Foster-Miller

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Foster-Miller Technologies, Incorporated.

Type	Privately held companies
Founded	1956
Headquarters	North America. Head Office - Waltham, Massachusetts
Products	Multifaceted
Website	www.Foster-Miller.com

Foster-Miller, Inc. is a company in the United States with offices in Washington, D.C., Albany, New York, and near Boston. It was founded in 1956 by three MIT graduates who decided that there was a need for a company that could excel in analysis and design.

The company now has over 300 members of staff skilled in aeronautical engineering, administration, chemical engineering, chemistry, physics, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, statistics, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, polymers, polymerization, electromechanical engineering, and other assorted engineers, computer hardware/software technicians and staff.

They have facilities in Waltham for advanced materials, chemical/analytical research, fiber optic chemical sensing and spectroscopy, thermal/fluids, instrumentation/electronics, robotics, electromagnetics, electrotextiles, specialty test facilities in Waltham, aircraft panel testing, environmental test chamber, refrigeration test facility, and engine test facilities.

Foster-Miller is a diverse company with experience in the fields of aerospace, defense, homeland security, energy, utilities, medical and pharmaceutical, food, transportation, general industrial, and microelectronics. They have been awarded the aerospace quality management standard AS9100 (6 January 2006) and SW-CMM Level 3 software certification (9 February 2006).

Customers include Lockheed Martin, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Baxter Healthcare, Boeing, Bayer, Pratt and Whitney, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, 3M, GE Aircraft Engines, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, GE Plastics, NASA, Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes of Health, Department of Homeland Security, and Pepsi.

1 Mergers/acquisitions
2 History
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Mergers/acquisitions

On 23 April 2007 Foster-Miller announced the acquisition of two Pittsburgh-based robotics companies, Applied Perception Inc. and Automatika Inc. for up to $9.2 million US dollars each [1]. Automatika provides design, system prototyping, and product manufacturing for robotic systems. Applied Perception creates standardized perception, planning, and control software for unmanned ground vehicles. [2]

On 8 September 2004 Foster-Miller agreed to a merger with QinetiQ North America for $163 million US dollars. QinetiQ is an offshoot of the UK's DERA, which is Europes largest science and technology company with a revenue of $1.4 billion in the 2003 financial year. The merger was finalized on 9 November 2004, with Foster-Miller remaining an independent company but part of the QinetiQ, Inc. group.

Foster-Miller hired retired U.S. Army physician Dean Calcagni as Medical Director^[1] on 17 June 2005 and in August in conjunction with QinetiQ bought Planning Systems Inc. Planning Systems Inc has worked with Foster-Miller on many previous developments Dr. William Ribich saying that it was only natural that PSI should become part of the QinetiQ group. PSI has some 350 employees with interest in diversified advanced technology.^[2]

[edit] History

It is difficult to find information relating to Foster-Miller's earliest years, but its recent performance is well documented and quite extensive. Some of the earliest developments were in jet spray dispensers in vending machines and Velcro/Raychem (heat-shrink tubing) molding machines. They developed ballistic nets in the 1990s and overhead/underground power line, underground piping, and nuclear steam generator maintenance robots ("guided mole").

1995: A computer model was created for crash testing rail equipment, this allows the company to recommend ways to improve railroad crash safety through improved designs. A 465 square meter locomotive testing facility was built in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The facility was full scale and allowed testing of 40,000 pound (18,150 kg/18 ton) locomotives. When computer design/testing is complete and the designs are tested at their Fitchburg facility they are then tested at the government locomotive testing facility at Pueblo, Colorado.

2001: NASA and Foster-Miller were in the process of creating a model called "integrated advanced dynamic finite element modeling" to improve aircraft seat designs during crashes. The model included the seat, its occupants, restraints, energy absorbing materials. The model was being tested against existing designs to establish its ability to analyze designs.

Mid 2003: 20 Foster-Miller TALON robots were brought into Iraq to be used in EOD/IOD roles. In March 2004 Foster-Miller was awarded two more contracts jointly worth around $6,000,000. The contract awarded by the Technical Support Working Group and the Joint Program Office for Robotics increased the number of TALONs in Iraq to 45 and includes providing spare parts. In September 2004 news is released of the creation of a TALON with chemical, gas, temperature, and radiation sensors. The contract was increased further to $27 Million (shipped November 5, 2004) and then on September 19, 2005 to $124 Million to produce 1200+ TALONs in their now multi-dimensional roles.

2003 September 8: They received a $25 million contract with the Naval Air Systems Command in Lakehurst, New Jersey to develop a robotic weapons loader for aircraft; the payment included developing the units and building facilities to provide them. The contract was in conjunction with MIT Field and Space Robotics Lab to create the model of the finished product and new designs for transmissions and electric motors to be able to do the jobs with little down time.

