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Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Motors Decrease Aerospace & Defense Development Time

Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Motors Decrease Aerospace & Defense Development Time

Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Motors Decrease Aerospace & Defense Development Time

Product catalog summary
Introduction
Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products are standard commercial items readily available for use, often utilized in aerospace and defense (A&D) projects to meet stringent specifications. These products can be modified to operate in extreme environments, reducing development time compared to designing from scratch.

COTS vs. Custom Design
Using COTS products as a base design can significantly compress project cycle time. In contrast, a design-from-scratch approach involves extensive development of production-ready drawings and tooling, which is time-consuming and costly.

Specification Challenges
COTS motors can meet many military specifications with minimal modifications. Key challenges include:
  • Shock and Vibration: Motors must withstand high axial and radial forces, often addressed by upgrading bearing systems and feedback elements.
  • Temperature Extremes: Motors must operate across wide temperature ranges, requiring adjustments in lubrication and materials.
  • Vacuum Conditions: Motors in high altitude or space environments need modifications to handle heat dissipation and outgassing issues.


Advantages of COTS Solutions
COTS solutions offer several benefits:
  • Competitive Pricing: Readily available with short lead times.
  • Experienced Manufacturers: Manufacturers offer reliable solutions and customization for environmental demands.
  • Reduced Development Time: Quick prototyping allows focus on critical specifications, reducing design cycle time.
  • Latest Technology: Access to current advances in materials and manufacturing processes.


Conclusion
The COTS approach is effective for A&D applications when suppliers are committed to customization and collaboration. This method accelerates program development by allowing modifications for extreme environments without compromising innovation or speed to market.
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Catalog excerpts

Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Motors Decrease Aerospace & Defense Development Time-1

WHITE PAPER COMMERCIAL-OFF-THE-SHELF MOTORS DECREASE AEROSPACE & DEFENSE DEVELOPMENT TIME "Commercial Off-The-Shelf” (COTS) refers to standard commercial or industry grade products readily available for use – typically off the shelf. Most projects in the aerospace and defense (A&D) market require stringent specifications to develop a robust and durable product capable of operation in extreme environments. COTS products can be modified with appropriate materials or components to meet demanding conditions and significantly reduce product development time. A COTS motor solution in an A&D application is usually just a starting point to create a quick, initial prototype to validate a proof of concept. The design will then include several iterations of motor or drive modifications and extensive testing of validation for use. Military specifications include numerous requirements related to environmental conditions and pose critical manufacturing WHITE PAPER | Page 1 of 4 needs tied to ISO and quality system mandates. Even when considering these common challenges, the project cycle time can still be compressed using a COTS motor product as the base design. An alternative to a COTS product is a design-from-scratch approach in which a defense company contracts with a motor manufacturer to design and develop a product to meet the desired specification. This method may take significantly more time to complete and at a substantial cost over a COTS approach. Additionally, it may also be challenging to find a manufacturer with the necessary motor design and A&D-related applications' experience. A design from scratch approach includes the development of production-ready drawings and the creation of tooling and process documentation for manufacturing. ©2022 Portescap. All rights reserve

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Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Motors Decrease Aerospace & Defense Development Time-2

Final Design Lock Modified COTS Approval Final Evaluation COTS Approach Cost - $$$ Design Iterations to Meet Spec Final Evaluation Focused Test Customization Performance Gap Assessment Performance Gap Assessment Initial Motor Selection Custom Motor Approval COTS Ordered and Delivered Program Review Motor Requirements Motor Concept and Definition Custom Motor Design/Tooling Design Custom Motor Parts/Tooling Delivery – Prototype Run Design-from-Scratch Approach Cost - $$$$$ Overall Development Time Documentation and tooling are already established in the off-the-shelf design. The tooling associated...

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Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Motors Decrease Aerospace & Defense Development Time-3

Standard motors can be modified to accommodate these variations, such as the adjustment of lubrication in bearings to meet the low or high temperature requirements, or the modification of the winding and insulation system materials to handle temperature extremes. Various challenges need to be addressed in vacuum conditions. High altitude aircraft and space vehicles experience very low pressure and vacuum environments that affect the ability of the motor to dissipate heat. Nano satellite solar panel positioning actuators must function and be reliable as the satellite reaches its orbital altitude...

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Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Motors Decrease Aerospace & Defense Development Time-4

CONCLUSION The COTS approach to develop a solution for A&D applications is only possible with a cooperative and collaborative supplier strongly committed to support specific requirements. The optimal solution is created when design engineers engage with their motion solution provider early in the ideation process. Of particular importance to use COTS is the manufacturers’ ability to customize standard product for prototypes in small batches, which may be an iterative process with several steps before a final design is accepted. Many A&D applications require a commitment to product availability...

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