SBIR-STTR Award

Current TD-1A/B chain tiedowns are heavy and physically demanding for Navy personnel to handle. But, any replacement requires high strength and extreme robustness to UV radiation, salt water, corrosion, solvents, oils, extreme temperatures, abrasion, and droppage, making weight optimization challenging. Significant research has been devoted to using synthetic materials instead of chain to reduce weight. However, environmental testing for flight deck operations includes water immersion and freezing conditions that can greatly effect both polymer lifetime and flexibility related to positive tensioning. The use of chain sidesteps many of these performance barriers, and the TD-1A/B is accepted and proven under conditions including near-darkness and freezing rain through extensive in-service testing. Therefore, Templeman Automation LLC. (TA) proposes a new approach for lightweight chain tiedowns using innovative weight-reduction design practices. The critical advantage of TA's LiteLinx 0x9D approach is that the resulting chain system will function with existing TD-1A/B tensioners, and LiteLinx tensioners will work identically to current tensioners with current, in-service chains. While only the combination of LiteLinx chains and tensioners will meet the target weight of 6 lbs, the interoperability achieved will be critical for Navy adoption of the new technology as TD-1A/B hardware is gradually replaced through natural attrition.

Benefit:
The proposed technology, when implemented, will allow a significant enhancement in reduced-weight aircraft tiedown hardware technology. In addition to this stated Navy shipboard application, LiteLinx can find a market in the commercial freight market, especially air cargo, where even modest weight reduction directly translates to significant fuel savings. Further commercial markets such as tiedowns for refinery and chemical plants, rock climbing, and rigging may develop as additional markets for the resultant technologies. In applications that require rugged and manufacturable lightweight tiedowns, Templeman Automations (TAs) LiteLinx technology can find a significant market.

Keywords:
weight-optimized, weight-optimized, TD-1A/B, Aircraft tiedown, Aluminum, tensioner, lightweight materials, chain, LiteLinx

Current TD-1A/B chain tiedowns are heavy and physically demanding for Navy personnel to handle. But, any replacement requires high strength and extreme robustness to UV radiation, salt water, corrosion, solvents, oils, extreme temperatures, abrasion, and droppage, making weight optimization challenging. Significant research has been devoted to using synthetic materials instead of chain to reduce weight. However, environmental testing for flight deck operations includes water immersion and freezing conditions that can greatly effect both polymer lifetime and flexibility related to positive tensioning. The use of chain sidesteps many of these performance barriers, and the TD-1A/B is accepted and proven under conditions including near-darkness and freezing rain through extensive in-service testing. Therefore, Templeman Automation LLC. (TA) proposes a new approach for lightweight chain tiedowns using innovative weight-reduction design practices. The critical advantage of TA's LiteLinx 0x9D approach is that the resulting chain system will function with existing TD-1A/B tensioners, and LiteLinx tensioners will work identically to current tensioners with current, in-service chains. While only the combination of LiteLinx chains and tensioners will meet the target weight of 6 lbs, the interoperability achieved will be critical for Navy adoption of the new technology as TD-1A/B hardware is gradually replaced through natural attrition.

Benefit:
The proposed technology, when implemented, will allow a significant enhancement in reduced-weight aircraft tiedown hardware technology. In addition to this stated Navy shipboard application, LiteLinx can find a market in the commercial freight market, especially air cargo, where even modest weight reduction directly translates to significant fuel savings. Further commercial markets such as tiedowns for refinery and chemical plants, rock climbing, and rigging may develop as additional markets for the resultant technologies. In applications that require rugged and manufacturable lightweight tiedowns, Templeman Automations (TAs) LiteLinx technology can find a significant market.

Keywords:
LiteLinx, tensioner, TD-1A/B, lightweight materials, Aluminum, weight-optimized, Aircraft tiedown, chain