Cocoon, Inc.

Cocoon, Inc. is an American company that protects military equipment from the elements, with a particular focus on corrosion mitigation and prevention. Its products and services include protective covers; thermal and acoustic aviation insulation/blankets; steel-framed structures (hangars, warehouses, sunshades); and humidity-controlled environments with monitoring/reporting services.

Overview

Cocoon, Inc. was founded in 1977 by Leo "Chip" Crotty, who serves as President/CEO. Other members of the management team include COO Ray Gaffey and Kathy McNamara, who runs the company’s Textiles Group. Headquartered in North Hampton, New Hampshire, the company also has a Textiles Development operation in North Carolina and field sales offices in Virginia, Utah, and Rhode Island.

The company got its start “mothballing” decommissioned ships, power plants, and oil rigs. Over time its business shifted to primarily military applications, and its product line expanded to serve the broader needs of the Department of Defense (DoD). Cocoon does business globally with all branches of the DoD and its Foreign Military allies to protect their assets from the elements and thus increase equipment readiness, lower maintenance costs, and extend equipment lifecycles.

The cost of corrosion to the DoD

It’s estimated that approximately 40% of the Department of Defense system maintenance costs are corrosion-related, resulting in an annual cost of $20 billion – equal to $55 million per day. Arguably, the loss of readiness due to corrosion is even more costly. The most recent report shows that DoD assets were subject to 1.15 million Non-Available Days due to corrosion. At the same time, it’s estimated that up to two-thirds of military corrosion costs are preventable.

Financial costs and readiness levels have made corrosion prevention and mitigation a top priority at the DoD, especially given the war in Ukraine and the strategic shift to INDOPACOM, which is the most corrosive environment on the planet.

Products and Services

Protective Covers

Cocoon entered the cover business after the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), together with U.S. Army & Missile Command (AMCOM), initiated an R&D effort in 2007 to address the deficiencies they’d observed in legacy protective covers.

Using its corrosion-prevention expertise, Cocoon spent several years in R&D to find the right combination of materials to meet AMCOM’s standards. The result was a breakthrough in the use of technical textiles to develop a patented cover featuring the following key properties:

• Highly Air-Permeable (allows moisture to escape in vapor form)

• Waterproof (up to a 10-meter column of water – ISO 811)

• Hydrophobic (won’t absorb water/wet weight is equal to dry weight)

• Oleophobic (won’t absorb oils, fuels, or lubricants)

• Sand & Dust-Proof (filters to 0.3 microns, keeping out fine sand, dust, pollutants)

• UV Resistant (Exceeds ASTM G154 standard – 24 months of 100% sun)

• Freeze-Proof (won’t become brittle, freeze, or freeze to assets)

• Lightweight (under 12 oz. per yard for easy handling and stowage)

• Durable (meets or exceeds tension, tera, and abrasion standards)

• Inherently Anti-Static (rapid/continuous discharge of static charges)

• Eliminates the use of VCIs (no use of potentially harmful chemicals)

The corrosion resistance of equipment improves significantly when protected by these advanced covers. Advanced covers increase equipment readiness, reduce maintenance costs, extend equipment lifecycles, and reduce Total Ownership Cost (TOC).

Cocoon’s protective covers are used around the world on fixed and rotary wing aircraft, tanks, towed artillery, weapon systems, vehicles, ground support equipment, and more.

Program Oversight

• Office of the Secretary of Defense – Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office

• AMCOM Corrosion Prevention and Control Office

• Cargo Helicopter Program Management Office

Evaluation Sites

• The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment

• Alabama National Guard

• Georgia National Guard

• USMC LAV SSGT, Camp Pendleton

Approvals

• Natick Laboratory Testing

• Naval Ordnance Safety & Security System Acceptance Activity (NOSA) 5 FEB 2013 (8020-PMM-116)

• Marine Corps Systems Command 8 FEB 2013 (8020-N842/185)

• Information Paper: AMCOM Corrosion Program Office 31 MAR 2010 (RDMR-WDP-A)

• Information Paper: Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron JAN 2012

• Information Paper: Special Operations Aviation 13MAR 2014 (AOAO-GLG)

Aviation Blankets

Cocoon entered the aviation insulation/blanket market in much the same way it entered the Protective Covers markets. The Cargo Helicopter Program Management Office (Cargo PM) identified form, fit, and function deficiencies with the legacy blankets – the most significant of which was their tendency to trap moisture against the airframe, leading to corrosion. A related problem was their tendency to absorb liquids and fluids, adding weight to the aircraft, and reducing mission capability. To address those deficiencies, Cargo PM initiated an R&D effort in 2014 that was focused on the CH-47 Chinook platform.

