TYR Tactical

Going Green: Eco-friendly Plastic to Replace Soldier’s Supplies in Battle

March 14th, 2020

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — Advanced 3D printing from recycled plastic is an eco-friendly way to strengthen operational readiness, curb supply chain reliance, and improve troop safety, says a top Army scientist — with testing and evaluations on a mobile lab set for next year.

In a collaborative effort with the U.S. Marines, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory has explored new, resourceful ways to salvage plastic waste to integrate with 3D printers, said Dr. Nikki Zander, ARL research chemist.

“We have the [20 ft.] container at Marine Corps Base Quantico,” Zander said. “We’ve got all the extrusion equipment installed. We’re hoping by the end of this calendar year we’ll be able to do a demonstration of the capabilities there.”

The containers include the tools and equipment needed to fabricate 3D items from recycled materials, Zander said. Although the printing capabilities exist, ARL researchers plan to make them more automated, user-friendly, and eventually require less than a day of training for Soldiers in the field.

Right now, researchers are actively scanning parts to build an imagery database for Soldiers to pull from to quickly print parts.

“Three companies are working on making the next generation mobile lab,” Zander said. “We hope within three years we’ll have a prototype from one of those companies, and it will be more robust have more automation capabilities.”

“We’re trying to reduce supply chain dependence by using available materials,” Zander said. “We’re interested in looking at plastic packaging materials we could repurpose to use as a feedstock for additive manufacturing.”

In austere environments, a cache of plastic debris — such as empty water bottles, milk jugs, and yogurt containers — often pile up and cause a logistical burden on Soldiers to dispose of.

With nowhere to go, the garbage is often burned. The smoke releases toxic fumes into the air, and potentially causing respiratory hazards for Soldiers, Zander said.

Although actions to help the environment were “a huge motivation,” for Zander, an avowed environmentalist, the technology does more than provide conservational alternatives for troops. It is also a cost-effective way to help Soldiers be more self-sufficient on the frontlines.

One example of how recycled plastic is used on vehicle radio brackets, Zander said. It takes roughly ten emptied water bottles, and two hours, to fabricate a plastic radio bracket.

The vehicle brackets “commonly break, and usually a new, $200 radio is ordered. The new radio can take many months to get into the field, but, now you can print the part for [the cost of an empty, plastic water bottle] with no wait, and there’s very little statistical difference in the strength of the material.”

“This supports sustainment and the next-generation combat vehicle,” Zander said. “That is because there is a lot of plastic parts that need to be replaced and when you’re in a remote area, and it’s very difficult to get those shipments in.”

Even though some units have conventional 3D printers, their conventional filament must be refilled. Supplying troops with mission-critical items, like printing refills, can take weeks and the shortage can also leave Soldiers vulnerable during transportation.

“If Soldiers run out of conventional filament, then they’re dead in the water,” she said. “I think this technology provides a large level of comfort to know that they don’t need anything outside of what they already have to make the things they need.”

Not all plastic has the industrial strength of water bottles. Other plastics, such as polypropylene, often used as yogurt containers, and polystyrene, used in plastic utensils, are generally too weak to fabricate.

However, those plastics forge a stronger composite material when reinforced with other materials, “When PP is mixed with cardboard, wood fibers, and other waste materials found on military bases — they create a new composite filament,” Zander said. “Giving them the strength to make more durable filaments for 3D printed parts.”

This procedure is called solid-state shear pulverization. During this process, the materials are milled into a twin-screw extruder to form a fine powder that is melted down into a 3D printing filament. Looking ahead, ARL scientists hope to incorporate tire rubber.

“If we’re able to take the waste out of the area, and the burning out of the air and turn it into something useful, that’s win-win,” Zander said.

Story by Thomas Brading, Army News Service

Photos by E.J. Hersom

SureFire Spotlight – SureFire Scout Light Pro

March 14th, 2020

SureFire Spotlight videos are a high level rundown of specific products. This one focuses on the Scout Light Pro.

SureFire’s legendary Scout Light® WeaponLights have proven themselves in combat around the world. Our new Scout Light Pro family builds on this success with an integrated next-generation mounting system that offers the ultimate in versatility for long gun weapon light users. Every Scout Light Pro features our new Low-Profile Mount (LPM), allowing the user to mount their light as close to the weapon no matter the rail or configuration. The LPM affords tremendous flexibility when used in conjunction with a variety of rail profiles or accessories; simply pivot the WeaponLight body to allow optimal light positioning, then lock it down securely with any flat blade screwdriver or multi-tool. All Scout Light Pros will ship with both a MIL-STD-1913 mount as well as an M-LOK® mount.

www.surefire.com

SIG SAUER, Inc. Wins Patent Infringement Case from Steyr Arms

March 14th, 2020

NEWINGTON, N.H., (March 11, 2020) – SIG SAUER, Inc., a leading provider of firearms, optics, ammunition, suppressors, and training is pleased to officially announce the company has prevailed in the patent infringement lawsuit from Steyr Arms in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire. Judge Joseph DiClerico, Jr. granted SIG SAUER’s motion for summary judgment, finding that SIG SAUER did not infringe Steyr’s patents, and dismissed all motions.

Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer, and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales made the following statement:

“We are extremely pleased with this ruling in favor of the SIG SAUER P320, the world’s most innovative handgun, and the SIG SAUER P250, which introduced modularity to the firearms market. The state-of-the-art SIG SAUER P320 is one of the most sought after firearms on the market, with its unmatched modularity, unprecedented accuracy, and uncompromising reliability. It has been chosen by all branches of the U.S. Military, as well as other domestic and global law enforcement agencies, and military units around the world. The P320 has truly redefined the modern handgun, and we are proud to have the years of extensive research and engineering that went into its design reaffirmed through this judgement.”

