Engineering Business Ethics

[MechElement]

Background:
I am a mechanical designer working for an American company in Kuwait. I'm a one-man-show when it comes to anything mechanical and/or automotive. I have been tasked as the engineer for a multi-million dollar project evaluating the up-armoring of all tractor trailer trucks for this LOGCAP III project.

A manager with absolutely zero technical background submitted a Statement of Work for multiple companies to bid on this project. I performed technical evaluations on all bids. I strongly recommended one company.

I received an email from management instructing me to evaluate this 2nd proposal.

The company submitted another technical proposal, but with more detail this time. They are using sophisticated software to perform design analysis & verification and supplied their thesis for method of design. They also provided a cost break-down of the materials on this project.

To me, this "picturesque" technical proposal LOOKS good, but the company has yet to provide any design analysis and/or FACTS at all. They have not provided any MSDS sheets for the materials. They have not provided any welding specifications & certifications. I can go on and on...

The proposal LOOKS good, but there aren't any facts proving this uparmoring cacoon will work on the trucks. I want to see a detailed design analysis and detailed drawings. I want to know servicability factors, safety factors, maintenance schedules, MSDS sheets on materials, etc. etc.

The catch:
The company has fulfilled all requirements set forth by the original SOW. They have supplied all information the SOW had asked for.


Am I in the right or wrong for wanting to request this information? I don't see anything wrong with requesting this information to assure myself and my company that this product WILL in fact work; dollar figures aside. My main concern is asking for this information even though it's not in the SOW. I believe I have been put into a very awkward situation here and MY NAME is signed on documents pertaining to this project. If this thing fails, my name is all over it.

 

[arunmrao]

Working in the Middle East is a different work culture,which you might have realised. You will have to through the management request for all the information you need. Or else someone may get offended. Also the business connections in Arab world are very mingled and you may not be able to comprehend.

 

[MechElement]

The company which received the contract is an American Company located in the United States.

 

[zeusfaber]

Applique armour is a funny business, and there are a lot of people out there who seem to treat it like a cottage industry, while still coming up with effective solutions. Beatiful paperwork and effective product are not the same thing, and you can get either with or without the other.

Faced with a "blacksmithed" solution, often the best thing to do is to assess it like a blacksmith would. What does your instinct tell you when you first look at this design? Does it look like it might do the job? Has anyone done any ballistic testing on it? Do you believe their estimate of what it's going to weigh? Will they be able to get hold of all the materials they've specified?

If you have no prior experience of what thickness of unobtanium plate (or whatever) it takes to defeat a particular threat, can you get advice from someone who has? Try a quick chat with the lads at TACOM (Warren, MI).

Having said all that, in your shoes I'd ask (in writing) for the additional information. Hoevever good a solution you pick, there's still a good chance that somebody using it is going to get killed, and that will rest easier on your conscience if you are content you did all you could have done.

Suggest you get a good Human Factors specialist in on your assessment as well. Armour and habitability (particularly in hot climates) don't sit well together, and the truck still needs to be safe to drive (don't know about you, but our forces still lose more people to road accidents than to enemy action).

Be interested to know what sort of solution you're being offered, and how much of the in-theatre threat you're hoping to defeat. Tractor units are an absolute nightmare to up-armour (largely down to the lack of spare weight on the front axle), and some of the threats out there are nasty enough to get through almost anything short of Dorchester Armour.

You're going to have to pick an interesting compromise between weight, protection, cost and ergonomics. Good luck.

A.

 

[MechElement]

My instinct tells me it will stop NIJ Level III (NATO 7.62) rounds while maintaining function and allowing the truck to be fully servicable in an orderly fashion. It looks like it will get the job done. The company has performed ballistic testing. This company has A LOT of experience with military applications. The company submitted weight specifications and they sound correct. One thing I disagree with their proposal is that they are saying there is no need for suspension modifications. Sorry, 4K+ pounds of steel added to a cab of a truck needs suspension mods IMO.

This technical proposal says they're testing the suspension requirements using Wildfire. They've conducted a modal analysis using ProMechanica and a dynamica analysis using ADAMS. That's great. Where are the results? I don't see them and I believe we should see them.

I have already evaluated the weight cost and ergonomics of all the designs. Safety is priority number one. This is a good design which meets the criteria.
Management says they want a cacoon around the truck cab.
(The theory is, when insurgents see this armor, they don't bother shooting at the truck.)
Management set forth the design criteria.
Management told me to make sure this is going to work and provide proof. That is very hard to do since management wrote the SOW and left out all technical requirements.

Honestly, we received proposals from around the globe and the only proposals worthy of mention are from the US. I was extremely dissappointed with the other proposals from foreign countries.

I am departing this project in August and hope to have installation beginning in late June or early July. A prototype is going to be delivered this month. I will be evaluating the prototype and conducting a QA/QC inspection since no QA/QC personnel here have any experience with such equipment. I am returning to the US and I am discussing staying on this up-armoring project, but stateside.

I do understand people will be killed even when inside this armor protection. I believe once the insurgents realize their AK-47 rounds have little effect on these, they will be firing larger weapons. I am content and I am doing all I can to obtain all information I feel necessary to see before giving the sign-off approval for this project.

