Telescopic stun baton, the result of research at DOE's Kansas City Plant.
Stunning Research
August / September 2008
Volume 6 Number 4
Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we have seen our work to better coordinate preparedness and security efforts among federal, state and local agencies, as well as among private businesses, communities and individual citizens. In the aftermath of the attacks, the administration took a number of steps to strengthen the country's homeland security efforts, including the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. At the congressional level, numerous legislative proposals were put forth; for example, H.R.525, creating The Preparedness Against Domestic Terrorism Act of 2001, to enhance the capabilities of state and local emergency preparedness and response.
The resulting increased national emphasis on emergency preparedness and response has created an environment of new security technology and product development. Whole new industries and companies have emerged to fill the growing need for products and services to safeguard the United States.
At the National Nuclear Security Administration's Kansas City Plant (KCP), the primary mission for more than 60 years has been to enhance national security.
While the principal task has been to assemble and manufacture components for national defense systems, KCP is a multi-mission facility that supports not only government agencies but also national laboratories, universities and industry. It is in that role the KCP National Secure Manufacturing Center is using its unique manufacturing technologies to transform homeland security product ideas into prototypes and field-ready products.
"KCP's many years of experience," said Alan Updike, special products manager at the secure manufacturing center, "have shown that great ideas and concepts frequently fall short or are passed by when it comes to actually transitioning those ideas into tangible manufactured products. We have also found that the manufacturing organization typically gets involved too late in the development process, resulting in lag times or delays to get products ready. It is the bridging of this gap from R&D to manufacturing, or product realization, that we have developed as a core competency."
KCP's product realization process utilizes a disciplined phase-gated approach that allows the customer to make critical decisions along the product realization continuum. This methodical approach speeds the product development process, increases efficiency and ensures the right technology and methods are being applied at the right time. The primary focus of the product realization program is low-volume manufacturing, product miniaturization and special application hardware. Operating in one of the most secure manufacturing facilities in the country, the plant has geared operations to be a one-stop-shop for products such as miniature high voltage devices, telemetry transmitters/receivers, laser systems, test equipment, radars, detection sensing devices, electronic coded switches, hybrid microcircuits and encapsulation materials.
When a private sector company realized its original product concept for a stun baton was too bulky to easily wield, it turned to KCP to access extensive miniaturization capabilities. The company designs and develops next-generation intermediate force protection and enforcement products. The product idea presented to KCP was a novel Human Electro-Muscular Incapacitation (HEMI) device in the form of a blunt force baton.
KCP began the concept formulation step of the phase-gated process. It determined that, in addition to being too bulky and difficult to wield, the baton had to be able to handle a blunt force situation typical of a standard issue police baton. An additional challenge was created by the fact that the original design featured highly medically studied waveforms that could not be compromised in the manufacturing process. The customer also challenged KCP to develop as many product features that could be included in the single device as possible.
Through a series of feasibility studies, KCP was able to add significant additional features to the stun baton. Most notable was the addition of a laser dazzler, and options for recording capabilities and thumbprint verification.
The stun baton has now been fully commercialized and is being marketed to homeland security and first responder organizations throughout the country.
KCP's Updike said the stun baton success is further evidence of KCP's well-coordinated team approach. "Our multi-discipline approach utilizes specialists and specialist teams working in parallel in the same timeframes.
This teaming effort substantially cuts the product development cycle time," says Updike.
"We see closing the gap on product realization and transforming new homeland security ideas into field-ready products as very compatible with the mission. As a result of that mission we have developed unique manufacturing processes unlike any other manufacturing plant in the world. These are the capabilities we are offering to any organization conceptualizing a new idea to enhance the security of our country."
John Murray is director of business development at the Kansas City Plant.
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