Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
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09 Sep 21. EOS to Partner in Morf3D’s Recently Announced Applied Digital Manufacturing Center. Morf3D, Inc., a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation, a trusted leader in metal additive manufacturing (AM) specializing in AM optimization and engineering for the aerospace, defense, and space industries, today announced that EOS has committed to a technology development partnership in its new Applied Digital Manufacturing Center (ADMC) in Long Beach, California.
Morf3D has tapped EOS to supply the biggest installation of EOS M 400 series systems under one roof, automated shared modules, material management systems, and EOS’ AMCM line of specialized large format metal industrial 3D printers at its Applied Digital Manufacturing Center in Long Beach, California.
Morf3D’s ADMC is a 90,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility harnessing applied research, advanced engineering and application development, serial production and, most significantly, new industry partnerships with global leaders to drive the industrialization of digital manufacturing in high-growth markets.
Morf3D’s technology investments in EOS’ Direct Metal Laser Solidification (DMLS®) metal AM platforms will include the biggest installation of EOS M 400 series systems under one roof, automated shared modules, material management systems, and EOS’ AMCM line of specialized large format metal industrial 3D printers – all working in concert to accelerate the progress toward the industrialization of AM. When complete, the ADMC will provide full-scale production enablement capabilities within the world’s first industrial ecosystem for the advancement of AM. For their part, EOS will deploy the most advanced, automated AM technology, together with the engineering resources necessary to help ensure the full optimization for customer programs.
“The AM industry is developing fast and Morf3D’s ADMC is a next-level development toward scaling production,” said Glynn Fletcher, president of EOS North America. “Morf3D has evolved spectacularly, and we are very proud to have been a part of their vision from the very beginning. EOS has never wavered from our commitment to serial AM production and the ADMC is another giant step on our industry’s march toward the digitization of manufacturing.”
“As we seek to re-invent the future of manufacturing, our industry partnerships within the ADMC will bring forth exciting capabilities and new innovations for the industry. Our aim is not to simply add more capacity or capability but rather solve the complex issues that are central to industrializing Additive Manufacturing. EOS and AMCM are poised to help lead the charge toward productionizing AM at scale,” shared Ivan Madera, Morf3D CEO.
The Applied Digital Manufacturing Center will create an integrated digital manufacturing process across the value chain and a system of work that enables organizations to create complete, repeatable production lines globally. All ADMC partners are looking to capitalize on their strengths to elevate additive manufacturing at scale. ADMC research and development partners will work in co-operative teams to help educate, drive new innovations, and deploy novel
methods of engineering to increase productivity and automation. Additionally, all partners will have access to collective training, meeting, and gathering spaces for customer events and business development efforts.
The Applied Digital Manufacturing Center is located at 3550 Carson Street, Long Beach, California. The space will house Morf3D’s business operations and is designed with a vision toward innovation and growth for the AM industry.
About EOS
EOS provides responsible manufacturing solutions via industrial 3D printing technology to manufacturers around the world. Connecting high quality production efficiency with its pioneering innovation and sustainable practices, the independent company formed in 1989 will shape the future of manufacturing. Powered by its platform-driven digital value network of machines and a holistic portfolio of services, materials and processes, EOS is deeply committed to fulfilling its customers’ needs and acting responsibly for our planet.
About Morf3D
Morf3D Inc. specializes in metal additive manufacturing technology that transforms engineering design into full production systems. In April 2021, Nikon acquired majority ownership of Morf3D. Morf3D’s mission is to enable client proficiency in fully exploiting the benefits of additive engineering and manufacturing, while delivering innovative solutions that solve complex design and manufacturing challenges. For more information about Morf3D, visit https://morf3d.com (Source: PR Newswire)
09 Sep 21. TE Connectivity’s Mezalok connector delivers high speed with low force. The HSLF XMC connector delivers 32+ Gb/s with a lower extraction force. TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, introduces its Mezalok High-Speed Low-Force (HSLF) XMC connector to support data rate speeds up to 32+ Gb/s for improved signal processing on embedded computing applications. The enhanced HSLF Mezalok connector joins TE’s family of rugged, highly reliable connectors designed to meet the growing demand for higher data rates. Designed specifically for mezzanine applications, the connector meets legacy Mezalok high speed connector qualifications and uses a rugged dual point contact system.
Fast, refined, rugged, upgradeable and flexible, Mezalok HSLF XMC connectors meet the same rugged standards as VITA 47 and VITA 72. Suited best for aerospace, ground vehicle, marine and missile defense applications, these HSLF connectors feature a wide operating temperature range and excellent thermal stability with VITA 42.3 pinout.
“Technology changes rapidly and it’s always important for us to quickly adapt and solve for market needs. We know signal integrity strength is crucial for reliable high-speed signal transfer within the environments this type of connector is used,” said Jason Dorwart, product manager for TE’s Aerospace, Defense and Marine division. “We also designed this particular connector to be easier to remove from the board and are truly excited to continue on with our Mezalok connector legacy by introducing our low-force product offering.”
