Smart Tooling for Manufacturing Composites

Completed TRL 6 (started at 4, targeting 6)

Description

CRG's shape memory polymer (SMP) tooling technologies, Smart Tooling, offer cutting-edge manufacturing solutions that can meet the construction needs of all future composite platforms and systems. Development and implementation of Smart Tooling, Smart Mandrels and SMP Bladders, offers end users significant opportunities to save direct expense for tooling cost and manufacturing labor to fabricate complex geometry and trapped composites. CRG's concept for a high temperature mandrel product is to leverage a proven Smart Mandrel process and replace the current material system with a novel SMP capable of remaining rigid at the 350 F laminate cure temperatures then softening following cure for extraction.

Benefits

Applications of Smart Tooling to non-NASA applications includes primary aerospace structures, automotive components and body panels, structural architecture applications, wind energy, and others. CRG has had success selling the Smart Tooling product line to these industries as demonstrated by a total of 20 million dollars in sales over the last 4 years.

CRG has identified multiple composite applications that stand to benefit from integration of Smart Tooling into the fabrication process. These composites include stringer stiffened skins, composite fairings, ducts, and tanks. In addition to these applications the demonstration of a high temperature Smart Mandrel product will result in the products applicability to large dry structures such as the Ares main body.

Details

Technology area	Materials, Structures, Mechanical Systems, and Manufacturing > Manufacturing > Digital Transformation Technologies for Manufacturing
Program	Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer (SBIR/STTR)
Lead organization	Cornerstone Research Group, Inc., Miamisburg, OH
Start date	2011-06-01
End date	2015-03-30

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

Trevor A Grondin — trevor.a.grondin@nasa.gov
Michael D Rauscher

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.