April 2005

Welcome to The CTMA Connector, a monthly newsletter designed to provide news and ideas about the Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program. The CTMA program is a joint Department of Defense/National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (DoD/NCMS) effort promoting collaborative technology development between industry and the DoD maintenance and repair facilities. This newsletter highlights ongoing projects, serves as a forum for promoting new project ideas, and provides other news of interest to the program. Our goal is to stimulate your participation and solicit your input. Feel free to submit items for the newsletter as well as any suggestions to make it more useful. More information about the program can be found at http://ctma.ncms.org/. To subscribe or unsubscribe to the CTMA Connector, send a message to listserv@listserv.ncms.org with "subscribe CTMANewsletter" or "unsubscribe CTMANewsletter" in the subject line.


This issue summarizes the results from the 2005 CTMA Symposium held in Tacoma, WA from April 18 - 21.  Below are brief descriptions of 51 project ideas developed by the Symposium participants for consideration in the CTMA program.  If you are interested in participating in any of the projects, send an e-mail to the NCMS contact person identified with each of the four tracks.  Project ideas in each track are not in any particular order. Any questions can be sent to Chuck Ryan, chuckr@ncms.org.  CTMA projects must involve new technology development, include >2:1 cost-share from industry, involve cross-service DoD participation, and show industry collaboration.  Once projects are approved, all industry participants must also become NCMS government sector members.  Further program information is available at http://ctma.ncms.org.


Track 1: Metals Project Ideas; NCMS Contact – Steve Hale, steveh@ncms.org

1.     Project: Durable Non-Skid Coating for Carriers

Problem: Non-skid coatings don’t last long enough and/or are difficult to replace at sea

Solution: New coating or material with better bonding

Proposed DoD Participants: Navy (PSNSY, PHNSY, PNSY, Norfolk, NAVSEA)

Proposed Industry Participants: H&R Technology

Idea submitted by: VADM Phillip Balisle, US Navy

 

2.     Project: Chemical Cleaning Solvent

Problem: Potassium Permanganate cleaning fluid is caustic, too foamy, contaminates floor and requires cleaning, etc. and smells

Solution: Need replacement process

Proposed DoD Participants: Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center

Proposed Industry Participants:

Idea submitted by: Kim Hoang, OC-ALC

 

3.     Project: Reduction in the Use of Toxic Cutting Fluids

Problem: Current disposal methods for cutting fluids create bacteria that contaminate landfills

Solution: Alternative machining processes to eliminate need for cutting fluids

Proposed DoD Participants: Any ground-based vehicle depot facilities, Oklahoma City ALC

Proposed Industry Participants: OEMS, Faraday Technologies

Idea submitted by: Phillip Miller, Faraday Technologies

 

4.     Project: Extend Life of Gears

Problem: Isotropic finishing process for gears isn’t adequate

Solution: Replace isotropic finishing process with micro shot peening process pilot

Proposed DoD Participants: Landing gear repair, ground vehicles, helicopters

Proposed Industry Participants: Caterpillar, REM

Idea submitted by: David Longanbach, Caterpillar

 

5.     Project: Laser Flat Wire Repair of Aluminum Skins

Problem: Aluminum skins are difficult to repair

Solution: Construct laser flat wire prototype that can be placed in laser depainting platform – use to repair skins

Proposed DoD Participants:

Proposed Industry Participants: Sikorsky

Idea submitted by: Joshua Rabinovich, H&R Technology

 

6.     Project: In-Process Gauging for Machine Tools

Problem: CAM systems don’t include mechanisms for integrating probing cycles with tool path data

Solution: Integrate probing cycles in the CAM system; develop language standard

Proposed DoD Participants:

Proposed Industry Participants: Pratt & Whitney, UGS

Idea submitted by: Christian Jesse, Pratt & Whitney

 

7.     Project: Upgrade of Super Alloy Components Using Hybrid TLP Bonding

Problem: Components don’t meet lifecycle requirements

Solution: Repair them using upgraded materials

Proposed DoD Participants: Turbine engine maintainers

Proposed Industry Participants: Siemens Westinghouse, Prima North America

Idea submitted by: Zafir Abdo, Siemens

 

8.     Project: Water Tank Coating Corrosion Protection

Problem: Not able to find coatings that can prevent corrosion of shipboard steam water tanks

Solution: Develop suitable coating

Proposed DoD Participants: Puget Sound NSY

Proposed Industry Participants: Siemens Westinghouse

Idea submitted by: Paul Stirling, Puget Sound NSY

 

9.     Project: Laser Assisted Machining

Problem: Increase machinability

Solution: Reduce machining time of high-temperature ceramics/metal-matrix composites by 70%.  Increase material removal rates by preheating with lasers followed by conventional machining.

