FLEXURE FACTS

Solved Application Story # 32

MILITARY SURVEILLANCE - Night Vision

THE CHALLENGE

During the Gulf War, a TV battlefield interview was conducted with an M-1 tank in the background. The tank was making such a lot of noise that the interview was compromised. The source of all this noise was a night vision system externally mounted to the tank. The manufacturer of this system was about to lose its contract because of the noise and related inefficiency. Within the system, an armature suspended by two wire wound compression springs comprise the moving parts. Basically a linear motor is created that operates in resonance. The end function of this resonance (linear motor) is that of a pump supporting an infra-red, optical scanner.

The noise was traced to the wire wound spring. The touching coils made noise and consumed some of the potential efficiency of the pump. Could a machined spring positively influence both of these issues? 

THE SOLUTION

After serious review and analysis by Helical and the customer's engineers, the decision to attempt a Double Start (DS), high strength steel HELI-CAL^® Flexure was decided upon. From the first test, the application for this concept proved successful. By nature, the end coil of a machined spring does not contact or wind into adjoining coils; hence, no contact and no noise. Furthermore, no contact and increase efficiency. The resulting system was better than it had ever been. The company's contracts were saved and potential layoffs avoided. 

THE ANSWER

HELI-CAL Flexure "Machined" Spring # DS2412