The highly reliable Mezalok HSLF uses the reliable ball grid array printed circuit board surface mount. The 114-position connector is compliant to VITA 61 standards and additional positions and stack heights are available.
TE’s Mezalok HSLF connector family offers:
- Unmating force reduction of 47%
- Mating force reduction of 32%
- Rugged dual-point contact system
For product configurations, TE features:
- Multiple positions – 60,114 and 320
- Multiple stack heights – 10,12,17 and 18 mm
- Ball grid array PCB supports standard surface mount processing
08 Sep 21. Renowned Aviation Supplier Becker Avionics Partners with Iris Automation. Joint alliance to augment general aviation pilot safety. Becker Avionics, a 65-year globally-renowned aviation industry supplier that works with the top 20 Aerospace OEMs, and commercial drone safety innovator, Iris Automation, have entered into a strategic partnership to increase the situational awareness of general aviation pilots and advance uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) safety. The two companies will jointly develop a non-required safety enhancing equipment system to detect and warn pilots of nearby, potentially threatening aircraft.
Iris Automation partners with Becker Avionics to jointly develop a non-required safety enhancing equipment system to detect and warn pilots of nearby, potentially threatening aircraft.
The Iris Automation and Becker Avionics collision avoidance safety system will use computer vision and machine learning to “see” when another aircraft is approaching from outside the pilot’s field of view, and poses a risk to the equipped aircraft, issuing 3D audio warnings. The solution will combine Iris Automation’s patented Casia detect and alert technology with Becker Avionics’ communication and navigation equipment expertise for both crewed and uncrewed airborne applications.
Many aircrafts are equipped with radio-based signalling technology (ADS-B) to avoid mid-air collisions. But in some airspace, traditional ADS-B signals are not available, increasing the workload on a pilot to monitor for incoming aircraft. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 1450 near mid-air collisions were reported from 2016-2020. Eighty-two percent of mid-air collisions occur from the rear, states the AOPA Air Safety Foundation (ASF). This risk is especially acute for the $48B helicopter market, with over 38,000 aircraft in service worldwide.
The Iris Automation/Becker Avionics opto-electric/audio system will monitor airspace in visual flight conditions independently, onboard the pilot’s aircraft, even if ADS-B or TCAS signals may be unavailable. It supplements pilots’ situational awareness, whether in the cockpit or remote, during instrument scans or other parts of the airspace. By providing warnings in time to take appropriate actions to avoid potential collisions, the system is designed to improve safety with minimal impact on pilot workload.
Quote from Roland Becker, Chairman of Becker Avionics
“Becker Avionics has provided reliable aviation equipment for 65 years, enabling regulatory compliance and aviator safety. Partnering with an innovator like Iris Automation will allow our customers to exploit advanced technology to fly safer, especially as airspace congestion increases. Client interest in this kind of solution is very high, and our ability to service both their cockpit and remote pilot safety needs is unique in the industry.”
Quote from Jon Damush, CEO of Iris Automation, “This relationship is a pivotal move for Iris Automation as it defines and accelerates our work in the general aviation space. Our core mission is to improve air safety by avoiding collisions and this extension of our technology is a natural evolution. We are excited to be able to work with one of the most storied brands in the industry to deliver this important innovation.” (Source: PR Newswire)
08 Sep 21. Green Hills Software to Provide INTEGRITY-178 tuMP RTOS for Military GPS User Equipment. INTEGRITY-178 tuMP Supports Safety and Security for MSI ASIC. Green Hills Software announced the selection of the INTEGRITY®-178 tuMP™ real-time operating system (RTOS) by Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) for their offering of the Military Global Positioning System User Equipment (MGUE) Increment (Inc) 2 Miniature Serial Interface (MSI) with Next-Generation Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). RI&S is developing one MSI card for aviation and maritime systems and another MSI card for ground-based systems, and INTEGRITY-178 tuMP will be used in both solutions running on the Arm® processor-based ASIC. RI&S selected the INTEGRITY-178 tuMP RTOS based on its use in previous programs and for its ability to simultaneously meet both safety and security requirements. Those requirements included the highest DO-178C design assurance level (DAL A) and the NSA-defined separation kernel protection profile (SKPP) for “high robustness” security.
The Military GPS User Equipment is the GPS receiver for the modernized GPS Enterprise, and it is capable of receiving military code (M-Code) from newer satellites, including GPS-III. M-Code is a more robust, jam-resistant form of GPS that also uses more modern and flexible encryption methods to make it resistant to spoofing. The MGUE Inc 2 MSI program is developing a smaller M-Code ASIC and receiver card that consumes less power while increasing functionality, security and performance. The smaller card will enable use in handheld and dismounted applications as well as mounted, maritime and aviation platforms. The Government Accountability Office estimates that approximately 700 different types of weapon systems will ultimately require M-Code cards and M-Code-capable receivers, including ships, aircraft, ground vehicles, munitions, and handheld devices. RI&S was one of three companies awarded by the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command for the MGUE Inc 2 MSI with Next-Generation ASIC program.
