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TTank-automotive & AArmaments COMCOMmand
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
JOCG Continuous Mixer and Extruder User’s Group Conference29-31 October, 2002
Processing M206 Infrared Decoy Flare Composition Through a Twin Screw Mixer/Extruder
Timothy E. DawagWarheads, Energetics and Combat-support Center
Armament Systems Process Division
US Army TACOM-ARDECPicatinny Arsenal, New Jersey 07806-5000
Committed to Excellence
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
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Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
Outline
Program Objectives
Background
The Method
Twin Screw Extruder Facility
Continuing Efforts
Acknowledgements
Committed to Excellence
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
Program Objectives
Baseline a continuous manufacturing process for M206 IR Decoy Flare
composition which is transferable to production-scale facilities
Produce material to press and load into casings for
flight testing
Committed to Excellence
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
Background –M206 Decoy Flare
Environmental Concerns– Large amounts of organic solvents utilized (hexane and acetone)– Large quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released to the atmosphere
Current manufacturing method is a Batch operation
Personnel Concerns– Extensive operator exposure to hazardous materials and operations– Decanting bulk quantities of flare composition– Drying composition in large walk-in ovens with solvent vapors
Committed to Excellence
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CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
Background –TSE Processing
Environmental Benefits– Eliminate hexane, which reduces total quantity of solvents– Decrease amount of acetone– Incorporate solvent recovery system
Enhance Safety– Reduce operator exposure to hazardous materials/operations– Minimize transportation of “static sensitive” intermediate products
Eliminate Incidents– Several incidents have occurred over the past 5-years, many involving fatalities
Committed to Excellence
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Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
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Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
Background –The Method
Raw Material Characterization
Inert Simulant Identification
Rheological Study
Mathematical Modeling
Inert Processing
Modeling Validation/Update
Live Processing
Product Analysis
Committed to Excellence
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
TSE Facility
Twin Screw Extruder– 40-mm Baker Perkins– Clam shell design– Double end bearing with side discharge
Loss-in-weight feeders– Solid/Liquid/Viscous
Solvent recovery systemIn-line granulatorProduct conveyorsVibratory dryer
Committed to Excellence
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
TSE Facility Upgrades
Kemutec – Cone Mill– Replacement for Prater granulator– Increased functionality– Particle size consistency– Improves safety standards
Autokinetics – Conveyor System– 3 Conveyors with variable speed drive
Committed to Excellence
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
TSE Facility Upgrades
Carrier - Vibratory Dryer– Single/Double pass – Non-contact steam– Product conveyors from bottom of unit to the top– Drying capability of product with up to solvent level of 20% by weight
FlexKleen - Dust Collector– Bag house dust collector– Captures residual particles from dryer
Committed to Excellence
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
TSE Facility Upgrades
Committed to Excellence
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
TSE Processing
Inert Processing– Define process conditions
• Feed rates• Screw speed• Barrel/Die temperatures• Solvent recovery/vacuum level• Granulation
Mathematical Simulation Model– Verify model with inert processing
• Solvent Level• Temperature/pressure readings
– Modify screw configuration– Update processing conditions and verify changes
Committed to Excellence
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
TSE ProcessingTransition to Live Processing
– Conducted 3 live formulations runs to date– Transition successful
• Little variation in process conditions • Safely
Product Analysis/Testing– Testing by Picatinny Arsenal Pyrotechnic Division
• Pressed and finished flare grains• Tested for ignition time, burn time and IR intensity spectrum
– Side by side comparison of batch and TSE manufactured material• Both met the performance requirements of military specification• Batch
– More statistically variant– Intensity levels higher than TSE
• Twin Screw Extruder– Statistically consistent values of intensity and ignition times– Longer burn time than batch– Slower rise times than batch– Inconsistencies attributed to particle size of composition prior to pressing
Committed to Excellence
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
Continuing Efforts
Live Processing– Manufacture 75-pounds of M206 flare composition for pressing
Product testing– Test composition at Picatinny Arsenal to assure product quality– Verify particle size distribution of composition attributed to
inconsistencies observed between batch and TSE processing
Product Finishing– Ship granulated material to Kilgore Flare Company for pressing
and finishing– Kilgore Flare Company conducts onsite performance testing
Flight Performance Testing– Finished grains shipped to US Air Force at Point Magu for
flight testing
Committed to Excellence
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
LeadershipTeaming
CommunicationEmployee Support
Strategic ThinkingOrganizational Climate
Acknowledgements
Stevens Institute of Technology
Highly Filled Materials Institute
– Material characterization
– Rheology
– Mathematical modeling
Technical Consultants, Inc. (TCI)
– TSE processing expertise
Kilgore Flares Company
–Press and finish grains
TACOM-ARDEC, Picatinny Arsenal
– R&D and testing
– Pilot scale processing
U.S. Army ManTech Manager
– Army Funding
U.S. Air Force at Point Magu
– Flight testing
U.S. Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB
– Leveraged ManTech Funding