Combat  Rations  Network  Program  for Technology  Implementation

The Combat Rations Network for Technology Implementation (CORANET) is a Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program, sponsored by the Defense Logistics Agency.  

Objective:

to develop, demonstrate, adapt/implement and assist modern manufacturing processes into the U.S. industrial base in order to assure timely availability of affordable, high quality, varied and cost-effective combat rations to the military.

CAFT is the Senior University member of the CORANET, having been competitively awarded the CORANET Demonstration Site Contract (5 years), along with a significant number of Short Term Projects (1-2 years).  Some of the most recent short ones are:

• Multiple Unit Leak Detector

• Machine Vision Seal Area Inspection

• Quality Data Management System

• Manufacturability of Combat Ration Products

The CORANET Demonstration site is located at the CAFT Food Manufacturing Technology (FMT) Facility, a U.S. Department of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service approved manufacturing site (Est. No. 18615) and an FDA registered processing plant (F.C.E. No. 02152) at commercial scale. 

		Two packaging lines, a horizontal form/fill/seal and polymeric tray heat sealer, along with associated automated filling equipment and data acquisition computers are located in the FMT processing area and are capable of demonstrating production of combat rations including quality control.
	The Facility also contains a developmental-scale, single-cage retort and a production-scale, 4-cage retort to develop and demonstrate thermostabilization of packaged goods.  Regular check-up and maintenance for the military retort equipment is done here on an ongoing basis.

To demonstrate manufacturability of a new product in the mode of a for-profit enterprise, the "Developmental Manufacture" program has been created.  This includes product development, all aspects of production start-up and operation in a steady-state mode.  Within this program CAFT currently manufactures three store-branded products for a large New Jersey supermarket.

CORANET is the successor to the completed Combat Ration Advanced Manufacturing Technology Demonstration (CRAMTD) Program, conducted at CAFT between 1988 and 1996, which aimed at developing improved equipment and methods for the manufacture of thermostabilized military rations.  For more details on CRAMTD, please click here.

More information on CORANET is available at http://coranet.iitri.org.