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Tag: contract

Lumetrics selected for two-year Army contract

Lumetrics, a Rochester manufacturer of precision thickness measurement and optical inspection systems, has received a Small Business Innovation Research contract with the Army Research Lab to ensure the quality development of transparent armor products such as ballistic and blast-resistant glass.

TA products protect active-duty military personnel, so manufacturing quality, consistent material composition and material longevity are critical. The goals of the SBIR program are to assess the manufacturing quality of new TA windows, predict the failure of existing TA and extend the service life of TA, officials explained.

“We are fully committed to the mission-critical goals of this SBIR partnership with ARL,” Lumetrics President and CEO John Hart said in a statement. “When it comes to protecting lives, material failure is just not an option. Our team is proud to ensure precision manufacture of the highest quality transparent armor solutions.”

The Rochester company’s role in the project is to advance its multispectral low-coherence measurement interferometer by combining it with machine vision and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor that will detect and predict material degradation and delamination. Advanced integrated solid-state multi-wavelength light sources will increase the sensitivity and robustness of the MS-LCI technology.

“This award is a win-win-win allowing Lumetrics to grow in Rochester through a project with the Army and to perfect their cutting-edge technology that will ensure the transparent armor and bullet-proof glass that protects our armed forces is safe and reliable,” U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. “Lumetrics and its world-class workforce is another example of Rochester’s leading optics industry that continues to develop innovative breakthroughs to push the frontiers of optics technology.”

SBIR programs support scientific excellence and stimulate technological innovations through a highly competitive investment program. Lumetrics’ two-year contract begins this month and ends in July 2023.

“It makes good sense that the (Department of Defense) has selected Lumetrics as their metrology partner for transparent armor,” said New York Photonics and the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster Executive Director Tom Battley. “I can see plenty of other opportunities for using Lumetrics’ innovative technology for measuring other transparent/translucent components such as conformal and freeform windows. Congratulations to John Hart and his team.”

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer

Ultralife awarded Army contract worth up to $168 million

Ultralife Corp., the Newark battery, energy and communications systems manufacturer, has received a firm-fixed-price contract from the U.S. Army for purchases of Conformal Wearable Batteries worth up to $168 million.

The three-year award has the potential for an additional $350 million should the six one-year option periods be exercised. The timing of the deliveries and quantities are at the discretion of the Army and include successful completion of First Article Testing demonstrating full compliance with the contract specifications.

Michael D. Popielec
Michael D. Popielec

“Ultralife is a long-standing supplier to the U.S. military and our products are recognized for their long-life, unsurpassed safety record and reliability under the toughest conditions,” said Ultralife President and CEO Michael Popielec in a statement this week. “Our selection to participate in what could be a military battery program extending up to nine years demonstrates the effectiveness of our new product development strategy of designing and building technically advanced batters in collaboration with our strategic partners. We look forward to expanding our heritage of supporting soldier modernization initiatives by providing the highest quality, mission-critical power solutions.”

The contract was awarded as part of a $1.25 billion multiple-award contract for Conformal Wearable Batteries being developed under the Army’s Tactical Power Generation Program. The lightweight, lithium-ion rechargeable batteries will provide soldiers with a power source capable of sustaining dismounted operations in remote areas for up to 24 hours and are expected to increase soldier mobility by reducing the weight and quantity of batteries needed.

The Wayne County manufacturer serves its markets with products that range from power solutions to communications and electronics systems.

Shares of company stock (Nasdaq: ULBI) have soared from Monday’s opening at $8.46 to a peak of $11.25 on Tuesday.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer

Ultralife wins $10.9 million contract

ultralife-logoUltralife Corp. has been awarded a nearly $11 million contract to supply vehicle amplifier-adaptors and mounted power amplifiers to Thales Defense & Security Inc.

Thales, a global leader in the development, manufacture and support of combat-proven, software-defined radio equipment, will use the VAAs to support the U.S. Army’s network modernization initiatives. When integrated with an advanced handheld radio, the VAA provides the soldier with an enhanced range of digital voice and data communications.

“This contract further demonstrates the effectiveness of our ongoing new product development strategy of designing and building technically advanced, integrated communication systems devices in collaboration with our strategic partners,” Ultralife President and CEO Michael Popielec said. “We look forward to continuing to add other new products and building blocks to our proven platforms to address the increasingly complex, secure integrated communications requirements for soldier modernization.”

Shipments are planned to begin prior to the end of 2018 and continue throughout 2019.

The Newark, Wayne County, power-solutions manufacturer serves government, defense and commercial customers globally. Its business segments include communications systems and battery and energy products. The company has operations in North America, Europe and Asia.

In its most recent quarterly earnings report, Ultralife posted a 15 percent increase in revenues and a 23 percent increase in net income. The company is expected to report third-quarter earnings Nov. 1.

Shares of company stock (Nasdaq: ULBI) closed Tuesday at $8.07 and were trading up 11 percent at $8.96 shortly after the opening bell Wednesday.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer