forming processes produce an extremely ultra-fine-grain microstructure with grain sizes of less than 5 µm. Steel produced in this way is noted for improved properties with better dynamic and mechanical characteristics, including:
- Improved tensile strength of up to 2,050 MPa
- Improved dynamic load capacity by at least 10 percent, leading to longer service life and higher operational safety
- Significantly improved properties despite higher tensile strength
- Formability and machinability
- Components can be redimensioned without losing mechanical-technical properties making component design more flexible
- Given the straightness of the bars, lengths of up to 8,000 (-0/+200) mm available with tolerances compliant to DIN EN ISO 286-2 *h11
- No thermal distortion and no need for additional heat treatment
While XTP®-treated steel looks like conventional steel on the outside, its true excellence is hidden beneath the surface: the ultra-fine-grained steel microstructure provides an unprecedented level of material resistance and strength. This creates possibilities and paves the day to versatile designs and unconventional component engineering.
XTP steel withstands even difficult challenges, such as intense vibration, high internal pressure or extreme cold. Even at ultra-low temperatures of -101°C at which conventionally produced steel can become brittle and crack or break, the technically optimized steel grades have a high toughness (notched bar impact work of well over 27 joule in notched bar impact testing). Treatment with XTP technology guarantees the highest resistance to crack propagation.
Xtreme Performance Technology is the future
Thanks to consistent ongoing development of thermomechanical process phases virtually any conventionally produced steel can undergo treatment and be considerably improved. In short, the formula is: heat+ force = ultrafine-grained steel
When subjecting steel to induction heating, the experts of the Swiss Steel Group use austenitization to determine material properties and grain size of the steel microstructure. The steel bar is then immediately cooled to the desired forming temperature and fed into the high-reduction roller unit.
The steel of the future ex works
Steels suitable for XTP® treatment are unalloyed steels, precipitation-hardened ferrite-pearlite steels, Bainitic steels, quenched and tempered steels, tool steels, Austenitic stainless steels, Ferritic stainless steels, and high-speed steels. Steel processing companies stick with the steel grades they are familiar with. Using the same chemical analysis, the properties of Swiss Steel Group steels are significantly optimized from the start thanks to XTP®. The processor saves on elaborate, cost-intensive heat treatment. We solve quality problems with XTP® technology.
XTP-treated steel opens up entirely new possibilities for the following industries and applications: spring manufacturing, hydraulics, connectors and fasteners, refrigeration systems, lifting equipment and lifting gear, cable car and aerial lift systems, wind power, the railway industry, agriculture and forestry, as well as for oil and gas extraction and recovery.
09 Feb 23. Systematic’s SitaWare features a modular and customisable back end that means your integration teams will not need to deal with complicated coding and maintenance.
As pressure on the pool of skilled software developers and engineers tightens across all sectors, the rise of “Low Code” and “No Code” software has emerged to ensure that software users can customise their sector-specific software. Defence is no different, with military end users striving to acquire and deploy de-risked solutions that have lower maintenance and support costs – particularly if the onus on software maintenance is placed on the end-user’s organisation.
The move towards application and plug-in approaches for software development and deployment allows for greater customisation of a software product without going through the painful process of having to upgrade the wider software environment. This flexibility means that a stable software baseline can be implemented, with users enjoying a longer service life for a product that they have more control over. The addition of software development kits (SDKs) also mean that development and integration of new applications and modules can be done relatively easily.
With the digitisation of the battlespace from the fixed-site operations centre right down to the dismounted soldier, ensuring that soldiers can maximise the utility of their battle management systems (BMS) and planning tools is paramount. Both “low code” and “no code” approaches come with their benefits and drawbacks, however the SitaWare suite can support both practices according to an organisation’s software policies and doctrine.
The no-code approach to tailoring a solution
Before considering a low-code/no-code solution, evaluating the baseline capabilities of a software platform can help reduce the need to introduce an alternative that may require in-house developer support. Highly configurable software platforms may provide enough of a functionality that no additional applications need to be delivered and maintained, thereby minimising the footprint for technical support and development time.
“The SitaWare suite has been designed to be flexible and easy to use from the outset – you don’t need to be deeply technical to get started with SitaWare,” Hans Jørgen Bohlbro, Vice President, Product Management (Defence), said.
“Configurations for the user interface and beyond mean that setting up a SitaWare user can take into account a range of options, such as custom symbology, map types, layers, pictures, communications protocols, and more,” Bohlbro added.
Deployed by over 50 countries and integrated with major military hardware systems such as ruggedised tablets, software defined radios, and more, the SitaWare suite is likely to have a configuration ready – avoiding the need for low-code or no-code deployments.
