Foster-Miller

Figure 6.3 SeaDog mounted on the Foster-Miller crawler during testing.

In addition to the handheld models, Fido has been adapted for integration with robotic platforms most popular with those in the explosives detection community. As examples, these include the Foster Miller Talon, the iRobot Packbot, and the USMC Dragon Runner. The Fido XT tethered sampling head can thus be mounted on a robotic arm to accommodate a variety of operational concepts as shown in Figure 9.7. 

Foster-Miller has developed robotics technologies with applications to environmental remediation. These robots include FERRET, a materials handling robot Mini-Mucker, a remotely operated dump truck Lemming, a robot designed for the retrieval of unexploded ordnance and TALON, used for explosives detection and ordnance removal. Foster-MiUer can also custom-design robots for specialized tasks. Foster-MiUer s robotics technologies are commercially available. 

Gold, H. Czupryna, G. Robinson, J. M. Levy, R. D. Purifying Air Force Plating Baths by Chelate Ion Exchange Final Report to Headquarters, Air Force Engineering and Service Center, Tyndall AFB, FL, Foster-Miller, Inc., July 1985. 

Richard Lusignea, Joseph Piche, and Richard Mathisen Foster-Miller, Inc., 350 Second Avenue, Waltham, MA 02254... 

Ordered polymer films made from poly benzthiazole (PBZT) and poly benzoxazole (PBO) can be used as substrates for multilayer printed circuit boards and advanced interconnects to fill the current need for high speed, high density packaging. Foster-Miller, Inc. has made thin substrates (0.002 in.) using biaxially oriented liquid crystal polymer films processed from nematic solutions. PBZT films were processed and laminated to make a substrate with dielectric constant of 2.8 at 1 MHz, and a controllable CTE of 3 to 7 ppm/°C. The films were evaluated for use in multilayer boards (MLBs) which require thin interconnect substrates with uniform controllable coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), excellent dielectric properties, low moisture absorption, high temperature capability, and simple reliable processing methods. We found that ordered polymer films surpass the limitations of fiber reinforced resins and meet the requirements of future chip-to-chip interconnection. 

Advanced Micro Devices, 429 Amoco Chemical Company, 67 AT T Bell Laboratories, 57,101,127,192,220 BP A (Technology and Management) Ltd., 470 Dexter Corporation, 375 Dow Chemical Company, 199,397,405 Dow Corning Corporation, 230,275 E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, 93 Eastman Kodak Company, 1 Emerson Cuming/W. R. Grace and Company, 268 Ford Motor Company, 249,321,337 Foster-Miller, Inc., 446 General Electric Company, 1,140,386... 

See and for currently available explosive ordnance disposal robots. 

Mr. A. Guzdar Vice President Foster-Miller Co., Waltham, MA... 

Where the traditional high temperature polyimides such as PMR-15 and AMB-21 typically have minimum viscosities of around 2000 cPs at temperatures up to 2IOC, the Foster Miller resin has a viscosity of about 300 cPs at 110-150C, with good pot life. It can be processed by RTM, and flat panels have been molded by conventional techniques without the use of solvents. Foster Miller has linked with Cyclopss Corporation, Salt Lake City, USA to commercialize the system and a joint company, Pyrogonn LLC, will control the process patents and work to extend the system into new markets. 

This University of Lowell/Foster-Miller collaboration is supported by the Massachusetts Center of Excellence Corporation in Polymer Science, a state agency. 

Eormato RM, Kovar RE, Osenar P Landrau N, Rubin LS. Composite solid polymer electrolyte membranes. US patent 7052793, assigned to Foster-Miller, Inc., Waltham, MA 2006. 

Figure 11.23 Layup of Foster-Miller test board.

The work presented here showed that P increased signiticantly for the thin polymer Aims compared with the solution values. A comparison of Hgures of merit indicated that the thin poly-yne films arc competitive with Foster Miller s biaxially-oricntcd PBT film. Development of improved film quality should produce films with figures of merit surpassing those presented at this time. 

Ruggieri, S.K., C. Babbitt, and J. Burnett. 1985. Improved Sprayfan System Installation Guide. NTIS PB86-165065. Waltham, MA Foster-Miller. 

Mateiial/System Producers/Suppliers Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells Nextech Materials Arthur D. Little McDermott Technology Foster-Miller, Inc. Spectracorp, Ltd. Idatech Corp. Stuarts Energy Systems 3M DuPont Vairex Corp. Celanese AG Thermo Technologies Mechanology, Inc. ... 

A relatively recent patent from Foster-Miller describes a multiaxially oriented film in which the LCP component of the blend provides barrier properties and controls CTE, while allowing operations such as heat-sealing... 

A spin-off from Foster-Miller in Waltham MA called Superex Polymer marketed a material in the mid-1990s for 2- 3/lb which was described as a PET/LCP blend called Super PET in a Nasa Tech Report link. See also... 

---