It all boils down to the contractual agreement set forth by the SOW. Thus, I believe asking for all this technical information may be a problem.

 

[SWComposites]

So, has the contract been awarded or not? If it has, then you are stuck with this subcontractor, but you should immediately request the information that you need to evaluate the design. If they refuse to send it or just give you some BS, then write your management a detailed memo outlining your concerns, the information that you need, and that you recommend that if the subcontractor is not forthcoming then you recommend taking this up with your customer. If the contract has not been awarded, you should write a memo to your management outlining the additional information that you need from all potential subcontractors and stating very clearly that you cannot recommend awarding the contract until this information is received. Just because the SOW is worthless doesnn't mean that you can't ask for more information - it is done all the time. The point is to not let your management get away with sticking you with the blame for their poor decisions.

 

[MechElement]

SWComposites, the contract has been awarded. I have composed a memo to management, but I have not sent it yet. I am waiting for a response from Iraq regarding some of my concerns. Management is HUGE here. There are managers in ever single site/division/region. I must find out which manager needs to see my concerns. I am actually in a different region supporting the northern (Iraq) region. I don't even know if management is aware, or concerned (as top priority) with this project, here in my region (Kuwait & Southern Iraq).

 

[unclesyd]

There are Congressional hearings going on at the present on this very subject, as I just watched a small part of one until I got nauseated from the Congressional gobbley gook and the military’s acrimonious jargon.
Some of the very concerns you mention were brought up, not in the pretense of solving the problem but in pushing their own agenda. It seems the military are testing "on line" and the Congressman couldn’t or wouldn’t pick up on this approach.

One of the problems mentioned was the problems with suspensions of vehicles not designed and manufactured originally for the added weight for armor having to be taken "off line", out of service, due to failure of the suspension components. The number of “off line” vehicles from this problem was extremely high.

It seems that "Hillbilly Armor" works except the vehicles will not hold up for very long. When I was in the military a broken down vehicle was useless but an excellent target.

 

[zeusfaber]

"I believe once the insurgents realize their AK-47 rounds have little effect on these, they will be firing larger weapons." I think you're right - and in some parts of the theatre they already are. NIJ III is pretty low-level for vehicle armour in a military context. Can you get the guys some decent body armour as well?

Does the contract specify some sort of type-acceptance process? In theory, that's your next lever for getting test data out of your contractor. In practice, it's far too late in the process for either you or them to mess about, but a polite hint now that if you don't get what you need, you're going to be making life difficult come acceptance time should stir any reasonable contractor into action (especially if they already have the results and have nothing to hide).

You do have my sympathy - This sector (providing contracted Combat Service Support) seems to be infested with firms that don't bother employing engineers until it's too late. I have to say that it's an attitude that's already put one or two of them onto my personal "avoid like the plague" list.

A.

 

[MechElement]

zeusfaber,

Great news! I took a stroll over to our subcontract's dept. this morning and spoke with them. I showed them a list of my concerns. They received my concerns via email from management and have forwarded it on to the company. That being said, the company contacted our SCA requesting a set of springs from the trucks. I believe they'll realize the front suspension will require modifications. They haven't responded to my list of comments and questions because it will probably take some time to gather everything to submit a package to us. I also believe the company will fulfill my requests and supply all information.

We will receive delivery of a prototype towards the last week in May. I will be there to observe all fabrication, installation and function of the design. Hopefully I'll receive the information I requested before then to review their design.

One thing that has me a little concerned is the set schedule they've submitted to meet our intense time requirements. They submitted a schedule and it reflects zero alterations to the front axle & suspension on any of the trucks. I'm interested to see how this will play out.

Thanks for all of your input and comments. You really got me thinking about accepting this and being content knowing people will lose their lives inside this armored structure.

The drivers do wear kevlar helmets and vests. They also have some fragmentation blankets lining their truck cab, but I'm not sure all cabs have those blankets... NIJ Level III should stop AK 7.62 rounds if it stops NATO 7.62 rounds.

 

[unclesyd]

Just on the news this morning the Marines are recalling a lot of vests as they can't stop a bullet.

 

[CanuckMiner]

The best-equipped armed forces in the history of the world, n'est-il pas?

It would be comical if it wasn't real life and real lives. Instead, it is just sad.

Cheers,
CanuckMiner

 

[Philrock]

It looks like you are doing a very thorough job of evaluating the proposal. In the contractor's defense I'd say:

1. It's not reasonable to ask them to do detailed design work before they get the job. You might ask them if you can look at detail drawings for similar jobs they have done in the past. They may or may not comply with this request, as such drawings may be subject to prior confidentiality agreements.

2. They can't give you weld certs until there are welds to certify. They won't make welds until they get the job. I suppose you could ask them to make sample welds and get them certified, but you may have to pay for this.

Best of luck.

 

[MechElement]

Philrock,

The contract has been awarded. This contractor has the job. I understand I will not receive any weld test certificates until they actually produce these kits. I'm hoping they'll have the weld certificates upon delivery of the prototype.