{"id":823,"date":"2023-11-23T01:50:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T01:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=823"},"modified":"2023-11-23T01:50:20","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T01:50:20","slug":"repurposed-technology-could-help-protect-soldiers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=823","title":{"rendered":"Repurposed Technology Could Help Protect Soldiers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Aeriel Storey<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Army engineers use inkjet printers to replicate explosives samples for testing, training\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. \u2014 An unlikely fusion of ink, ingenuity and integrated teamwork is applying an existing technology to the challenge of sampling and detecting explosives.<\/p>\n

At the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center, a team of engineers have adapted inkjet printing technology to deposit trace amounts of explosive materials onto surfaces that can be used to test sampling and detection methods.<\/p>\n

Since 2010, DEVCOM CBC\u2019s electronics engineers, Raphael Moon and Norman Green, have been working on developing the unique capability by using a commercial off-the-shelf printer that deposits explosive materials on a multitude of surfaces accurately, evenly, and reproducibly.<\/p>\n

Their idea to replace the printer\u2019s original ink with explosive materials came from an earlier program that required the use of commercial inkjet printers to replicate detonation patterns. To bring that concept into fruition, a multidisciplinary team consisting of Kevin Hung, Erik Roese, Ashish Tripathi, Erik Emmons and Dr. Jason Guicheteau was established.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe had to test for about a year before we felt very comfortable trying to print explosives and chemicals correctly,\u201d Moon said of the development process. \u201cThe idea of replacing the material in an ink cartridge is simple, but the properties of the chemicals need to be considered for it to work. The ink must have the right viscosity, surface tension and a suitable solvent that maintains the consistency of the ink throughout the printing process that does not damage the printer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Precision and accuracy have always been at the forefront of the development process for the system to produce reliable results, allowing for control and accuracy within a microgram. To achieve these results, the team created and tested various ink solutions and engineering options. \u201cWe\u2019re really lucky because we\u2019re in an organization where multiple disciplines are all in one building,\u201d said Hung, a software engineer at DEVCOM CBC. \u201cWe were able to leverage everybody\u2019s knowledge and experience to contribute to the inkjet project. It was really a team effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since its inception, the program has demonstrated that the inkjet printer can duplicate samples with high precision, accuracy, scalability, and flexibility for a wide array of various use cases.<\/p>\n

One program that the inkjet printer has been applied to includes the NATO Research Task Group. The program uses trace amounts of explosives to create test and evaluation standards. The program has allowed the team to display the inkjet printer\u2019s ability to print on realistic substrates that would accurately reflect trace detection of explosives in the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are printing on substrates that replicate materials normally found among debris from detonated devices including car parts, pieces of walls, ceilings, and floors,\u201d said Roese, CBC\u2019s electrical engineer on the project. To print such precise solutions onto objects that vary in size, shape, and curvature is groundbreaking for modern-day printing, and creates a pathway for future developments of systems alike.<\/p>\n