Fall 2005, Vol. 2, Issue 3

Innovations for national security

New innovations from Y‑12's National Security Technology Center will make our nation more secure. Click image for larger view.

National Security Technology Center

From vision to prototype to licensing, the new National Security Technology Center taps Y‑12's know-how, machinery and expertise to turn just about any dream into reality. NSTC engages all Y‑12 resources and uses specialized talent from National Security Programs, Applied Technologies, Engineering, Manufacturing and Safeguards and Security to get new technologies out on the street. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is expected to harvest many of the fruits of the center's labors and apply them globally.

Self-defense software

Y‑12 is developing a software kit to combat various forms of malware—malicious computer programs, such as viruses, worms and Trojan horses intended to render a computer or network unusable. The virus propagation analysis tool is a software kit that will analyze the user's network, using its characteristics as a way of determining how best to defend against possible malware attacks, how to recognize such attacks if and when they occur and how to quarantine the infected parts. When completed in the next few months, the software will be made available to government organizations and private enterprise.

Biometric head counts

Prison inmate head counts can be manual and slow and often introduce the possibility of significant error. Y‑12's new biometric-based counting system makes identifying and counting inmates within correctional facilities faster and more accurate, reducing inmate idle time and increasing public safety. Supporting the National Institute of Justice's National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, this proof-of-concept prototype system matches the inmate's fingerprint biometric identifier with an existing database record for authentication. One great asset is that missing-inmate reports can be generated very quickly. For increased security, this new system also could be used in schools or at U.S. ports of entry.

Prototype jet engine fan cases

At the request of GKN Aerospace, a major supplier of aircraft components, Y‑12 is machining prototype fan cases for the next generation of General Electric jet engines. Working as a supplier to GE, GKN Aerospace has been tasked with designing all of the tooling and building a fan case from composite materials to improve strength while reducing weight. Y‑12 has stepped in to perform the initial work of establishing machining parameters and is producing the first prototypes. This partnership reaffirms Y‑12's reputation for solving tough manufacturing problems and its designation as the National Prototype Center.

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