SBIR Phase II: Innovative Snap Joining of Composite Structures

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将开发用于复合材料的弹簧锁设计概念，这是一种新颖的可申请专利的连接和组装技术。 在第一阶段建造了两个弹簧锁连接进行测试，由此发现应用于弹簧锁和轻型锥形输电杆在技术和经济方面都是可行的。第二阶段将设计，建造和测试一个75英尺的输电杆原型，使用两个积木型材的脉冲。 通过执行二次切割、机加工和组装，可以获得任何所需长度的锥形梁（或管），这些操作是可以自动化的。 潜在的商业应用主要体现在价值50亿美元的国际输电杆市场。 其他应用预计在公路标志桥梁，联运集装箱，住房，和倾转旋翼飞机。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop snaplock design concepts for composite materials, which is a novel and patentable joining and assembly technology. Two snaplock connections were built in Phase I for testing, whereby application to a snaplocked and lightweight, tapered transmission pole was found feasible in both technical and economic terms. Phase II will design, build, and test a prototype 75-foot transmission pole, using pultrusion of two building-block profiles. A tapered beam (or tube) of any desired length is obtained by performing secondary cutting, machining, and assembly, which are operations that can be automated. Potential commercial applications are seen chiefly in the $5 billion international market for electric power transmission poles. Additional applications are expected in highway sign bridges, intermodal shipping containers, housing, and tiltrotor aircraft.