“Green Hills Software has a long history of working with RI&S on GPS & navigation systems, and we are pleased to be part of their MSI with Next Generation ASIC solution,” said Dan O’Dowd, founder and CEO of Green Hills Software. “Airborne GPS solutions require both safety and security, and the INTEGRITY-178 RTOS has an unrivaled pedigree in the combination of certified high-robustness security with certified DO-178C safety assurance.”
The INTEGRITY-178 tuMP high-assurance RTOS from Green Hills Software is uniquely designed to meet both DO-178C DAL A airborne safety requirements and the NSA-defined Separation Kernel Protection Profile. INTEGRITY-178 is the only commercial operating system ever certified to the SKPP, and that certification was done by the National Information Assurance Partnership to Common Criteria EAL 6+ and “High Robustness.” Beyond the separation kernel, INTEGRITY-178 tuMP provides a complete set of APIs for use by multi-level security applications within a secure partition, e.g., an MLS guard, which is a fundamental requirement in a cross-domain system. INTEGRITY-178 tuMP is also the first and only RTOS to be part of a cross-domain solution certification to NSA’s new “Raise the Bar” initiative. INTEGRITY-178 was the first commercial RTOS approved as complying with DO-178B Level A objectives, and INTEGRITY-178 tuMP is the only RTOS to be part of a multicore certification to DO-178C and CAST-32A multicore objectives. INTEGRITY-178 tuMP directly supports a Modular Open Systems Approach, and it was the first RTOS to be certified conformant to the FACE™ Technical Standard, edition 3.0. (Source: PR Newswire)
08 Sep 21. Microsoft has confirmed that an MSHTML loophole in Microsoft Windows is currently being exploited by threat actors, with the ACSC issuing a high alert warning.
The Microsoft MSHTML remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2021-40444), which was flagged by Microsoft on 7 September, is currently present across all Microsoft Windows installations.
According to a statement on the Microsoft website, the company confirmed that threat actors have already begun attempting to leverage the loophole.
“Microsoft is aware of targeted attacks that attempt to exploit this vulnerability by using specially-crafted Microsoft Office documents,” a Microsoft statement read.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre and Microsoft currently believe that threat actors would execute the breach by using a malicious ActiveX control in a Microsoft Office document, before using the document to then spear phish further victims.
“An attacker could craft a malicious ActiveX control to be used by a Microsoft Office document that hosts the browser rendering engine,” the statement from Microsoft continued.
“The attacker would then have to convince the user to open the malicious document. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.”
Microsoft has confirmed that Microsoft Defender Antivirus and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offer protection and detection capabilities for the vulnerability.
The company further recommends ensuring that their cyber security software is up-to-date.
“Customers who utilise automatic updates do not need to take additional action. Enterprise customers who manage updates should select the detection build 1.349.22.0 or newer and deploy it across their environments. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint alerts will be displayed as: ‘Suspicious Cpl File Execution’,” Microsoft said.
Microsoft also provided several workarounds to ensure the ongoing protection: “Disabling the installation of all ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer mitigates this attack. This can be accomplished for all sites by updating the registry. Previously-installed ActiveX controls will continue to run, but do not expose this vulnerability.” (Source: https://www.cybersecurityconnect.com.au/)
08 Sep 21. DARPA Looks to Microbes to Process Rare Earth Elements. Rare earth elements — a group of 17 metals, including neodymium — are used in lasers, precision-guided weapons, magnets for motors and other devices that are at the heart of many critical technologies the Defense Department depends on. While the U.S. has domestic access to rare earth elements, it doesn’t have a strong domestic base for processing that supply, Stefanie Tompkins, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, said during an online discussion today at the 5th Annual Defense News Conference. To get after that, Tompkins said DARPA recently embarked on a new program called the Environmental Microbes as a BioEngineering Resource, or EMBER program, to secure America’s rare earth elements supply chain.
“From a DARPA perspective what we’re looking at are what are some of the barriers that have made it difficult for the U.S. to maintain dominance in rare earth processing,” she said. “One of the things we just launched a new program in is related to bio-mining. The program is called EMBER, and that is about actually designing microbes who can more efficiently and at scale and in an environmentally sound way, separate out these rare earth elements from the ore in which they’re actually found.”
Right now, the most common practices for processing rare earth elements are chemically intensive and frequently toxic to the environment, she said.
“Because of all of that, it’s caused the U.S. to sort of back away … from those sort of expensive and environmentally painful processes. And so we need to find new ways,” she said. “Biological is one of the things that we’re exploring.”
Rare earth elements aren’t the only thing the Defense Department depends on and needs a more secure supply of. Microelectronics are at the heart of nearly every modern technology used by the Defense Department, and Tompkins said that with the DOD’s Electronics Resurgence Initiative, DARPA is working to ensure America’s warfighters continue to have access to the latest technologies.
