Alva Industries, a manufacturer of frameless motors and owner and creator of FiberPrinting technology, has signed a $1,850,000 contract with the global defence technology company
Lockheed Martin, to leverage Alva’s expertise in motors and electric propulsion to develop specialised capabilities for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The aim is to improve UAV flight performance by ‘enabling the optimisation of properties’ that the end-user can interchange for different missions, such as maximising system efficiency for improved endurance, or noise reduction for operations where ‘discretion is the priority’.
Dennis Goege, Lockheed Martin’s chief executive for global business development and strategy in Europe, said: “We are leveraging the expertise of the Norwegian advanced technology industry to enhance flight and mission readiness solutions for military and commercial customers. Strategic investments and partnerships with companies around the world allows us to pioneer advancements while driving local capability and economic growth; and while the initial project will last for two years, there is potential for continued collaboration on future initiatives that will promote the strong alliance between the USA and Norwegian defence industries.”
Alva Industries is a leading manufacturer of frameless motors for ‘mission-critical’ applications on land, sea, air, and space. The company’s trademarked FiberPrinting manufacturing technology enables ironless and slotless motor windings with a copper fill factor of up to 60%, which sets ‘a new standard in precision, torque density, and adaptability’. The technology also enables the rapid development of motors of ‘almost any shape or size’.
Jørgen Selnes, Alva Industries’ CEO, added: “Partnering with Lockheed Martin underscores the potential of Alva’s expertise in electric motors and propulsion systems. We are proud to be a part of this project and look forward to delivering cutting-edge solutions that enhance UAV capabilities together with Lockheed Martin and the Sikorsky team.”