Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
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29 Aug 24. In a recent demonstration, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) incorporated its digital ecosystem and advanced production capabilities to build wings for the Model 437 technology demonstrator flown by company subsidiary Scaled Composites. Development began in the fully connected digital ecosystem with Northrop Grumman, the customer and supplier users collaborating to develop, analyze, build and test the wings ahead of the Model 437’s first flight, which occurred on August 29.
The Digital Pathfinder project demonstrated how the company’s fully digital engineering ecosystem reduces engineering rework, accelerates schedule and reduces costs, offering advantages to customers on future aircraft programs. By utilizing real-world experiences gained on programs, including the B-21 Raider, the company continues to evolve its collaborative digital ecosystem, which connects the company, customers and supplier partners through the design, development and test phases on a variety of current and future programs.
“We continue to refine these digital tools and capabilities to continuously improve them for future efforts,” said Colin Miller, vice president, engineering, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. “This project demonstrates how high-fidelity models within our digital ecosystem serve as a single source of truth to streamline testing and certification on future aircraft, significantly saving cost and time for our customer.”
The digital ecosystem cut engineering rework and redesign to less than one percent, compared to the 15-20% experienced using traditional methods. The demonstration also leveraged high-fidelity models combined with rigorous and approved model validation schemes to reduce requirements for ground and flight tests. Looking forward, these models show the potential to significantly reduce the workload required to determine airworthiness, offering further cost and schedule savings opportunities.
Through Digital Pathfinder, Northrop Grumman’s high integrity digital thread connected engineers, customers and stakeholders in a virtual environment, allowing them to proactively foresee and solve the types of problems that typically plague acquisition programs up front and early — greatly improving program performance.
The demonstration also utilized advanced manufacturing techniques, including the production of a titanium structural bracket using plasma arc energy deposition. The application of this innovative additive manufacturing technique to form a titanium part is believed to be a first in the defense industry. At the same time, the Digital Pathfinder project applied advanced techniques to reduce the requirements for hard tooling while improving first time quality and reducing manufacturing rework.
28 Aug 24. Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions Division announced that its DTS1+ single-slot network attached storage (NAS) device’s hardware and software encryption layers have been approved for placement on the National Security Agency (NSA) Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Components List. Earlier this year, the DTS1+ received Common Criteria (ISO-15408) certification from the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP), enabling the second-generation commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) data-at-rest (DAR) storage solution to be placed on the NIAP Product Compliant List. The compact DTS1+ NAS solution provides system designers with an ITAR-free solution for protecting sensitive data with two layers of CSfC Component listed software and hardware full disk encryption inside a single COTS device. The original DTS1 NAS device was the first Common Criteria-certified and NSA CSfC Component Listed NAS solution with two certified encryption layers in a single device. The DTS1+, with nearly double the Ethernet data rates (190MB/s write and 220MB/s read) of its predecessor, has been successfully used to support Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) requirements. The DTS1+’s optimized size, weight and power make it a logical choice for use on autonomous platforms, whether deployed on land, air, sea or sub-surface.
“We are very proud to announce that our DTS1+ Data Transport System Network Attached Storage solution now appears on the NSA CSfC Components List for both hardware full drive encryption and software full drive encryption,” said Brian Perry, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions Division. “This milestone means that system designers now have access to an off-the-shelf solution for high-speed, high-capacity DAR storage and protection that reduces program risk, time and cost. Curtiss-Wright is committed to leading the industry in delivering rugged secure NAS COTS solutions that deliver two CSfC encryption layers in a single device.”
About the DTS1+
The DTS1+ provides system designers with a plug-and-play ready-to-use solution for storing and protecting DAR that reduces program risk, time and cost. It integrates the latest generation of hardware encryption devices and supports FIPS 140-2 Level encryption via 128-bit AES-XTS. The single-slot DTS1+ enables any network-enabled device to retrieve stored data or save newly captured data and supports the same external cables and Removable Memory Cartridges (RMC) used with the DTS1. Its large 8 TB per RMC storage capacity and size, weight and power (SWaP)-optimized design extend mission duration. The compact NAS device weighs only 3.77 lb. (1.71 kg) and measures only 1.5 x 5.0 x 6.5” (38.1 x 127 x 165.1 mm). Because the DTS1+ supports the PXE protocol, network clients can quickly boot from the encrypted files on the DTS1+’s RMC storage unit. This approach facilitates software updates for network clients and significantly reduces SWaP by eliminating the need for individual hard disks in each network client device.