“This is focusing on sort of transforming the space of semiconductors, bringing it back to being a national strength, and at the same time moving into sort of the … next generation of what microelectronics will really look like,” she said.
While military capabilities like aircraft rely on mechanical technologies to make them fly, Tompkins said what really makes something like a fighter jet a truly powerful tool in the U.S. military’s arsenal are the microelectronics it has on board.
“Microelectronics are really sort of what make all of our different platforms and systems operate the way they do,” she said “If you think about an aircraft, there’s the part of it that actually flies — there’s sort of the aeronautical piece of it. But almost everything that really gives it the power and capability of a U.S. defense capability will come from the microelectronics.”
Those capabilities include sensors, communications, avionics, radars and more. Tompkins said industry is approaching a “plateau” in electronics capability now where it’s getting more difficult to put more capability onto microchips.
“We have to start innovating and moving into different directions,” she said. “That might mean completely new materials … it might mean moving from what has typically been a flat, two-dimensional structure where you’re sort of putting things side-by-side on a chip into three dimensions, where you’re building them up, more and more.”
Another element factoring into how the DOD stays on top of the latest advancements in microelectronics is how it differs from the commercial sector in what it purchases, Tompkins said.
“A really interesting difference between sort of a lot of commercial thinking and the DOD thinking is that in commercial thinking you’re going to be looking heavily for general purpose capabilities, general purpose processing,” she said. “In the national security world, we often have to think about applications for which we could actually do much better if we specialize. Those are all areas in which we’re putting a lot of investment.” (Source: US DoD)
08 Sep 21. Military cyber software developers fix weaknesses, create mission tools faster. The military has relied heavily on contractors for highly technical work to develop software for cyber operators. But the Army, Navy and Marine Corps have found that in-house engineers and tool developers can quickly create mission capabilities to improve threat response times and mission outcomes.
While industry software specialists continue to complement the military’s internal efforts, each of the service cyber components that feed up to U.S. Cyber Command has organized teams of coders, engineers and tool developers. They build rapid prototypes and new solutions, extend existing platforms, conduct vulnerability research and malware analysis, and test and evaluate software.
These personnel support the cyber mission force operations and provide wide expertise for their services on cyberspace and vulnerabilities.
For example, Fleet Cyber Command said it provided requested developers to Naval Sea Systems Command to determine how adversaries might compromise a shipboard system. Within a week, the developers identified potential cyber vulnerabilities and suggested corrections.
Army coders figure out how to best secure weapons systems and give combatant commanders effective options that align with their operations. Some examples include implementing systems designed to defend soldiers from small unmanned aerial system attacks and analyzing weapon systems’ attack surface to patch vulnerabilities.
The Marine Corps combines a mix of personnel — developers, analysts and operators — to achieve mission outcomes, a Marines spokesperson said.
MARFORCYBER noted there isn’t a set ratio for developers to operators, instead emphasizing adaptability. The Air Force and Navy declined to offer specifics on their ratios. Army Cyber Command explained it tries to ensure that a good percentage of developers provide direct support to several kinds of cyber teams:
- Combat mission teams — conduct most offensive cyber operations on behalf of combatant commands.
- National mission teams — work against specific nation-states in defense of the nation.
- Expeditionary cyber teams — tactically focused teams that carry out cyber and radio frequency ground operations in support of ground commanders.
In fact, the Army recently experimented with coders at the edge for these teams to reprogram electronic warfare and radio frequency systems.
Army Cyber Command said a mix of developers, analysts and operators support of the command’s mission.
16th Air Force acknowledged that it has its own software develop program associated with its cyber mission set, but declined to offer specifics citing operational security. In one known example, the 67th Cyberspace Wing is experimenting with an approach it describes as software factory as a service, renting commercial space for software factories — such as the LevelUP DevSecOps facility — to develop tools for the cyber mission force.
For Army Cyber Command, in-house software and tool-building personnel are more agile, a spokesperson told C4ISRNET, following the Defense Department custom of speaking to reporters anonymously.
The command can rapidly reprioritize work around commanders’ short schedules, and the personnel have expertise that provides commanders more options than previously existed. This makes the command less dependent on industry to perform its mission, and the spokesperson said getting intelligence in developers’ hands is easier, and they can test capabilities against mission-relevant environments, which can be trickier with outside partners.
Navy cyber workforce teams, which have grown and matured, aren’t easily replicated through the acquisition process, a Fleet Cyber Command/10th Fleet spokesperson, told C4ISRNET.
“While contractors provide crucial support across the DoD, operational tempo and effective integration necessitate that many efforts are led and performed by government employees,” the person said.
Specifically, Fleet Cyber Command said developers have proved their ability to identify a capability gap during an operation, develop a solution in less than 24 hours and deliver a modified capability. Shorter timeframes for data science application creation saved thousands of hours of analysts’ time that they can spend on higher-priority tasks.