Cocoon participated in that effort and spent several years in development to create a wholly new blanket design - once again utilizing technical textiles. Cocoon's patented blanket system, referred to as ITAB (Improved Thermal Acoustic Blanket) features the following characteristics:

• Lightweight (60 lbs. lighter new/140 lbs. after use)

• Highly Air-Permeable (prevents moisture from being trapped against airframe, thereby greatly reducing corrosion)

• Mold/Mildew Resistant (air-permeability prevents moisture build-up that leads to mold and mildew)

• Thermally Efficient (10% improvement over legacy blanket)

• Acoustically Absorbent (40% improvement over legacy blanket in cargo bay)

• Hydrophobic (won’t absorb water/wet weight is equal to dry weight)

• Oleophobic (won’t absorb oils, fuels, or lubricants)

• Inherently Anti-Static (rapid/continuous discharge of static charges)

• Sand & Dust-Proof (filters to 0.3 microns, keeping out fine sand, dust, pollutants)

• Freeze-Proof (won’t become brittle, freeze, or freeze to assets)

• Fire Resistant (inherently nonflammable without chemical additives; prevents the spread of fire)

• Improved Attachment System (prevents drooping and detachment)

Cocoon’s ITAB received Air Worthiness Certification in 2017 and soon thereafter became part of the CH-47 Interactive Electronic Maintenance Manual (IETM). The ITAB is flying on current CH-47s, and slated to be installed as standard equipment in all upcoming Block II CH-47s. In addition, Cocoon has developed a blanket system for the C-130 cargo aircraft which is currently undergoing Air Worthiness Certification.

Flight Testing Sites

• Georgia National Guard at Hunter Army Airfield

• 223rd Aviation Regiment at Fort Rucker

• 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell

Program Collaborators

• Cargo Helicopter Program Office

• Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC)

• Prototype Integration Facility at Redstone Arsenal (PIF)

• Private Industry (Cocoon, Boeing, Yulista)

Steel-Framed Fabric Structures

Cocoon has been installing steel-framed fabric structures across the country and around the world for more than 30 years. Initially, these structures were used shipboard to protect parts and equipment onboard. They were then used for a variety of purposes on land. They are employed as aircraft hangars, maintenance facilities, warehouses, fitness facilities, and sunshades for aircraft, equipment, and more.

Every Cocoon project features structures designed and engineered by Rubb Building Systems – widely considered the gold standard of this type of structure.

These steel-framed fabric structures are always built to building code and can withstand hurricane and typhoon wind loads, heavy snow loads, and high seismic loads.

They are available in clear spans of 300+ feet (by any length) and can be customized to include different knee-wall heights and material, fire suppression systems, HVAC systems, overhead cranes, exhaust systems, door types & locations, insulation, modular interior spaces, and power and lighting systems. They can also be put on rails or skids, slide inside one another, be lifted by cranes (depending on the size and type of building), and be linked together.

They are valued by the military not only for their adaptability, durability, and flexibility but also because they are far less expensive than traditional construction, can be built and operational in far less time, and can be disassembled and relocated as needed.

Corrosion-Free Environments (CFE)

The GAO estimated corrosion was responsible for taking 16% of military assets out of action. Vehicles, aircraft, artillery, parts, and equipment that are stored outside are particularly vulnerable to corrosion, but even assets stored inside can be subject to corrosion due to high humidity.

Cocoon’s Corrosion-Free Environments use commercial-grade dehumidification systems to maintain a consistent level of Relative Humidity (RH) of +/- 40%. The reason for the target RH of 40% is because it is the optimum level of humidity for protecting everything from metals to rubber to electronics.

CFEs provided by Cocoon include remote monitoring, real-time alerts when the space is out of spec, and encrypted reporting systems. Cocoon can convert existing space or provide a purpose-built structure.

There are various names across the different military branches for this type of protection, but in each case, the goal is the same – to prevent corrosion and “stop the aging process.”

• Level III Aircraft Preservation -Navy

• Army Preposition Stores (APS) - Army

• Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPS)

• Corrosion Prevention Control (CPC)

• Control Humidity Preservation (CHP) - National Guard

• National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) - Maritime Administration

• Ready Reserve Force (RRF) – MARAD

• US Air Force War Readiness Material (WRM)

Corrosion-Free Environments are used for aircraft storage, vehicle storage, warehouses, preposition ships, mothballing facilities, ordnance, and containers. CFEs maintain the highest level of readiness, eliminate loss, preserve valuable assets, and are customizable according to the required needs.