The role of agreed norms in the defence and military operational environment – from joint interoperability doctrines to engineering standards governing a sensor’s outputs – further help to ensure that simple configurations of equipment can allow technology to be readily integrated into the digital battlespace.
Having a code-free solution means that procurement teams and capability deployment personnel can focus on delivering the capability to end users, with third-party software and hardware being supported elsewhere for integration into the platform. Adding in new capabilities into a BMS platform is much faster, with drag-and-drop functionality on some platforms’ building tools making implementation much easier.
Visual data processing flow configuration is also an option to enable easy changes to a system. This process involves changing the position of boxes – which represent coded solutions such as sensor inputs or communications routing – in a graphical user interface (GUI). Changes within the GUI change the broader functioning of the software platform’s configuration, and the outputs for users. This flow configuration is a feature of Systematic’s SitaWare Insight intelligence support software. Managing intelligence cycle workflows or the position of particular inputs into a workflow – such as sensor systems or communications links – can be performed through graphical tools. As a result, users are able to prioritise inputs from certain intelligence systems to meet a commander’s intelligence requirements.
Low code approaches for a bespoke solution
Low code solutions involve the deployment of some coding knowledge to integrate a software module into a broader software architecture. This can mean utilising either software development teams on short-term projects, or employing non-specialists with small amounts of computer coding experience to create a connection between two software modules.
Connecting the outputs of a sensor system, for example, to a battle management system’s transport services API and corresponding data model may require the translation of a raw data feed so it can be placed into the software data bus for presentation on a map. Similarly, a special radio may require a custom driver to optimise its performance when integrated with a BMS, and some coding may be required to accommodate specific waveforms, data transmission protocols, and more.
Systematic is able to support this, through the SitaWare SDK that allows users and equipment manufacturers to integrate new technologies into the SitaWare suite. Systematic has also developed high-level APIs that allow customers or integrators to successfully add third-party technologies to SitaWare with just a few lines of code. Systematic can also provide bespoke integration support by our own engineers and services teams to ensure that inputs coming from legacy radios through to cutting edge sensor technologies can all be utilised to ensure mission success.
09 Feb 23. Elma Adds to Comprehensive Line of SOSA Aligned Backplanes That Enable Complex, High Speed Signal Processing in Rugged Applications.
Technology Highlights
- Rugged 3U OpenVPX series aligned with SOSA
- Expanded series to support DoD MOSA initiative
- High speed connectivity using optical fiber and RF connectors
- Multiple slot options for several high-performance mission-critical applications
Elma Electronic has now added six additional high-speed backplanes that align with The Open Group Sensor Open Systems Architecture™ (SOSA) Technical Standard 1.0 and incorporate the latest optical fiber and RF connectivity. With 2-, 4- and 6-slot options, the expanded 3U OpenVPX series of backplanes provides development options to meet the complex demands of high-performance rugged military operations.
Designed to help accelerate development of a common, modular architecture across critical C5ISR and EW systems, Elma’s comprehensive line of SOSA aligned backplanes supports the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) standardization initiative from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The series incorporates current Ethernet and PCI Express standards as well as optimizes SWaP and lowers lifecycle costs for rapid technology insertion.
Dave Caserza, Manager, Embedded Computing Architects for Elma Electronic Inc., commented, “As military embedded computing moves towards adoption of systems implemented using the SOSA architecture, having access to the right tools will be critical for design engineers to quickly bring systems to market. Expanding our offerings of integral system components, like these new high-speed backplanes aligned with SOSA, is just part of Elma’s commitment to providing industry-leading open standards technologies.”
The new backplanes support up to 100GBase-KR4 and PCIe gen 4 high-speed signals on all applicable data paths. One of the 6-slot models also supports VITA 66.5 optical connectors for the Ethernet switch slot.
Several high-performance mission-critical systems can benefit from these new backplanes including mission control, sensor based systems, surveillance, radar and other beamforming applications as well as weapons control, target tracking and display, navigational control, threat detection and process and environmental monitoring.
About Elma Electronic Inc.
Elma Electronic Inc. is a global manufacturer of commercial, industrial and rugged electronic products for embedded systems and application-ready platforms – from components, embedded boards, backplanes, chassis and enclosures, power supplies, to fully integrated subsystems.
With one of the widest product ranges available in the embedded industry, Elma also offers standard and custom cabinets and enclosures as well as precision components such as rotary switches/encoders, LEDs, front panels and small cases.
Elma leverages proven technology based on VITA, PICMG, and other standards-based architectures (i.e. OpenVPX, SOSA™, VME, CompactPCI Serial, COM Express and PCIe/104). Elma is also actively engaged in designing solutions for applications requiring smaller footprints.
Elma Electronic manages entire projects from initial system architecture to specification, design, manufacturing and test through its worldwide production facilities and sales offices. The company serves the mil/aero, industrial, research, telecom, medical and commercial markets and is certified to ISO 9001 and AS 9100.