Curtiss-Wright offers two mounting options, the VS-DTS1+SL-FD, which is designed for cockpit use with DZUS mounting panel, and the VS-DTS1+SL-F, which uses L-brackets to support very flexible mounting within space-constrained platforms.
The DTS1+ supports networked devices using heterogeneous operating systems (Linux®, VxWorks®, Windows®, etc.) that support industry-standard NAS protocols (i.e., NFS, CIFS, FTP, or HTTP). The DTS1+ also supports iSCSI protocol for block data storage and PCAP protocol for Ethernet packet capture.
About the NSA CSfC Program
CSfC, an NSA-approved approach for protecting classified National Security Systems (NSS) information in aerospace and defense applications, uses cost-effective commercial encryption technologies in a two-layered solution. The DTS1+ device provides two certified encryption layers in a single device. This approach delivers a complete, ready-to-use solution that results in less program risk, less time to implement and lower cost. The rugged, compact DTS1+ device is designed to store and protect large amounts of data on a wide range of deployed aerospace and defense platforms, including manned and unmanned vehicles, helicopters, fighters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), and intelligence surveillance reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft that require the protection of sensitive DAR in accordance with international standards.
28 Aug 24. Euro Manganese Inc. (TSX-V and ASX: EMN; OTCQB: EUMNF; Frankfurt: E06) (the “Company” or “EMN”) today announced that the Company has submitted an application to designate the Chvaletice Manganese Project (the “Chvaletice Project” or the “Project”) as a Strategic Project under the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act (“CRMA”).
The CRMA, which took effect in May 2024, is designed to sustainably ensure the availability of raw materials that are essential and strategic for Europe’s economy and green transition. The CRMA lists more than 30 raw materials and defines high-purity manganese (battery grade) as a strategic raw material, and manganese as a critical raw material. The European Commission is expected to announce the first list of Strategic Projects in December 2024.
The benefits of gaining Strategic Project status include potential access to financing from numerous private and public sources such as national banks, EU institutions, regional and national funding authorities, and private financial institutions. Additionally, Strategic Project status ensures that permitting processes proceed according to the deadlines set in the CRMA, decreasing the scheduling risk related to permitting.
Dr. Matthew James, President & CEO of Euro Manganese, commented:
“Submitting our application for Strategic Project status under the CRMA for the Chvaletice Project is a significant milestone for Euro Manganese. Achieving Strategic Project designation would strengthen our role in the EU’s raw materials value chain, enable access to government-backed funding, facilitate collaboration with EU institutions, and accelerate permitting. Today’s announcement underscores our commitment to becoming the only integrated European producer of high-purity manganese for the battery supply chain.”
26 Aug 24. Euro Manganese Inc. (TSX-V and ASX: EMN; OTCQB: EUMNF; Frankfurt: E06) (the “Company” or “EMN”) has entered into an offtake term sheet (the “Term Sheet”) with Blue Grass Chemical Specialties (“Blue Grass Chemical”) dated August 23, 2024 for the sale of high-purity manganese metal from the Company’s Chvaletice Manganese Project (“Chvaletice” or the “Project”) in the Czech Republic.
Based in New Albany, Indiana, Blue Grass Chemical has over five decades of experience in producing specialty chemicals in numerous industries. It produces manganese nitrate as a precursor to manganese dioxide and other manganese oxides which are critical components in battery production, particularly lithium-ion batteries, powering everything from electric vehicles to portable electronic devices. High-quality manganese nitrate plays an important role in the performance and longevity of these batteries.
Highlights
- The Company and Blue Grass Chemical intend to enter an offtake agreement, in which the pricing mechanism and tonnages will become binding.
- Offtake tonnages represent a portion of the Project’s planned high-purity electrolytic manganese metal (“HPEMM”) production.
- Pricing in the Term Sheet is designed to meet the Project’s debt finance banking covenants.
- The Term Sheet demonstrates the value of producing both high-purity manganese metal and sulphate at Chvaletice and the ability to meet the needs of a larger and more diverse customer base.
- The specifications of the Demonstration Plant product recently produced and tested by third-party laboratories meet the required specifications shared by Blue Grass.
Deliveries are to commence from first production, ramping up with the Project’s production capacity, for an initial term of seven years with potential for renewals. The commencement of the initial term will be subject to successful qualification of the Company’s HPEMM in Blue Grass Chemical’s supply chain. The qualification process shall commence with HPEMM from the Project’s Demonstration Plant, a sample is now under evaluation by Blue Grass.