The services continue to used contractor support for larger efforts and platforms but have discovered the critical need for their own staff to perform these on-mission functions in a more timely manner.
The Air Force noted that contractor developers and government personnel are not mutually exclusive.
“Tool development lead by either Air Force organic teams, bleeding-edge Silicon Valley start-ups or the traditional large defense contractors is not a mutually exclusive answer in delivering timely and needed capability to our cyber forces,” according to a spokesperson for 16th Air Force/Air Forces Cyber. “The effectiveness of any of those groups is very dependent on the access to operators, and requirements and resources to develop capabilities at the speed of cyber. Each one of those groups bring different ideas, processes and experience to the cyber problem set. With the low cost of entry and number of cyber actors well beyond traditional nation state actors, Air Forces Cyber, and ultimately the United States cyber community at large, will require the expertise found in government, industry and academia to compete in the cyber domain.”
Army Cyber Command noted it has sufficient numbers of billets to address critical missions today, noting it does rely on industry for specialized expertise, tools and platform development “where the level of effort needed to obtain and sustain critical capabilities would be counterproductive or less cost effective than contracting for a limited period of time,” according to a spokesperson.
Similarly, Fleet Cyber Command noted the role of government employees and contractors is complementary.
“Industry are great partners to Fleet Cyber Command because they provide the expertise and scale that the Navy cannot generate internally. However, rapid agile development processes require a continuous and close synchronization with the operational elements, from requirements generation/modification through testing and acceptance,” a Fleet Cyber Command spokesperson said. “Establishing these processes with a single or handful of industry partners can be difficult from Defense Acquisition process perspective or prohibitively expensive. Additionally, if we outsource all of our capability development to industry, we lose the ability to develop a foundation for professional development and growth of our government employees into more advanced technical and leadership positions.” (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
09 Sep 21. W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) announced today the expansion of its Coaxial Cables line for defense land system applications. The new product is smaller and lighter than previous offerings, yet capable of transmitting ultra-high-definition (UHD) 4K video with excellent shielding from radio frequency interference. The cable meets a variety of internationally recognized civil and military specifications, including the latest Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) 12G-SDI standard. Published in March 2015, 12G-SDI defines a 12 gigabit per second transmission of uncompressed, latency-free UHD 4K video at 60 frames per second on a single wire. Gore is committed to delivering this performance at operating temperatures ranging from -55 to 200 degrees Celsius.
“Military vehicles today include multiple sensors that generate critical video during missions,” said Andrea Menconi, product manager for land systems. “GORE® Coaxial Cables can transmit this UHD video reliably and securely, even in the harshest environments.”
Designed for use with remote-controlled turret cameras, local situation awareness, and other video-generating sensor systems, GORE Coaxial Cables are engineered with a specialized fluoropolymer insulation. This provides superior resistance to weather, abrasion and other hazards associated with extreme weather, rough usage and confined routing space.
“Vehicle and system engineers no longer need to compromise,” Menconi added. “Our Coaxial Cables are smaller, lighter and more flexible, while also providing unequalled video resolution performances, high durability and standards compliance to reduce long-term operating costs.”
GORE Coaxial Cables are available in a standard size via distributors. Visit gore.com/cable-distributors or contact a Gore representative to discuss specific application needs.
08 Sep 21. RMIT aims to propel hypersonic flight with 3D printed catalysts. Ultra-efficient 3D printed catalysts developed by researchers at RMIT University, are tipped to solve the challenge of overheating in hypersonic aircraft. The highly versatile catalysts are designed to be cost-effective to make and simple to scale in order to offer a revolutionary solution to thermal management across countless industries. The team at RMIT lab demonstrations show the 3D printed catalysts could potentially be used to power hypersonic flight while simultaneously cooling the system. According to lead researcher Dr Selvakannan Periasamy, their work tackled one of the biggest challenges in the development of hypersonic aircraft: controlling the incredible heat that builds up when planes fly at more than five times the speed of sound.
“Our lab tests show the 3D printed catalysts we’ve developed have great promise for fuelling the future of hypersonic flight,” Dr Periasamy said.
“Powerful and efficient, they offer an exciting potential solution for thermal management in aviation – and beyond.
“With further development, we hope this new generation of ultra-efficient 3D printed catalysts could be used to transform any industrial process where overheating is an ever-present challenge.”
In theory, a hypersonic aircraft could travel from London to Sydney in four hours but many challenges remain in the development of hypersonic air travel, such as the extreme heat levels.
First author and PhD researcher Roxanne Hubesch added that using fuel as a coolant was one of the most promising experimental approaches to the overheating problem.
“Fuels that can absorb heat while powering an aircraft are a key focus for scientists, but this idea relies on heat-consuming chemical reactions that need highly efficient catalysts,” Hubesch said.
“Additionally, the heat exchangers where the fuel comes in contact with the catalysts must be as small as possible, because of the tight volume and weight constraints in hypersonic aircraft.”
