US Marines Buying Flowformed Mortars

M224 firing
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Flowforming is an advanced cold forming process, used to manufacture dimensionally precise, seamless metal components in rounded shapes. The technology offers a number of advantages, including very high precision, the ability to use very thin walls or even variable thickness walls, refined grain structure and uniformly oriented texture that helps create higher yield and tensile strengths, and working with pre-hardened metals in ways that eliminate further grinding, machining, et. al. See flowforming animations.

On the materials side, Inconel 718 is a precipitation hardenable nickel-based steel alloy designed to display exceptionally high yield, tensile and creep-rupture properties at temperatures up to 1300°F. This alloy also has excellent weldability.

If you’re building mortar tubes that have to be light enough to carry, while containing and channeling the controlled explosions that send mortar bombs on their way, the attributes of flowforming and Inconel 718 make them an attractive combination. The US Marines certainly think so…

Contracts

M224 mortar
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Unless otherwise noted, all contracts are issued by the US Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA. The M224 is the 60mm Lightweight Company Mortar System, and LMS is the 81mm Lightweight Mortar System.

Jan 24/08: Dynamic Flowform Corp. in Billerica, MA received $20.2 million for delivery order #0002 under previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract M67854-08-D-1054, to purchase 60mm M224 and 81mm LMS mortars.

The firm will produce mortar cannon assemblies and spare components, using Inconel 718 alloy and flowforming technologies. Work will be performed in Billerica, MA, and is expected to be complete by February 2010.

Jan 10/08: Small business qualifier Dynamic Flowform Corp. in Billerica, MA received $71.5 million from The Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA, under previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract M67854-08-D-1054. Work will be performed in Billerica, MA and is expected to be complete by January 2009. This contract was set aside for small business and competitively procured.

The Marines are buying M224 60mm Lightweight Company Mortars System and 81mm Lightweight Mortar System cannon assemblies and spare components, which will be manufactured using Inconel 718 alloy and flowforming technologies. This contract provides for the production of both 60mm and 81mm mortars.