CTMA Project #: 142113
Problem: Recent advances in commercial cold spray technologies and processes have shown to be very effective at protecting parts from corrosion and repairing damaged parts. However, it is challenging to apply these coatings to parts of intricate or complex geometry such as gun barrels or engine cylinders.
Benefit: Cold spray allows for hard to remove components in a system to be repaired, rather than replaced, without concerns for their long-term structural integrity or strength. Lessons learned can be applied as a maintenance solution by both military and commercial organizations tasked to maintain complex metal parts in numerous applications. For the DOD, finding an effective and efficient process to repair damaged parts instead of replacing them will have significant impact on maintenance, sustainment, and readiness across all the Services.
Solution/Approach: The intent of this initiative is to develop the advanced manufacturing process and capability to apply a high temperature, wear resistant cold spray coating to the inner diameter of a large caliber cannon tube and machine that coating to blueprint geometry and specification. Combining current advanced manufacturing methods such as cold spray and waterjet technologies along with new materials, this initiative will assess possible replacements for chrome plated refractory barrel liners.
Impact on Warfighter:
- Provide wear-resistant coatings eliminating corrosion
- Reduce maintenance and sustainment costs
- Improve warfighter readiness and lethality
- Extend asset lifecycle
- Decrease environmental impact and waste
DOD Participation:
- U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) – Army Research Laboratory (ARL)
- U.S. Army CCDC Armaments Center – Benet Laboratories and Watervliet Arsenal
- U.S. Army Project Manager (PM) Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) and Self-Propelled Howitzer Systems (SPHS)
Industry Participation:
- Solvus Global
- VRC Metal Systems
- NCMS
Benefit Area(s):
- Cost savings
- Repair turn-around time
- Maintenance avoidance and reliability
- Obsolescence management and continued maintenance capability
- Positive environmental impact
- Safety
- Maintenance management improvement
- Improved readiness
- Durability
- Reliability improvement
Focus Area:
- Coatings and Corrosion Prevention