Proposed DoD Participants: US Army, Huntsville (Warren Alford)

Proposed Industry Participants: Caterpillar; NCDMM; Nuvonyx; Prima

Idea submitted by: Yung Shin, Purdue University

 

10. Project: Coating Replacement for Bearing Surfaces

Problem: High velocity

Solution: Use high-velocity air-fueled coating to provide metallurgical bonding – looking for commercial viability proof

Proposed DoD Participants:

Proposed Industry Participants: Caterpillar (Dave Longanbach) , CAI Resources (George Cushnie)

Idea submitted by: David Longanbach, Caterpillar

 

11. Project: Hybrid Laser Waterjet Machine Tool

Problem: Machining and repair of turbine engine components

Solution: Capitalize on laser capabilities in coordination with waterjet on a single machine (reduce setups)

Proposed DoD Participants:

Proposed Industry Participants: Prima North America (Terry Vanderwert)

Idea submitted by: Mohammed Hashish, Flow International

 

12. Project: Machining Knowledge-Based Cost Advisor

Problem: Design disconnected from manufacturing cost knowledge

Solution: Capture best practices in a knowledge base that grows over time and use

Proposed DoD Participants:

Proposed Industry Participants: Imaginestics, MRI

Idea submitted by: Nainish Rathod

 

13. Project: Lean Heat Treat Cell

Problem: Low batch, low quantity manufacturing. Must put small quantities in large HT oven – big machines don’t lend themselves to one piece flow dictated by Lean concepts

Solution: Small, efficient oven designed to support lean manufacturing

Proposed DoD Participants: Pearl Harbor NSY

Proposed Industry Participants: Star Cutter, MRI

Idea submitted by: Jeff Michael, Star Cutter

 

14. Project: Fast Track Legacy Parts

Problem: Legacy parts lack technical data packet beyond paper drawing

Solution: Develop process for rapid reverse engineering from paper drawings and real objects to modern manufacturing processes

Proposed DoD Participants: NUWC Keyport, DLA, Red River Army Depot Warner Robins ALC Pearl Harbor NSY,

Proposed Industry Participants: Rolls-Royce, Imaginestics, Fraunhofer, Cincinnati Lamb, SIS, Ex One

Idea submitted by: NCDMM

 

15. Project: Surface Treatment for Longevity

Problem: Cast iron and mild steel surfaces wear from sliding. Surfaces often have grooves or other surfaces that are difficult to spray (shaft bearings, sleeves)

Solution: Laser cladding

Proposed DoD Participants: Puget Sound NSY, NUWC Keyport

Proposed Industry Participants: Caterpillar, Nuvonics, H&R Technology, Siemens Westinghouse, Fraunhofer

Idea submitted by: David Longanbach, Caterpillar

 

16. Project: Alternate Process for Chemical Stripping of Paint

Problem: Contamination (moisture) in chemicals cause corrosion – has composites applications also

Solution: Some sort of mechanical stripping, laser stripping, etc.

Proposed DoD Participants: Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center

Proposed Industry Participants:

Idea submitted by: Kim Hoang, OC-ALC

 

17. Project: Laser Source Technology for Combined Machining and Drilling

Problem: Capability to produce fan-shaped film cooling holes in gas-turbine engine components using a single source is not possible today

Solution: Develop laser source, laser beam scanner and high speed control

Proposed DoD Participants: Aircraft engine repair/overhaul centers

Proposed Industry Participants: Prima North America

Idea submitted by: Terry Vanderwert, Prima North America

 

18. Project: Automation of setup for laser drilling

Problem: Turbine engine blades and vanes must be re-drilled after repair and coating

Solution: Develop and integrate probing tools to gauge the shape of the required part and location of the holes

Proposed DoD Participants: Aircraft engine repair/overhaul centers

Proposed Industry Participants: Prima North America

Idea submitted by: Terry Vanderwert, Prima North America

 

 


 

Track 2:  Lightweight Structures Project Ideas; NCMS Contact - Connie Philips, conniep@ncms.org

 

1.     Project:  Cross Service/Cross Platform Application Of Mature Composite Repair Processes

Problem: Length of repair, cost of materials, number of materials, hazardous materials

Solution: Best Practices from cross service/cross industry/cross platform and introduce to DOD depots.  Best Materials: common specifications.

