Aerobotix to distribute Minteq hypersonic missile coating

Huntsville, Alabama-based Aerobotix, an AS9100 certified Fanuc robotics integrator and metrology company, has an agreement with Minteq International Inc. to distribute Minteq’s FIREX™ RX-2390 Thermal Protection System (TPS) coating for hypersonic flight hardware. Aerobotix will work directly with Minteq’s Pennsylvania-based Pyrogenics Group, involved in high-temperature coatings for military and aerospace applications.

Minteq engaged Aerobotix for the company’s expertise in robotically spraying parts and test panels within extremely tight tolerances for uniformity and thickness of coverage. Aerobotix also has significant prior experience with major primes using the FIREX product.

“Our desire was to assist our customers and the U.S. Government in fielding hypersonic missiles and aircraft as quickly as possible,” said Kent Pfeifer, Aerobotix’s process development manager. “By making the commitment to keep fresh FIREX RX-2390 on our shelves, we can immediately assist the major programs by robotically spraying accurate panels and even prototype parts for flight tests.”

Aerobotix and the scientists at Minteq worked together to develop a FIREX RX-2390 recipe and a unique robotic paint dispensing system that is optimized for automation and heavy production. The FIREX formulations combine modified epoxy binders with thermally active materials that form cooling gases when exposed to temperatures more than 350°F.

Application of TPS coatings requires precision thicknesses control, even distribution of solids, and strong layer-bonding for optimal performance. Aerobotix’s customized robotic application process provides all this, plus the ability to automatically spray-taper the paint thickness in various areas of the part, which can reduce weight, manufacturing time, and cost.

Mark Breloff, Minteq technical sales manager, says, “Aerobotix can scan the part to get the as-built shape, spray to near-net, and then use the robot to sand down to the optimal shape and thickness.”

Aerobotix’s facility provides a broad selection of services for preparing and painting hypersonic structures, including automated structured light scanning/projection, automated masking tape application, automated FIREX spraying, automated non-contact Terahertz measurement, automated force controlled sanding and adaptive robotic machining of coatings.