With U.S. headquarters in Fremont, Calif., the company maintains multiple sales, engineering and manufacturing operations in Atlanta, Ga., and Philadelphia, Pa.
07 Feb 23. US Army sets sights on 2024 for next Project Convergence.
The Army is aiming to conduct the next round of the experimentation campaign known as Project Convergence in spring 2024, the deputy commanding general of Army Futures Command told Defense News.
The timeframe is later than usual; the Army has typically held the event in late fall. The 2024 version is expected to expand to include coalition partners’ joint forces.
Project Convergence began in 2020 at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, as a way for the Army to evaluate the progress of its modernization efforts. The following year, the event became joint as the services attempted to connect sensors and shooters for a combined capability to detect, track and defeat threats on the battlefield.
The latest iteration, held during fall 2022, increased the experimentation scope and scale and added the land armies of the United Kingdom and Australia in an effort to improve data sharing.
Those coalition partners from PC 22 plan to participate with their own joint forces in addition to their armies this time around, according to Lt. Gen. Scott McKean, who is also director of the Army’s Futures and Concepts Center.
He said in a Feb. 3 interview the service is extending the time between capstone events to give the joint force time to validate observations made in PC 22, which took place in late October and early November, and prepare for more complex integration between the U.S. and the participating international partners.
“Based off our learning here in PC 22, we’re going to take the things that we believe are ready, or things that we saw out at PC, and we’re going to apply them in upcoming exercises,” McKean said. Doing so, he added, will help ensure the findings at Project Convergence hold up in operational environments.
“The closest thing we have to war are exercises,” he said.
As one example, the force took sense-and-shoot capabilities demonstrated at Project Convergence to a live-fire test White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, “we had the right instrumentation to make sure that what we saw wasn’t some fabrication or due to workarounds,” McKean said.
If technology that succeeded at Project Convergence doesn’t at exercises, the military can take it back into experimentation, according to McKean. If it does perform at an exercise, “that becomes part of the theater’s capabilities,” he added.
The next Project Convergence will focus on experimentation at the theater level, beyond the tactical level addressed previously, according to McKean, which will include tackling more challenging threats.
Part of the upcoming evaluation will examine if the joint force is getting closer to achieving what it calls a “kill web,” which evolves the “kill chain” that follows a linear process of sensing threats and shooting a target and expands that into a comprehensive network of sensors from space all the way to the ground and connects those sensors to a network of options to take out threat targets on the battlefield.
“We’ve always aspired to get this kill web type of capability as a joint and combined force, and we’re starting to get to that point,” McKean said. “We’re not there completely yet, but we’re definitely making great strides toward it.”
McKean stressed Project Convergence is no longer just an Army event, even though it is led by the service. The effort, he said, has become increasingly joint.
The “big assessment” will come at the joint staff level, McKean said. “Is this something that we need services to continue to kind of have to generate or is this something that a joint directive will start taking more involvement in? I think that’s kind of one of the pending decisions coming as we move forward.” (Source: Defense News)
07 Feb 23. ADF approves LED lighting upgrade across 37 defence bases.
The Australian Defence Force has begun upgrading to new and more sustainable LED lighting across its defence bases in a new contract with Australian essential service provider, Ventia.
Ventia’s Energy Solutions team is providing more than 87,000 new LED light fittings for Defence Australia across the 700-owned and leased defence properties.
Under the program, aged and inefficient lighting will be replaced with LED at Defence bases to reduce emissions and address energy transition. The installation phase will roll out in 37 bases in Australia and have a CO2 reduction of 24,000 tonnes per year.
Ventia energy solutions general manager Lena Parker said any improvements to energy consumption on expansive estates have the capacity to make a significant difference to energy bills and emissions.
“Something relatively simple like upgrading to more efficient lighting can have a massive impact on energy bills, energy consumption as well as the environment,” she said.
“We’re predicting a return on investment in under five years, with a reduction in carbon emissions of approximately 24,000 tonnes.”
The upgrade is expected to yield a significant reduction in maintenance costs, an improvement in light quality and the ability for “smart control” of lighting.
Ventia is an asset manager for defence bases across Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria, and South Australia, including determining and implementing best practice asset management such as electrical infrastructure. (Source: Defence Connect)
07 Feb 23. China shows concept of tailless future fighter jet. The Chinese aviation industry has revealed a concept of the country’s next-generation fighter jet.
A video released on 31 January in the WeChat video channel of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) showed three twin-engined aircraft in flight. The aircraft appeared to resemble the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) J-20 fifth-generation, multirole fighter aircraft but without tailfins or the frontal canard.
