BY CHRISTOPHER RUHL, SR. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST, IPG
Image credit: Northrop Grumman
Not all filament tapes are created equal!
Most people look to filament tape for bundling pipes, extrusions, holding items on a pallet, or securing appliance components. It’s removed, discarded and not really considered.
Not in my world! Consider an application that is “mission critical” -- an application where if it doesn’t work properly, hundreds of millions of dollars go up in smoke in a matter of seconds! Or how about a component that is critical to the success of America’s future Space Force and national security?! IPG just developed that product for Northrop Grumman’s OmegA rocket, which is in development to support the Space Force’s National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. Together, we addressed supply chain challenges to help increase their productivity, resulting in significant savings that helped them meet production goals and free up money which could be used to solve other issues to meet their project timelines and maintain cost projections!
Northrop Grumman test fired the second stage of the OmegA rocket at its facility in Promontory, Utah, in February. Image credit: Northrop Grumman
As shown in picture above and the video below, the casings for the OmegA rocket from Space Force’s NSSL program are made from a series of round composite tubes.
IPG developed a filament tape that performed the important task of compacting the resins and fibers prior to the cure process to ensure no embedded air bubbles exist, which would be truly catastrophic. They use it and discard it, but I assure you, it was REALLY considered. We are all proud to be an important part of the future of our Space and Defense programs!
So if you need a bundling, holding or compression solution, feel confident that IPG has it, and like our space program, it’s Made in America!
Learn more about IPG's Aerospace Solutions, where regardless of the type of manufacturing or maintenance performed – fixed wing or rotary, commercial or military aircraft, component parts, space craft, missile or other aerospace systems – IPG has the right solution for you.
Learn more about IPG's Aerospace Solutions, where regardless of the type of manufacturing or maintenance performed – fixed wing or rotary, commercial or military aircraft, component parts, space craft, missile or other aerospace systems – IPG has the right solution for you.
Read the LinkedIn article from the program director at Northrop: The OmegA rocket marches toward National Security Space Launch