To make the new catalysts, the team 3D printed tiny heat exchangers made of metal alloys and coated them with synthetic minerals known as zeolites.
The researchers replicated extreme temperatures and pressures experienced by the fuel at hypersonic speeds at lab scale, to test the functionality of their design.
When the 3D printed structures heat up, some of the metal moves into the zeolite framework– a process crucial to the unprecedented efficiency of the new catalysts.
“Our 3D printed catalysts are like miniature chemical reactors and what makes them so incredibly effective is that mix of metal and synthetic minerals,” Hubesch said.
“It’s an exciting new direction for catalysis, but we need more research to fully understand this process and identify the best combination of metal alloys for the greatest impact.”
The next steps for the research team from RMIT’s Centre for Advanced Materials and Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC) include optimising the 3D printed catalysts by studying them with X-ray synchrotron techniques along with other in-depth analysis methods.
The researchers also hope to extend the potential applications of the work into air pollution control for vehicles and miniature devices to improve indoor air quality – especially important in managing airborne respiratory viruses like COVID-19.
According to distinguished professor and CAMIC director Suresh Bhargava, the trillion-dollar chemical industry was largely based on old catalytic technology.
“This third generation of catalysis can be linked with 3D printing to create new complex designs that were previously not possible,” Bhargava said.
“Our new 3D printed catalysts represent a radical new approach that has real potential to revolutionise the future of catalysis around the world.”
The 3D printed catalysts were produced using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) technology in the Digital Manufacturing Facility, part of RMIT’s Advanced Manufacturing Precinct. (Source: Defence Connect)
09 Sep 21. SPEE3D and Australian Army Team up for World’s Toughest 3D Metal Printing Trial. Australian company, SPEE3D, has been working with the Australian Army to test and validate metal 3D printing as a military capability. The latest field trial is the longest and toughest yet, taking place in remote Northern Territory, alongside exercise Koolendong.
The Australian Army is rapidly developing their metal manufacturing capability with SPEE3D’s award-winning metal 3D printing technology. The Australian Army announced a $1.24 million investment in a pilot of SPEE3D technology in February 2020 with a 12-month trial of the WarpSPEE3D Tactical printer. The trial was designed to test the feasibility of deploying metal 3D printing as a capability both in barracks and in the field. The WarpSPEE3D Tactical printer uses patented cold spray technology that enables significantly faster and more cost-effective metal part production than any other process. It can print large metal parts up to 40kg at a record rate of 100grams per minute.
A number of field trials in 2020 resulted in over fifty case studies of printable parts and demonstrated that SPEE3D’s WarpSPEE3D printer was robust enough to operate in remote Australian bushland and the program was extended in 2021 to verify initial results.
This year SPEE3D has been working closely with Army to train the first military Additive Manufacturing Cell (AMC) technicians who specialise in the production of 3D metal printed parts, from design to printing, machining, heat treatment and certification. In the remote bushland of Bradshaw Training Area, located in the Northern Territory, the AMC and SPEE3D recently tested the WarpSPEE3D Tactical printer as part of its toughest trial yet. The printer was transported over 600 kilometers from base, over rough terrain, to operate in hot and dusty conditions for three weeks.
“Last year’s trial proved SPEE3D technology was deployable. This year’s trial extension is bigger, longer and more remote, making it the worlds’ toughest and longest metal 3D printing trial so far.” said SPEE3D’s CEO Byron Kennedy.
Over the three-week trial the team are producing metal parts for the M113 armored personnel carrier which is a vehicle that has been used by the Australian Army for over 40 years. The aim of this year’s trial is to prove metal 3D printing can produce high-quality, military grade parts that can be validated and certified for use in the field. The success of this trial will demonstrate that Additive Manufacturing plays an important part in the future of Defence readiness.
As the program continues, the AMC will explore more components that can be repaired and replaced using metal 3D printing and assess how this technology may eventually fit into Australian Army infrastructure.
07 Sep 21. TE Connectivity introduces the NanoRF Edge Launch connector for VITA 67.3 applications. The NanoRF Edge Launch connector eliminates cables and offers higher density and ruggedness over SMPM and SMPS edge launch options
TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, has introduced the NanoRF Edge Launch connector, the only solution that can integrate the RF above an optical interconnect for military and radar RF embedded computing applications. The NanoRF connector meets the rigorous requirements of VITA 67.3 to provide a simple and standardized interface with VPX plug-in computing modules including RF switches, tuners, software-defined radios and other embedded computing systems.
The NanoRF Edge Launch connector reduces space requirements, which eliminates the need for cables and results in a more rugged product. This smaller size comes without sacrificing performance, providing high density and high frequency up to 70Ghz. The NanoRF’s bullet adapter reduces tolerances and helps to allow for decreased mating force, which is required for stacked boards.
“We have taken our rugged, high-density NanoRF product and developed an edge launch solution, which can be used in VPX plug-in modules to eliminate cabling,” said Clint Schlosser, product manager for TE’s Aerospace, Defense and Marine division. “TE’s Edge Launch connector is also multifunctional and is configured to work alongside MT’s giving our customers the ability to combine optical and electrical solutions within the same module.”
