07 July 2022

Aerobotix, ASA partner to develop hypersonic missile coating applications

by Oishee Majumdar

Terahertz or THz (pictured above) is a non-contact measurement tool that is used to analyse or inspect the thickness of paint or coat on an object. Aerobotix and ASA will use this tool to analyse the same of RX-2390 on hypersonic missiles. (Aerobotix)

Robotic coating integrators Automated Solutions Australia (ASA) and Alabama-based Aerobotix have partnered for the “development, testing, and manufacturing of hypersonic missile coating applications”, Josh Tuttle, Aerobotix business development manager, told Janes.

Tuttle told Janes that ASA and Aerobotix will collaborate to design the systems and will build them in the United States. ASA will then be trained to install the automated systems in Australia.

The training is expected to make ASA “fully self-sufficient in operating a system and maintaining it”, Tuttle said.

Aerobotix will co-ordinate with the US State Department “for approval of any technology transfer to ASA”, Tuttle added.

Aerobotix initially plans to share with ASA its “custom hardware configurations to spray RX-2390, a thermal protection system (TPS)” on hypersonic missiles, he said.

Aerobotix secured the distribution rights of Pennsylvania-based Minteq International Inc's Firex RX-2390 TPS coating for hypersonic flight hardware in March.

Aerobotix collaborated with Minteq – a subsidiary of Minerals Technologies Inc – to develop a Firex RX-2390 “recipe and a unique robotic paint dispensing system that is optimised for automation and heavy production”, Aerobotix said in a media release on 9 March.

Tuttle told Janes that Aerobotix will “also share proprietary robotic spray techniques” with ASA.

“ASA and Aerobotix are in preliminary talks with Australian defence manufacturers to conduct testing and create system design concepts,” Tuttle told Janes.

Robotic coating integrators Automated Solutions Australia (ASA) and Alabama-based Aerobotix have par...

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