US Army Awards Third Wave $500K to Develop CAE Technologies

By DE Editors

The Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) of the US Army has awarded Third Wave Systems  an approximately $500,000 contract to continue efforts to model machining, laser peening, and forming effects on final part stresses and distortions. The twelve-month initiative will focus on developing modeling capabilities for a variety of machining effects, including clamping, fixturing, and toolpath dependencies.

Metal Improvement Company will serve as a collaborator on the project,  providing expertise on laser peening and forming mechanics that produce engineered stresses. This is the second project at Third Wave to be funded by the AATD with a focus on residual stress and distortion prediction and management.

In the past twelve months, Third Wave developers have made advances in connecting material responses during machining with residual stresses and subsequent distortions, prompting AATD staff to award the company its second contract in as many years, the company said. Engineers will now turn their attention from fundamental physics research to applied engineering activities.

“We’re excited to gain continued program support from the Army AATD to address the important challenge of predicting and managing residual stresses and part distortions in machined aerospace components,” said Troy Marusich, CTO at Third Wave, who will be serving as principal investigator for the Army program. “The culmination of this project results in a unique, comprehensive modeling tool impacting machined and laser peened components.”

Project activities are expected to commence by the end of 2012.

For more information, visit Third Wave Systems.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.