Tasmanian Tiger Partners with Team 5 Medical Foundation

March 14th, 2020

Tasmanian Tiger’s Silver Sponsorship of the non-profit SOFMED veteran foundation helps provide medical care in remote areas of the world.

Miramar, Fla. (March 2020) – Tasmanian Tiger®, a tactical nylon line of products distributed exclusively for the US market by Proforce Equipment, Inc., proudly serves as a Silver Sponsor for the Team 5 Medical Foundation, a non-profit that brings critically needed medical relief to some of the most remote locations and indigenous populations on the earth. The Team 5 Foundation is certified by the World Health Organization to support its international healthcare efforts.

Launched in 2010 by founder (and chairman), Eric S. Linder, RMP, FAWM, with a mission to build a medical foundation that had no political or religious ties, Team 5 has grown to include special operations forces, ultra-athletes and survival experts who venture to these remote locations to educate healthcare workers, provide remote medicine and donate supplies.

Linder’s experience prior to the establishment of Team 5 includes Aerospace Rescue in the US Air Force, Operation Desert Storm Security Police, and Diplomatic Protection Agent. After his military service, Linder joined the Las Vegas Metro Police Department and served in various units including gang intelligence, fugitive detail, tactical medic, and crisis negotiator. During this period, Linder received an international fellowship to Israel for intelligence tactical medicine and counter-terrorism. He has worked with INTERPOL, Border Guard and INTERPOL’s Special Forces Combat Search and Rescue Team. After 9/11, he joined the Federal Air Marshal Program as an agent, tactical medic and instructor. Linder is an NREMT certified Tactical Medical Practitioner, an instructor of Medical Person-in-Charge for maritime and a lecturer at the School of Medicine at the University of Zagreb, Croatia.

It was during Linder’s Remote Medical Practitioner training at the Belize Institute of Tropical Medicine that he realized a vision for Team 5. Today, each team of five members includes one doctor/surgeon, two special forces medics, an oral surgeon and a pediatric intensive care nurse. Almost all members of each team are veterans, continuing to serve and utilize their expertise in working in austere conditions to bring much-needed relief to people living in hard to reach places.

Tasmanian Tiger’s partnership with Team 5 and Eric Linder also benefited from all of Linder’s tactical medical experience. Linder consults with Tasmanian Tiger on the development of the Medic Equipment line including backpacks, bags, accessories, IFAK pouches and tourniquet pouches.

The unique designs of Tasmanian Tiger’s medical equipment backpacks include the versatile TT First Responder Move On MKII pack, in which a large main backpack can be completely customized with medical equipment, and a smaller backpack zipped to the front, can be removed and used as a quick trauma pack.

Organization is key in medical emergencies or when packing for a remote medical mission. Linder and Tasmanian Tiger’s answer to organization comes in the TT Modular Medic Insert 30 and 45, each specific to the TT Modular Pack 30 or 45 and allows the user to configure the pack into a medic pack with pouches designed to be easily accessed and identified.

Tasmanian Tiger’s IFAK pouch is a quick-access, first-aid pouch for immediate care. Like many of Tasmanian Tiger’s medic equipment, versatility is key and items like the IFAK pouch can be used with the TT TACVEC systems such as the TT Modular Front Seat Panel or the TT Head Rest IFAK version which attaches to the back of a car seat headrest.

“Our medic equipment has consistently won high scores and praise from the National Tactical Officers Association Member Tested and Recommended Program and SWAT medics across the country,” Richard Lewis, President and CEO of Proforce Equipment, explained. “When you have someone with the kind of experience and passion that Eric Linder has for providing medical relief to less fortunate people on five continents, you know that the equipment has to meet his and Team 5’s most serious criteria for performance, durability, versatility, and ease of use.”

All sales inquiries can be directed to tt@tasmaniantigerusa.com.

2020 ADS Ft Bragg Warfighter Expo – Drifire

March 13th, 2020

Drifire showed their overboot for cold weather climates that will perform down to -30F. Currently undergoing evaluation.

2020 ADS Ft Bragg Warfighter Expo – Novatio Engineering’s Ex-Power 1000 & 2000

March 13th, 2020

Novatio Engineering offers Multi-Fuel generators. They accept JP-8, diesel, gasoline or alcohol fuels and can be switched from one duel to another at the flip of a switch.

Above, the Ex-Power weighs 32.9 lbs and creates 900 Watts of AC electricity while the Ex-Power 2000 seen below weighs 52 lbs and offers 1.5 kW.

www.novatioengineering.com

2020 ADS Ft Bragg Warfighter Expo – Gerber Prybrid X

March 13th, 2020

Gerber’s Prybrid X is a pocket tool sized to accept disposable #11 disposable X-acto hobby blades. The blade is retractable for carry and the Prybrid X also incorporates pry bar and functionality as well as a bottle opener. Offered in Flat Sage Green and Urban Blue.

2020 ADS Ft Bragg Warfighter Expo – C4R by Rocky Boots

March 13th, 2020

The C4R from Rocky Boots is Berry and DA PAM 670-1 compliant.

Featuring no metallic components, it incorporates their Air-Port comfort footbed and a fiberglass shank.

Available in sizes 3-15 an regular and wide widths.