The diamond-delta wing of the concept aircraft also appeared similar to the wings of the J-20 but slightly larger. Citing experts, the state-owned newspaper, Global Times , speculated that the concept aircraft is China’s next-generation fighter jet.
The CGI imagery shown in the video appears to be connected to a model of a tailless, next-generation fighter displayed at Airshow China 2022 held at Zhuhai in November. (Source: Janes)
03 Feb 23. AML3D enters US defence market with ARCEMY® sale to US Navy.
Adelaide-based AML3D Limited has won a $1m contract from the US Navy to supply a large-scale, industrial ARCEMY ‘X-Edition 6700’ Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing metal 3D printing system. This will support the US Navy’s accelerating adoption of Wire Arc additive manufacturing technology which is seen as a means to produce on-demand industrial grade parts. This is critical to rapidly scaling the parts supply to the US Navy’s submarine industrial base.
The ARCEMY® order was placed by BlueForge Alliance (“BlueForge”), a US Department of Defence intermediary supporting the acceleration of advanced manufacturing technologies across the US defence industrial base.
The sale accelerates AML3D’s strategic focus on supplying ARCEMY® systems, predominantly to the US maritime and defence sectors.
The sale of AML3D’s largest ARCEMY® system is valued at approximately AUD$1.0m (US$697,800)1, payable up front and upon meeting delivery and installation milestones. The system’s supply, shipping, installation, and commissioning will commence upon receipt of the Authority to Proceed from BlueForge and is expected to be completed during calendar year 2023.
A further expansion of AML3D’s strategic partnership with the US Navy is expected with an additional contract for metal characterisation testing using AML3D’s ARCEMY® systems for the provision of parts to the industrial base, expected in Q3.
The ARCEMY® ‘X-Edition 6700’ system will be located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, the largest science & energy laboratory in the US Department of Energy system and a key partner to the US Navy and other US global tier 1 clients.
“This sale is a significant opportunity for AML3D, as it is part of a long-term strategic partnership with the US Navy helping them scale up submarine production with advanced additive manufacturing technology,” AML3D CEO Ryan Millar said. “This opportunity with the US Navy and the Submarine Industrial Base aligns with ALM3D’s strategy of focusing on ARCEMY® product sales, especially in the US maritime and defence sectors.”
Publicly listed AML3D Limited was founded in 2014 and uses new technologies to pioneer and lead metal additive manufacturing globally. Disrupting the traditional manufacturing space, AML3D has developed and patented a Wire Additive Manufacturing (WAM®) process that metal 3D prints commercial, large-scale parts for Aerospace, Defence, Maritime, Manufacturing, Mining and Oil & Gas. AML3D provides parts contract manufacturing from its Technology Centre in Adelaide, Australia, and is the OEM of ARCEMY®, an industrial metal 3D printing system that combines IIoT and Industry 4.0 to enable manufacturers to become globally competitive. (Source: Rumour Control)
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Oxley Group Ltd
Oxley offer a range of Military Marine NVG friendly LED lighting that includes navigation lights and controls, flight deck landing lights and interior compartment lighting. Our lighting products are used by Navies around the world including our own Royal Navy on UK Aircraft Carriers, Canadian Frigates, Swedish Submarines, Australian Surface vessels and Submarines, on board French Naval Carriers and in Naval Gun Turrets.
https://oxleydevelopments.cmail20.com/t/t-l-cdhkulk-yujhutkljd-r/
The technology is extremely energy efficient and built robustly, with proven long life. The lighting is NVG friendly, dimmable and programmable to allow for operations with aircraft pilots using military night vision goggles. They offer superior design giving high reliability for the most demanding environments with high sealing and the ability to meet the most stringent EMC standards.
https://oxleydevelopments.cmail20.com/t/t-l-cdhkulk-yujhutkljd-y/
Oxley are proud to say that we are working in partnership with SeaKing to enable a control panel to be offered with our LED Navigation Lighting. All of Oxley navigation lights have been specifically developed for vessels over 50 metres.
Contact Marcus Goad on 07850 917 263 for more information or to arrange samples.
Oxley specialises in the design and manufacture of advanced electronic and electro-optic components and systems for air, land and sea applications within the military sector. Established in 1942, Oxley has manufacturing facilities in the UK and USA and enjoys representation worldwide. The company’s products include night vision and LED lighting, data capture systems and electronic components. Oxley has pioneered the development of night vision compatible lighting. It offers a total package incorporating optical filters, equipment modification, cockpit and external lighting along with fleet wide upgrade services including engineering, installation, support, maintenance and training. The company’s long experience of manufacturing night vision lighting and LED indicators, coupled with advances in LED technology, has enabled it to develop LED solutions to replace incandescent and fluorescent lighting in existing applications as well as becoming the lighting option of choice in new applications such as portable military hospitals, UAV control stations and communication shelters.
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