As a leader in designing VITA, VPX and SOSA compliant solutions, TE’s NanoRF connector is configurable for different sizes and contact counts to ensure it supports VITA 67.3 interface for VPX industry standard implementations or custom applications. This provides customers access to industry standard products with VPX, SOSA compliance to support their plug-in computing modules.
Visit here to learn more about VITA SOSA solutions and for more information on the NanoRF Edge Launch connector, visit https://www.te.com/usa-en/about-te/news-center/nanorf-edge-launch-connector.html
07 Sep 21. Cubic Joins the Scaled Agile Partner Network. Cubic Corporation announced today that it has joined the Scaled Agile Partner Network as a Gold Transformation Partner. This worldwide network includes transformation and platform providers who help enterprises facilitate and accelerate business results through adoption of the Scaled Agile Framework ® (SAFe ®).
As the world’s leading framework for enterprise agility, SAFe helps businesses address the significant challenges of developing and delivering high-quality software and systems in the shortest sustainable lead time.
“I am excited about this partnership and the changes it will continue to bring across programs, projects, products, and platforms at Cubic, increasing productivity and speed to market” said Brad Feldmann, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Cubic Corporation.
“Working with best-in-class partners like Cubic Corporation represents our commitment to helping software and systems-dependent enterprises improve time-to-market, quality, and employee engagement,” said Dean Leffingwell, creator of SAFe and cofounder of Scaled Agile, Inc. “By incorporating SAFe into their solution offering, Cubic Corporation is enabling the world’s largest organizations to become more Agile in the marketplace and more competitive in their industry.”
About Cubic Corporation
Cubic is a technology-driven, market-leading provider of integrated solutions that increase situational understanding for transportation, defense C4ISR, and training customers worldwide to decrease urban congestion and improve the militaries’ effectiveness and operational readiness. Our teams innovate to make a positive difference in people’s lives. We simplify their daily journeys. We promote mission success and safety for those who serve their nation.
About Scaled Agile, Inc.
Scaled Agile, Inc., is the provider of SAFe®, the world’s leading framework for business agility. Through learning and certification, a global partner network, and a growing community of over 700,000 trained professionals, Scaled Agile helps enterprises build agility into their culture so they can quickly identify and deliver customer value, capitalize on emerging opportunities, and improve business outcomes. Scaled Agile is a contributing member of the Pledge 1% corporate philanthropy and community service movement. Learn more at scaledagile.com. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
06 Sep 21. Defence Science Institute and DSTG collaborate on new CBRN research grant, winners revealed.
The Victorian Defence Science Institute has partnered with the Defence Science and Technology Group to foster new early warning research via the “DSI-Hazardous Agent Challenge (HAC)”, unveiling the list of successful recipients.
The DSI expects that the funding will not only allow new sensors to be developed, but also foster the creation of multidisciplinary teams to tackle potential future threats in the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear fields.
The award is designed to bring together experts from a multitude of disciplines, from industry, academia and end-user communities to explore sensor solutions for CBRN research.
According to a release from DSI, CBRN hazards have been one of the greatest threats to the defence force to date, with sensors enabling early warning to ensure that personnel do not suffer sickness or injury.
As part of the challenge, the DSI partnered with the Australian Defence Science and Universities Network (ADSUN), receiving submissions from 35 multi-disciplinary teams across the country. The teams will be reviewed by an expert panel of judges, including representatives from the US Defence Threat Reduction Agency.
While the initial award was $1mi, the DSI confirmed that the high level of applications prompted the institute to provide an additional $340,000 to support four successful projects.
The research proposed by the successful applicants span physical, life, data and engineering research for CBRN sensors and are expected to be assessed by Defence over the coming 18 months. According to a release from the DSI, the four successful projects under the DSI-HAC are:
- University of Melbourne and Flame Security International: Gram-scale infra-red spectrometer concept for multi-analyte airborne chemical threat detection;
- Monash University, University of Melbourne: Wireless platform for stand-off detection of chemical hazards;
- University of Melbourne, Monash University, Ideation Product Solutions: Sensing platform for defence-relevant airborne chemical threats; and
- Monash University, CSIRO: Porous photonic micro cavities – enhanced in-field toxic chemical sensor.
At the outset of the award, Defence outlined that the research was critical to supporting Australia’s national security.
“Innovative advances in technology are crucial to boosting Defence’s contribution to national security in response to potential threats. This initiative highlights the value of collaborating with Australia’s industrial and academic sectors to support Defence and strengthen our sovereign knowledge base,” Dr David Kershaw, chief of the Science Engagement and Impact Division, Defence Science and Technology Group at the Department of Defence, said. (Source: Defence Connect)
06 Sep 21. Thales has begun the flight test campaign for the FlytX avionics suite. The latest generation FlytX avionics suite made its first test flight on board a Cabri helicopter this summer. The test campaign will continue until 2022 to test and optimise the suite’s functionality.