Proposed DoD Participants: Army, Navy, AF, Marines,

Proposed Industry Participants: Sikorsky, Boeing, University of Delaware, Wichita State, Avpro, United Defense, General Dynamics, Bell, Textron, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Huntsman, Henkel (Hysol)

Submitted by: Adam Sawicki, Boeing

 

2.     Project: Wet Lay-Up Repair of Bismalemide (BMI) Composites

Problem: Repair is limited by the high temperatures and the durations required. Adhesives are limited also by the temperatures.

Solution: SARAP wet lay-up repair materials/processes identified for lower temp curing repair of BMIs.  Needs demonstration.

Proposed DoD Participants: NADEP Cherry Point, North Island, Ogden ALC

Proposed Industry Participants: Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Bell Helicopter, AGFM,

Submitted by: Adam Sawicki, Boeing

 

3.     Project:  Sealant Removal From Aircraft Fuel Tanks Using Nd:yag Laser

Problem:  Need removal technique that will not damage the substrate and is green

Solution: Demonstrate laser removal from fasteners and apply NDE technologies and metallurgical studies to verify undamaged substrate

Proposed DoD Participants: Air Logistic Centers, Naval Air Depots

Proposed Industry Participants: Lockheed, Boeing, Sikorsky, Southwest Airlines, GM, Ford, DCX,

Submitted by: Norm Olson, PNNL

 

4.     Project: Reusable, High Durability Composite Family of Shipping/Storage Containers

Problem: Corrosion and damage caused to high value replacement parts due to container damage/failure, e.g. rotor blades 

Solution: Ruggedized container manufacturing using VARTM and Pultrusion

Proposed DoD Participants: Aviation Missile Command, Picatinny Arsenal, Army RL- Aberdeen, DLA

Proposed Industry Participants: Integrated Technologies, TPI, U of Delaware, Sioux Mfg., Siemens Westinghouse

Submitted by: Dana Granville, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

 

5.     Project:  Overall Classification of Parts as “Non-structural”

Problem: Many parts could be repaired or rebuilt if the parts were classified so that each application did not require lengthy engineering review

Solution: Make a list of target parts for demo of new technology(ies)

Proposed DoD Participants: All DOD Maintenance Depots, DLA

Proposed Industry Participants: Sikorsky

Submitted by: Kent Knock, Sikorsky

 

6.     Project: Laser Cut and Weld for Thin Metal Panels

Problem: Aging and legacy aircraft do not have interchangeable skin and surface panels.  Retirement of airframes presents opportunity to revise non-life limited skin and panels.  Problem: panels must be resized, i.e. weld extra materials or cut to size

Solution: Develop laser weld/laser cutting capability to modify existing panels

Proposed DoD Participants: F-15 SPO  Warner Robins ALC

Proposed Industry Participants:

Submitted by: Taylor Frazier, DLA

 

7.     Project: Conversion of Paper Based Documents to One Universal Electronic Format

Problem: Paperwork documents, legacy data, Depot Maintenance Work Requirements, Combat Systems Technical Manuals – get lost, fail to track revisions properly, are not durable for field/rough use.

Solution: Robust software/application to convert work documents to HTML/PDF files. One copy to be seen by all.

Proposed DoD Participants: All Maintenance Depots

Proposed Industry Participants: Software companies

Submitted by: Fred Burns, Anniston Army Depot

 

8.     Project: Total Productive Maintenance Program for Depots

Problem: Production machines encounter capacity and quality loss as they age.  Lean has made great improvements in productivity but currently does not have a support system for manufacturing tools, equipment, machines, and facilities.

Solution:  Train depot production workers in TPM principles and develop daily maintenance checks.  Train the who, what, where, why and when.  This will increase machinery reliability, quality, and thru-put, plus give production workers an increased sense of ownership and prompt continuous improvement.  Is a direct impact to the war fighter.

Proposed DoD Participants: US Army AMCOM, Redstone Arsenal, Corpus Christi AD, Letterkenny AD, Anniston AD, Ft. Rucker

Proposed Industry Participants: Automotive, aerospace OEMs

Submitted by: Wes Langford, Redstone Arsenal

 

9.     Project: Uniform Standards and Test Methods for Composite Structures/Materials

Problem: Need a uniform system to compare or predict the performance and reliability of composite structures by testing a sample coupon taken from the component when produced.