Pricing for the Project’s HPEMM will be on a take or pay basis, based on an index-adjusted western benchmark price. The western benchmark price represents HPEMM with the following attributes: high quality, secure, traceable, western supply source e.g. not from a foreign entity of concern which is important from an Inflation Reduction Act compliance perspective, and market leading ESG (Environment, Sustainability and Governance) credentials, including a low CO2 footprint.
The price is intended to be linked to the movement of a published index for high purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (“HPMSM”), over a rolling three-month quotational period, as there is no current published market index for HPEMM.
Dr. Matthew James, President & CEO of Euro Manganese, commented:
“The momentum for demand for Euro Manganese’s high-purity manganese from the Chvaletice Project is gathering pace, and I am incredibly pleased the Company has secured another offtake Term Sheet. The fact that Blue Grass Chemical requires high-purity manganese metal for their existing operations, and potential for increased tonnages as they evaluate new opportunities, demonstrates the value of designing our flow sheet to produce both high-purity manganese metal and sulphate at Chvaletice, thus giving customers optionality for their manufacturing processes. We look forward to supplying Blue Grass Chemical with a fully traceable, responsibly produced and IRA compliant source of high-purity manganese as they deliver low-cost, sustainable US-manufactured battery materials, as well as for other industrial applications. We are proud to be partnering with a company who shares our ambition of helping to create a cleaner world by enabling the production and adoption of electric vehicles.”
Mr. Matthew Brenner, President of Blue Grass Chemical Specialties said:
We are excited about the opportunity to use Euro Manganese’s high-purity manganese in our operations. Blue Grass Chemical Specialties’ expertise in the chemical manufacturing industry enables us to provide not just products but also valuable knowledge and support to our customers, helping them to achieve their operational goals through the effective use of manganese nitrate. Whether you are in the market for high-quality manganese nitrate for battery production, agriculture, catalysis, or any other application, Blue Grass Chemical Specialties is your trusted partner
About Euro Manganese
Euro Manganese is a battery materials company focused on becoming a leading producer of high-purity manganese for the electric vehicle industry. The Company is advancing development of the Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic and an early-stage opportunity to produce battery-grade manganese products in Bécancour, Québec.
The Chvaletice Project is a unique waste-to-value recycling and remediation opportunity involving reprocessing old tailings from a decommissioned mine. It is also the only sizable resource of manganese in the European Union, strategically positioning the Company to provide battery supply chains with critical raw materials to support the global shift to a circular, low-carbon economy.
27 Aug 24. Dung beetles inspire navigation system for satellites. In 2013, Swedish researchers discovered that beetles used the Milky Way to navigate at night, realising its fixed point in the sky could help them roll dung balls in a straight line.
Now, a decade later, researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) are using that breakthrough as inspiration for a new project aimed at improving navigation for satellites.
They have developed a computer vision system that reliably measures the orientation of the Milky Way, which could one day lead to a back-up method of stabilising satellites in low light.
University of South Australia remote sensing engineer Professor Javaan Chahl and his team of PhD students used computer vision to demonstrate that the large stripe of light that forms the Milky Way is not affected by motion blur, unlike individual stars.
“Nocturnal dung beetles move their head and body extensively when rolling balls of manure across a field, needing a fixed orientation point in the night sky to help them steer in a straight line,” Chahl said. “Their tiny compound eyes make it difficult to distinguish individual stars, particularly while in motion, whereas the Milky Way is highly visible.”
In a series of experiments using a camera mounted to a vehicle’s roof, the UniSA researchers captured images of the Milky Way while the vehicle was both stationary and moving.
Using information from those images, they developed a computer vision system that reliably measures the orientation of the Milky Way, which is the first step towards building a navigation system.
Their findings have been published in the journal Biomimetics.
“For the next step, I want to put the algorithm on a drone and allow it to control the aircraft in flight during the night,” said UniSA PhD candidate Yiting Tao, the paper’s lead author.
Researchers believe beetles use the Milky Way because, unlike the moon, it’s always visible.
“Insects have been solving navigational problems for ms of years, including those that even the most advanced machines struggle with,” Chahl said.
“And they’ve done it in a tiny little package. Their brains consist of tens of thousands of neurons compared to bns of neurons in humans, yet they still manage to find solutions from the natural world.” (Source: Space Connect)
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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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