Adaptable to all segments of the helicopter market for both new programs (linefit) and retrofit projects, FlytX is available in a cockpit equipped with one to four screens. The Thales avionics suite has already been selected by Airbus Helicopters and the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) to equip the Guépard, the future light joint helicopter, as well as by VR-Technologies for the future single-turbine light helicopter, VRT500.
Thales pilots and engineers are capitalising on the flight tests of the single-screen version of FlytX in order to make short-loop adjustments to improve the performance and maturity of the system before its integration on these first customer programmes. The VRT500 flight tests scheduled for early 2022 will benefit from the progress made following these flights on Cabri.
The result of more than ten years of research, FlytX has been designed to improve the operational efficiency of the crew by reducing their workload and facilitating their understanding of the environment and the situation. It features a crew-centric design, is natively connected and cyber-secure, and promotes cooperation with other actors in the aviation ecosystem. It is compact and offers a 40% reduction in weight, size and energy consumption compared to current avionics suites.
07 Sep 21. Panasonic TOUGHBOOK and TriCIS today announced a strategic engineering partnership to deliver technology solutions designed to meet the needs of the UK Government and its Strategic Defence Review. The Government has committed to spending £188bn on Defence over the coming four years – an increase of £24bn or 14% – as an investment in its vision for the future role of its armed forces. Panasonic TOUGHBOOK has a long history of being the rugged mobile computing device of choice for defence and security forces in the UK and around the world. As a UK sovereign company, TriCIS has a track record in designing and modifying computing, networking and peripheral equipment, incorporating UK CFTCS, MIL Standards and NATO TEMPEST standards, to meet military and Her Majesty’s Government’s security requirements.
“The Government has said the armed forces will become more integrated across all domains, joining up people, equipment and information to increase effectiveness,” explained Peter Thomas, Public Sector Manager for Panasonic Mobile Solutions Business Division Europe. “This will mark a shift from mass mobilisation to a new force reacting with information age speed, readiness and relevance to confront the threats of the future. Our strategic engineering partnership with TriCIS will enable us to continue to develop rugged technology solutions in line with the UK Government’s objectives.”
Antony Summerfield, CEO at TriCIS added, “At TriCIS, our mission is to design, engineer and manufacture highly secure systems that support the security, independence and interests of the UK Government and MOD. We are incredibly proud of our innovative collaboration with Panasonic. Working together has allowed us to develop a custom Encryption solution for the new Toughbook that is future-focused and designed to protect the people and infrastructure working hard to defend the ever evolving, digital front line.”
Panasonic TOUGHBOOK and TriCIS will be exhibiting at DSEI 2021 in London from September 14th-17th at the Excel London.
06 Sep 21. Iceni Labs signs graphene technology MoU with 2D Materials. Iceni Labs is currently working on two cutting-edge, Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA)-funded programmes that aim to exploit the properties of graphene for the defence market. Iceni Labs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore’s 2D Materials (2DM) that will see the companies combine their respective expertise to develop and market high-technology graphene-based products for the defence, automotive and aerospace markets in Europe, North America and the Middle East. 2DM manufactures high-performance graphene as an industrial additive to enhance the properties of many industrial materials. Graphene is one atom thick layer of pure carbon in hexagonal arrangement which is one million times thinner than paper, 300 times stronger than steel and 97 percent transparent. In addition to being the strongest material ever measured, graphene offers extremely high best performances in toughness, weight, light transmittance and electrical conductivity. The MoU will explore the potential to use 2DM’s graphene as an industrial additive to enhance the properties of Iceni Labs-developed industrial products including microphones, weapons optics devices and coatings.
Iceni Labs is currently working on two cutting-edge, Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA)-funded programmes that aim to exploit the properties of graphene for the defence market. Under the first programme the company is developing the world’s smallest and most sensitive graphene microphones; under the second, the capabilities of graphene are being used to develop a game-changing day/night weapon sight that enables the sight to switch between day and thermal modes at the press of a button, with the form and function of current combat optical gunsights.
Alex Giles, Chief Commercial Officer, Iceni Labs, said: “Graphene is widely considered as one of the most promising materials discovered in the past decade, with superior mechanical properties, thermal and electrical conductivity – all of which makes graphene an excellent match for improving a range of applications for the defence, automotive and aerospace markets.
“We are extremely pleased to team with 2DM, a world-leader in this technology, to explore how we can advance our work bringing cutting-edge products to these markets.”
Dr Ricardo Oliveira, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, 2D Materials, said: “2DM has been achieving significant progress with our trials and commercial applications, we have obtained consistency in increased performance and mechanical properties that reflects what true Graphene is. We are confident that the development in Graphene Applications would be accelerated and optimized further with Iceni expertise in defence, automotive and aerospace industries.”
The MoU began in August 2021, with an initial period of 12 months.
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Oxley Group Ltd
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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