U.S. Small Business Administration Tibbetts Award

St Petersburg , Florida , 1999.
Custom Manufacturing & Engineering™ (CME™) has developed a virtual breaker box that delivers advanced energy management and control for shelters and vehicles through the use of "smart' circuits and outlets. The virtual breaker box features sensors, data acquisition, a junction box, energy management, fault protection, and automated monitoring and control. The system also provides control across a network within a single platform or across multiple platforms. This enables on-the-fly power protection, load shedding, and energy management for AC and/or DC power distribution systems.

The virtual breaker box significantly improves the quality and quantity of electrical power in tactical platforms, reduces fuel consumption, improves power source efficiency, and enables the use of environmental control units. Immediate military applications include the Standardized Integrated Command Post System, temporary base camps, field hospitals, and tactical vehicles. Future applications include the FCS, multifunctional, low power systems in Land Warrior; and unattended ground sensor networks. Near-term, potential commercial applications include yachts, RV's, and industrial buildings.

Custom Manufacturing and Engineering Inc.™ was a recipient of a 1999 U.S. Small Business Administration Tibbetts Award for R&D excellence.