The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Monday that Advanced Structural Technologies Inc. was awarded a contract for manufacture and supply of M1 Abrams tank aluminum road wheel inserts.
The contract, from U.S. Army Contracting Command, is valued at more than $17 million.
Work will be performed in Oxnard, California, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 21, 2021.
The M1 Abrams tank can reach a maximum speed of approximately 68km/h with a maximum cruising range of 426 km. The torsion bar suspension of the M1A1 Abrams consists of each side of seven road wheels with rotary shock-absorbers at the first, second and seventh road-wheel stations. All this power must rely on what are known as “road wheels,” which are mounted on the Abrams before the tank’s track is installed.
Aluminum inserts are used to resist corrosion and creep at the bolted interfaces between the component and the vehicle.
For the modern military powers of the world, strength must meet mobility and durability. This is especially true for vehicles operating in extremely hostile conditions, without these properties military vehicles and the people they protect are exposed to high risk. Often the mechanical properties of the vehicle are the difference between life and death.