2003 November 14: They received a contract to build composite components to be used in building F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighters and Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV). The contract is to develop these new components in 5 years with funding of $4,200,000 US: "This award is a true product of government-industry collaboration, ... Under the guidance of NAVAIR engineers and our aerospace company partners, our composites team has brought forth technology which will enable an enormous reduction in labor and the number of manufacturing operations associated with the production of stiffening elements. This will enable faster production of composite stiffeners that are of consistent quality and durability, resulting in a significant cost reduction for the end product." said Jay Boyce, Senior Vice President of Foster-Miller.

2004 January: A section of Foster-Miller called LAST Armor were created to work with Sioux Manufacturing, and Velcro USA, Inc. Foster-Miller/LAST Armor were developing a ceramic door armor for the US Marines. This armor would be used on small multipurpose wheeled vehicles to protect against EODs, IEDs, and small arms. The armor when damaged could be detached from the proprietary Velcro hook fastener system and using the tools included in the repair pack would allow new panels to be easily attached. This means that soldiers in the field don't need any tools, cutting, welding, and drilling to repair their vehicles.

2004: Foster-Miller were working on the Stingray boat trapping net, the net carried by a helicopter would be carried over its target and dropped. The target vessel would then be entangled in the falling net damaging the boats motor(s). The net was originally in development for the United States Coast Guard. In May however they were awarded a contract to work with Metal Storm to design and develop ship based defenses to counteract sea-skimming cruise missiles, small fast attack suicide bombing boats. The system, termed "Thunder and Lightning", uses Metal Storms concentrated bullet weapons fire ("thunder") with Foster-Millers Stingray incapacitating nets ("lightning"). [3]

In 2003–2004 Foster-Miller earned more than $100 million dollars.

2004 March: NASA gave them a grant of $70,000 to develop a motor generator.

2004 May: NASA awarded Foster-Miller with the Turning Goals into Reality award an award for "the most significant accomplishments in FY 2003 contributing towards NASA’s goals and objectives in aerospace technology.". Foster-Miller gained the award for its proprietary development of ultrasonic tape lamination (UTL(TM)). Using this method in conjunction with Northrop Grumman, Alliant Tech Systems (ATK), NASA Langley Research Center, and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center they created a composite cryotank. The ultrasonic technique allows composite parts to be manufactured that are equal to autoclaving components, which is expensive for large parts. Foster-Miller believe that this technique will be instrumental in the development of composite fuel tanks for NASA's next generation of reusable launch vehicle (RLV).

In conjunction with Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. the company produces a new generation of aircraft sealants based on Single Wall Nanotube (SWNT) technology. This contract on October 26, 2004 was worth $3,960,000 and was awarded by the Office of Naval Research in Washington, D.C.

On November 7, 2004 Foster-Miller announced its 5 point Food Industry Innovation Strategy:

Create practical innovations: Identify a market need and unlock ideas by weaving together practical, applied concepts.
Multi-disciplinary approach: Partner with a diverse team of technology experts with food industry success.
Reduce time-to-market: Approach projects with multi-phased, parallel strategies to complete them within the shortest time frame.
Minimize risk: Leverage the right technology and work with partners who can apply industry experience.
Proprietary protection: Build barriers against competition with proprietary technology to ensure industry patents.

Foster Miller has over 500 patents in the food industry and this signals they will continue to expand in this sector.

June 2005: they also announced their Innovation Express Service to use its extensive multi-sector expertise to allow medical products to be developed losing much money in failed developments.

At the end of 2003 the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) was trying to expand its abilities for crash testing locomotives and their fire safety standards. Foster-Miller were given a $9,000,000 US contract to perform testing at their facilities at Fitchburg. At the start of 2006 an additional $1.5 million dollars from federal transportation appropriations funds is awarded. This was given for "Advanced Freight Locomotive Research" including advanced sensors, safety, and hazard research.

In conjunction with Project Cyclops a high performance polymer is being developed which has high strength, thermal resistance, high stress resistance for harsh environments. It is made to replace PMR15 priced around 300 to 400 dollars US per kilogram it can be used to make anything.

Foster-Miller contributes to Objective Force Warrior, which is an armor set that will drastically cut the amount of equipment a soldier need carry from about 120 pounds to 50 pounds. It also should include heads up displays, all parts integrated together, individual protection, built-in power source, advanced fabric camouflage, medical monitor, biological/chemical sensors, and connections for full communications and data transfer. Foster-Miller already claims to have made great advances in these fields such as electronic textiles, microclimate cooling, micro-engines and robotics.