CCAT announces $1.67 million contract with U.S. Air Force

The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology Inc. (CCAT), East Hartford, Conn., has announced a $1.67 million contract with the U.S. Air Force. The contract, which is being awarded by the Air Force Research Laboratory, provides funds for applied research on noncontact metrology technologies used for quality inspection systems in aerospace manufacturing.

CCAT has assembled a team of metrology experts and manufacturing companies to demonstrate and validate the scanning processes for parts used in aerospace manufacturing. The team includes Connecticut organizations Bolton Works, Digital Manufacturing Services, Pratt & Whitney, and the University of Hartford, as well as 3D Systems, Alcoa Howmet Research Center, GE Global Research, PCC Airfoils, PCC Structurals, and Rolls Royce.

Over an 18-month period, CCAT and its partners will devise a custom test artifact with features representative of complex aerospace parts. Each project partner will conduct part measurements using their individual metrology systems, including white-light and blue-light scanners.