Summary

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Summary=

Gichner = Shelter Systems Team Goldfinger: Doug Lee, Robert O'Connor, Matthew Thompson, Shawn Varchetti

This website contai= ns a brief summary of the Gichner Shelter System assignment that was conducted= as part of a Pennsylvania State University Senior Design Project in the Mechanical Engineering Department. The mission was to determine the most practical method to perform attachment of thin aluminum skins without deteriorating the ASTM E1730 Type 1 foam core or the layer of ASTM E1800 adhesive epoxy and to reduce thermal buckling. ASTM 6061-T6 and ASTM 5052-H36 aluminum were the core testing materials that were evaluated.&nb= sp; These aluminum skins are used in the production of ISO shelters primarily used by the US Military. However, Gichner Shelter Systems would lik= e a fully welded option to reach the European market. The proposed technical approach will be Structural Adhesive Bonding. Goldfinger<= /span> feels that this method will be just as strong and versatile as welding wo= uld be, while keeping EMI leakage to a minimum. Adhesive bonding also avoids any possibility of panel blow through, thermal buckling, and foam degradation which can occur with any welding process. Researching various methods of attaching thin aluminum sandwich material, without foam degradation was conducted by consulting a multitude of resources. After determining= the appropriate parameters, testing and evaluation of performance were assessed. An economic feasibility study was then conducted in order= to establish the preeminent direction for Gichner Shelter Systems. Upon completion of the project, a final report, web page and final poster will= be presented to Gichner Shelter Systems and The Pennsylvania State University Mechanical Engineering Department showing the results. =

Key Problems:
1.) Deterioration of ASTM E1730 Type 1 foam core and ASTM E1800 adhesive epoxy.
2.) Thermal buckling of aluminum alloy skins.
3.) Inconsistent weld.

= Proposed Method

Structural Adhesive Bonding

Adhesive bonding offers the opportunity to replace welding of steel structures, to reduce distortion, effectively eliminate residual stress and to improve fatigue performance when compared to wel= ded connections. Avoidance of hot-work leads to safer construction in hazar= dous environments. Adhesive bonding of composites provides well-distributed loading and maximizes the utilization of the adhered material.

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Representation of a Struct= ural Adhesive Application Process. Courtesy of

www.eng.gla.ac.uk/marine/adhes.htm

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Click Here For The Full Report

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Decision Matrix

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Note: Click on the indivi= dual concepts to view a description and analysis about each

Selecti= on Criteria	Concepts
&n= bsp; Pulsed MIG	&n= bsp; Laser	&n= bsp; Self Piercing Rivets &n= bsp;	&n= bsp; Adhesive	&n= bsp; Ultra-Sonic
Initial Costs Annual Cost Cost of Shelters* Maintenance Tools Facilities Training Automation ** Speed	2	5	3	1	4
2	2	5	1	2
3	1	4	5	1
2	3	4	1	4
1	3	5	2	4
3	4	1	1	5
4	3	1	1	5
#	#	#	NA	#
3	1	5	1	4
Sum =	20	22	28	13	29
Adj. Score Rank = Con= tinue?	15	17	23	13	24
2	3	4	1	5
Possibl= e	Possibl= e	Doubtfu= l	Yes	No

Note:

&n= bsp; * Per 10,000 shelters

&n= bsp; ** # sign denotes five point adjustment to score

Lowest score is best=

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Extra Information

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Yahoo Briefcase – http://briefcase.yaho= o.com/projectcobrapsu

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