U.S. Army TACOM chooses KVH TACNAV navigation systems for combat vehicles

U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Command (TACOM) personnel in Warren, Mich., needed a navigation system for Army combat vehicles, for which they turned to KVH Industries Inc. in Middletown, R.I.

KVH has received a sole-source contract, potentially worth $11.5 million over five years, for the purchase of its TACNAV military vehicle navigation systems.

TACNAV delivers precise navigation, heading, and pointing data to vehicle drivers, crews, and commanders in various military environments. The system also provides vehicle navigation, integration with digital battlefield management systems, and accurate stabilization and pointing.

TACNAV can also link vehicles to the digital battlefield, supporting the U.S. Department of Defense’s network-centric vision, making each unit a node in a secure military network, and aiding in the secure and timely transport of tactical data to individual units and military commanders.

TACNAV systems are in use on U.S. and allied vehicles-such as those of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Navy, as well as Canada, Sweden, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Switzerland, and Italy-in ongoing operations in Iraq and elsewhere.

More information about KVH Industries is available online at www.kvh.com.

http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/289170/32/ARTCL/none/none/US-Army-TACOM-chooses-KVH-TACNAV-navigation-systems-for-combat-vehicles/

Thermotron unveils 8000-force-pound vibration test system

Thermotron Industries in Holland, Mich., is introducing its 8000-force-pound electrodynamic vibration system, the DSX-8000. This shaker features a lightweight 16-inch-diameter magnesium armature able to produce acceleration levels as strong as 120 g. Rated at 8,000 lbf for sine and random tests, the DSX-8000 also features shock performance for low-frequency, high-displacement tests. Thermotron’s centering system with optical sensors ensures that the armature remains centered during travel. The system offers vibration test solutions for a wide range of applications, including automotive squeak and rattle testing, military transportation testing, avionics/aerospace vibration test requirements, and stress screening applications. It is air cooled and compatible with environmental test chambers. The DSX-8000 is able to support payloads up to 1000 pounds and offers velocity as fast as 120 ips. The DSX-8000 is controlled by Thermotron’s VCS-3200 Vibration Control System. Updated for Windows XP, VCS-3200 software is available for accurate sine, random, shock, resonant search and dwell, real data acquisition and playback (RDAP), random-on-random and sine-on-random capabilities. The software runs off Thermotron’s VCS-3200 Vibration Control System platform. The VCS-3200 features over 85 dB of dynamic range, a selectable resolution up to 3,200 lines and a user-selectable frequency range up to 3,000 Hz. For more information contact Thermotron online at www.thermotron.com/vibration.

http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/289163/32/ARTCL/none/none/Thermotron-unveils-8000-force-pound-vibration-test-system/