SBIR Phase I: A Flexible and Efficient Manufacturing System for Radio Antenna Reflectors

这个(小型企业创新研究)SBIR第一阶段项目的更广泛影响包括实现广泛的负担得起的卫星通信。今天，轨道上大约有2000颗卫星，地球上没有足够的天线来与所有这些卫星通信。预计在未来几年内，卫星数量将增加到1.6万颗。目前的制造工艺速度太慢，成本也太高，无法满足这种快速增长。卫星通信的碟子是由金属板制成的，必须弯曲成碗形。在过去，成型过程是通过弯曲、冲压或复合工艺完成的，这些工艺成本很高。菜肴设计师一直被限制在批量生产的少数几个曲线形状上。该项目将开发一种商业制造工艺，以快速成形卫星通信天线的定制曲面。该项目将开发一种快速、灵活的工艺，以定制新的形状，使更高的数据速率能够扩大接入。这个SBIR一期项目将结合感应加热和可调模具技术，将平板金属板材成形成精密的复合曲线板。感应线圈使用高频和高功率电流来产生强磁场。这个磁场在工件上感应涡流，加热它，使它能够被压制成可适应的模具。可重新配置的模具可以快速改变其形状以形成抛物线或其他自由形状的不同部分。使用可调模具可节省为每个独特的反射器段加工高精度模具的成本。可调模具还允许轻松修正回弹、模具磨损和其他误差，以实现比其他大批量生产工艺更高的形状精度。低模具成本使这项技术能够经济地生产任何批次的产品。该项目将模拟和测试感应加热和成形过程，最终设计一个生产曲面板材的工作站。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this (Small Business Innovation Research) SBIR Phase I project includes enabling widespread affordable satellite communication. Today there are approximately 2,000 satellites in orbit and there are not enough dishes on earth to communicate with all of them. The number of satellites is anticipated to grow to 16,000 in the next few years. Current manufacturing processes are too slow and expensive to meet this rapid growth. Dishes for satellite communication are made of metal sheets that must be curved into a bowl shape. In the past, that shaping process has been done by flexing, stamping, or composite processes that are expensive. Dish designers have been limited to the few curved shapes that are mass produced. This project will develop a commercial fabrication process to quickly shape customized curved panels for satellite communication antennas.This project will develop a fast, flexible process to customize new shapes enabling higher data rates to expand access. This SBIR Phase I project will combine induction heating and adjustable mold technologies to shape flat metal sheets into precise compound curved panels. An induction coil uses high frequency and high power electric currents to create a strong magnetic field. This magnetic field induces eddy currents in the workpiece, heating it and enabling it to be pressed into an adaptable mold. The reconfigurable mold can quickly change its shape to form different sections of a parabola or other freeform shape. Using an adjustable mold saves the cost of machining a high precision mold for each unique reflector segment. The adjustable mold also allows for easy correction of springback, mold wear, and other errors to achieve higher shape accuracy than other mass production processes. The low tooling cost allows this technology to economically produce any batch size. The project will model and test induction heating and forming processes, ultimately designing a workstation to produce curved panels.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.