The Department of Defense maintains specific engineering and prototyping requirements for its ammunition and weapon systems, air force ground support equipment and infrastructure, tactical ground vehicle solutions, naval systems, and other equipment. Meeting these unique design needs require experts capable of building complex designs or prototypes within tight schedules, deadlines, and budgets.

A not-for-profit research and development professional services company, Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC), offers engineering and prototyping services across a broad range of defense and industrial applications. It recommends the best material, manufacturing, and testing solutions for clients to scale their production based on the prototype. Considering factors such as manufacturing process, scalability, cost analysis, logistics, and quality, CTC develops designs that can be easily transitioned and manufactured in a full-rate production environment. Through modeling and simulation, laboratory testing, prototyping, and full-scale testing, CTC efficiently develops effective solutions on tight timelines.

“Our expertise in materials and advanced manufacturing technologies allow us to meet client requirements in novel ways,” says Lori Denault, CTC project manager and mechanical engineer.

Leveraging its design and manufacturing experience, CTC considers materials, manufacturing processes, and quality aspects in the early design process to ensure high-performance, quality, safe, and affordable solutions. It routinely uses a combination of advanced manufacturing technologies, including additive manufacturing (AM), friction stir welding (FSW), cold spray, metal injection molding, and traditional manufacturing processes, to provide comprehensive solutions for tactical vehicles, air force assets, ammunition, weapons, and naval systems. These full-spectrum design and prototyping capabilities facilitate accelerated technology transition for clients.

CTC takes a holistic approach, starting with accurately defining requirements and expectations; moving to detailed designing, prototyping, and scaling up; and finally, to fielding and disposition. By examining the entire product lifecycle, it ensures the solutions efficiently scale from low-maturity concepts to full-scale production while meeting cost goals.

To support product evolution from concept to manufacturing, CTC employs an experienced team of engineers to build computer-based engineering models and perform realistic simulations. These analyses can identify issues and opportunities early in the project, reduce development time and iterations, and minimize technical risk to ensure efficient and cost-effective solutions that yield a good return on investment.

In one instance, CTC supported the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Future Force Energy & Power office by designing, developing, testing, and evaluating advanced prototypes to modernize and enhance the mission range of future ground support equipment and vehicles. The prototype examples included the hybridization of legacy diesel-powered ground support equipment and vehicles and the development of advanced power and lighting systems and battery-powered flight line generators and light carts. These were incorporated with advanced lithium-ion batteries, silicon carbide power converters, power electronics and thermal management equipment, and high-efficiency LEDs.

After completing a suite of validation testing, the prototypes were sent to an Air Force Test Wing for demonstration. The Air Force personnel analyzed the prototypes and provided feedback. This opened opportunities for potential features, capabilities, and airmen safety for next-generation flight line equipment, resulting in a lighter, more efficient, and more flexible power fleet. CTC also explored opportunities to improve system efficiency with advanced technologies, enable multi-capable equipment, strengthen posture for an electric future, and enhance airmen’s work conditions.

In another recent success story, CTC helped an Army client who required a lightweight, small-caliber cartridge case. To adapt to the small caliber cartridge case manufacturing, it connected advanced manufacturing techniques from adjacent industry areas with advanced modeling and simulation. This solution met the weight savings and drop-in functionality requirements, ensuring reduced fuel and transportation costs from cartridge weight savings. The CTC design also facilitated firing range cleanup due to the cases being magnetic. Created using metal injection molding, this single-piece, high-strength metallic cartridge case is stronger, stiffer, and lighter than traditional brass. The shell case design was so innovative and unique that it was awarded a patent. These cases are reloadable for consumers and competitive shooting as well.
“We have driven many similar successes and achievements by conducting design reviews with clients and inviting stakeholders and users to provide feedback to ensure varying perspectives,” says Denault.

CTC takes pride in developing meaningful relationships with clients and fully understanding their requirements to support their mission.

“We believe nobody understands real-world requirements better than end users, especially in the defense space, and encourage stakeholder participation in the design, test, and evaluation phases,” says Shawn Rhodes, CTC mechanical engineer. “We pay attention to their perspectives and incorporate their inputs into the solution.”

Our expertise in materials and advanced manufacturing technologies allow us to meet client requirements in novel ways

This outreach approach has proven valuable for CTC as it creates a sense of ownership in clients. End users appreciate that their feedback from prototype field-testing is incorporated in the final product.

CTC values its employees and provides an environment where technical experts, program managers, and business staff collaborate to provide robust, cost-effective solutions for clients. CTC’s engineers, scientific experts, technicians, and program managers have in-depth experience in materials, design, analysis, rapid prototyping, testing, and manufacturing. Many of the company’s team members are retired military personnel and reservists, who contribute unique expertise.

CTC has supported DoD clients for more than three decades, providing innovative yet effective techniques and a design-to-production holistic approach. Remarkably, the National Armaments Consortium (NAC) and the DoD Ordnance Technology Consortium have recognized CTC for outstanding technical achievement in its groundbreaking engineering, manufacturing, and production processes.

CTC continues to employ a customer-focused approach as it grows to ensure its capabilities, staff, and investments are aligned with client missions. It strives to develop advanced systems and manufacturing technologies in its 400,000 square feet site in Pennsylvania with small-caliber ammunition prototyping labs, large-scale electro-mechanical system prototyping areas, and research and development facilities.