By Tyler Barth
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center is confident that an improved M240 bipod, featuring a new single-piece Lower Leg, will thrive with Soldiers by providing enhanced durability and manufacturing simplicity.
Created via a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Maine Tool and Machine (MT&M), this updated bipod replaces the previous Lower Leg Assembly, which required welding five separate components together, with a single component machined from solid barstock. This new design eliminates multi-step welding and fixturing time, making it significantly less complex to produce.
According to Henry Sanchez, the Welding and Non-Destructive Testing lead for Methodologies Laboratories at Quality Engineering & System Assurance (QE&SA), the project began primarily from a desire to solve production logistics. Historically, the legacy Lower Leg Assembly was a five-piece welded unit. This process required each piece to be individually machined, welded by certified personnel, and subsequently evaluated by a level II or Level III non-destructive testing (NDT) inspector.
As part of the CRADA, MT&M provided solid 3D models and fabricated several prototype sets for evaluation. Leveraging these models, DEVCOM engineers prepared the formal Lower Leg drawing to be included in the official Technical Data Package. The Armaments Center’s Armaments Engineering Analysis & Manufacturing Directorate coordinated the manufacturing approach, while QE&SA made sure that the product met all quality standards.
The updated bipod assembly is lighter, more structurally rigid, and more cost effective than its welded counterpart. The new solid aluminum Lower Leg also takes about half the time to produce compared to the legacy welded bipod, while reducing scrap waste considerably. These advantages, Sanchez said, were secondary results of a project originally intended to be easier to manufacture.
The improved M240 Bipod with the new Lower Leg greatly resembles the legacy bipod, and it is unlikely that Soldiers will notice a visual difference before handling the M240, if they notice the difference at all. While it isn’t yet being used by Soldiers, it will be included in the bipod drawing package for future procurements.
“By moving from a complex welded assembly to a single machined component, we’ve removed multiple points of potential failure while streamlining the entire supply chain,” said M240 Armaments Project Officer Rose Tai. “Not only were we able to make it easier to manufacture but succeeded in making a more robust and reliable component for the warfighter.”