Dynovas Successfully Tests MASH Floor Panel Design
SAN DIEGO, CA, July 2024 - Dynovas, Inc. has designed, fabricated, and validated a novel Modular Armor Structural Helo (MASH) Flooring System by conducting drop, pull, and ballistics tests.
Figure 1: MASH Flooring System
The modular flooring makes use of honeycomb sandwich floor panels attached to a common structural frame with an optional composite backing plate mounting for additional armored capability. Compared to current technologies, the MASH Flooring System is >15% lighter, 25% thinner, and can be easily configured to cargo, troop, medical, or hybrid use cases.
Dynovas verified the durability of the system’s lightweight, impact-resistant, composite honeycomb sandwich floor panels by way of drop testing. With the panel clamped on both sides, a 200 pound pine box was corner-dropped from a height of 20 inches. Of the three panel configurations tested, all saw minimal to no deformation.
The MASH Flooring System was then brought to the gun range for live fire testing. Both armored and unarmored configurations were tested, one with the composite backing plate mounted into the structural frame and one with the panel only. In the end, the armored panel successfully arrested all ballistics showing capabilities up to a 9mm round.
Lastly, strength of the (MASH) Flooring System rail interface feature was also validated via vertical pull test. The test machine crosshead was mounted to the MIF rail and loaded to ultimate failure, exceeding 4000 pounds before witnessing rail shear at the attachment point.
Figure 2: Vertical Pull Testing of Honeycomb Sandwich Floor Panel
The MASH Flooring System project was a Dynovas led collaboration with the Army PD MEDEV AC team, Additive Innovations, and University of Delaware’s Center for Composite Materials that achieved a high technical readiness level (TRL), minimum development schedule, and maximum integration potential.