Sphere Brake Defense, a local business in Erie, has been awarded a $4.5 million contract to produce specialized brake kits for the U.S. Marine Corps.
The contract focuses on the Amphibious Combat Vehicle, a next-generation eight-wheeled vehicle designed to transport Marines from ship to shore. The Marine Corps describes the vehicle as a critical tool for moving personnel and equipment during maritime operations.
Sphere Brake Defense will produce the kits to improve vehicle reliability and maintenance efficiency. The agreement follows years of previous collaboration and completed projects between the company and the military branch.
“What we’re going to be doing over the next couple years is doing our final certification and then getting into limited production, producing a few hundred kits or so,” said CEO and Founder of Sphere Brake Defense Aaron Lewis. “When you target federal funding, you have to have everyone in alignment to ensure that everything is going to right cause and what you’re actually doing is delivering solutions on the front lines,” Lewis said.
The specialized brake kits feature hemispherical brake pads designed for rapid maintenance in combat environments. By pulling a single pin, Marines can change worn-out pads without removing the wheel or utilizing tools.
“We have a distributed supply chain across the Midwest. All the parts come here. We do final brake caliper assembly, and we get everything in one box, one box is one wheel end and then we ship those kits to the depots,” Lewis said.
Lewis said he originally designed the brake concept during his time in the military, basing his idea on his background of working on engine and dirt bikes. According to Lewis, the company is the only business in the world that produces this specific type of braking product.
“When you have the confidence of the Marine Corps, that says something,” Lewis said.
The company recently hired a new brake design engineer and plans to add two more employees in the near future.
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