Solution:  Study existing testing equipment and test methods which exist between commercial and DOD.  Adapt the test methods which work best.

Proposed DoD Participants: ARL, RDECOM, TARDEC, Benet Labs, etc.

Proposed Industry Participants: ASTM, ASME, SAE, U of Delaware, South Dakota School of Mines, etc.

Submitted by: Brian Anderson, Anniston Army Depot

 

10.  Project: General Purpose Integrated Intelligent VARTM Processing

Problem: Army has wide range of very diversified composite commodities; each with unique materials, geometries, and sizes - but, all VARTM-able. Depots lack expertise, experience, time and funds to do real-time training and process development.

Solution: A common “General Purpose” tool set of software and hardware for “intelligent” process planning, control and quality assurance – for consistently good composite parts.

Proposed DoD Participants:  Army Depots, US Army TARDEC, ARDEC, AMRDEC, NATICK, ARL

Proposed Industry Participants: U of Delaware, Solectra, 2-Phase, Albany Technoweave, 3-Tex, Owens Corning, Vantico

Submitted by: Randy Siers, TARDEC

 

11. Project:  Evaluate Lightweight Armor Production, Repair and Maintenance Issues for Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Fleet

Problem: High-hardened steel is too heavy, but has the ballistic properties needed

Solution: Identify lightweight structure/material being developed and evaluate repair process feasibility and repair cycle times of these materials

Proposed DoD Participants: Army Research Lab (ARL), TACOM-TARDEC, PM TWV, TACOM Ground Systems Industrial Enterprise, Anniston Army Depot, USMC

Proposed Industry Participants: Armor Holdings, U of Delaware, Alulight, Fraunhofer

Submitted by: Carey Anderson, Fred Burns, Anniston Army Depot

 

12.  Project:  Laser Paint Stripping of Rotor Blades, Phase 2 Implementation in Depot

Problem: Current methods are hazardous, expensive, and time inefficient

Solution: Implement and demonstrate at Cherry Point

Proposed DoD Participants: NADEP Cherry Point, Corpus Christi AD

Proposed Industry Participants: Sikorsky, Carson Aviation, General Lasertronics, Penn State ARL

Submitted by: Kent Knock, Sikorsky, and Ralph Miller, General Lasertronics

 

13.   Project:  Real-Time Monitoring and Modeling of Viscosity

Problem: Viscosity affects processing parameters and cycle times: composites, adhesives, sealants, fluids

Solution: Develop and use viscosity models for real-time process monitoring

Proposed DoD Participants:  ALCs

Proposed Industry Participants: Airframers, other composite fabricators

Submitted by: Tom Rose, Avpro

 

 


 

Track 3: Electronics Project Ideas; NCMS contact - Lee Patch, leep@ncms.org

 

1.     Project:  Improve Shop Replacement Unit (PWB/CCA) Design Capability

Problem:  Legacy systems are experiencing obsolescence problems in supply and technology performance.

Solution: Improve design cycle effectiveness to reduce response time from idea to qualified production and reduce cost of design process (better design tool technology, software programs/processes)

Proposed DoD Participants:  WRALC, NWSC Crane, Tobyhanna Army Depot, Air Force Research Laboratories

Proposed Industry Participants:  Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI); Titan Industries Inc; Systems Research Corporation (SRC); Manufacturing Technology Inc (MTI); Teradyne Inc., Flexible Acquisition Support Team (FAST)

Submitted by:  John Shawhan,  WRALC

 

2.     Project Improve Printed Wiring Board Production Efficiency

Problem: Printed wiring board production is inefficient

Solution: Lean printed wiring board process - possible application of Six Sigma and Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) methodologies

Proposed DoD Participants:  WRALC, NWSC Crane, Tobyhanna Army Depot

Proposed Industry Participants: NCMS; Georgia Technical Research Center (GTRI); Mercer Engineering Research Center (MERC); Auburn University; Flexible Acquisition Support Team (FAST)

Submitted by:  John Shawhan,  WRALC

 

3.     Project:  Improvement of Qualification Testing and Operational System Survey and Engineering (OSS&E) Process

Problem:  CCA qualification testing and compliance are ineffectively managed

Solution:  Apply Continuous Process Improvements (CPI) and Six Sigma principals to the systems design and qualification process

Proposed DoD Participants:  WRALC, NSWC Crane, Tobyhanna Army Depot

Proposed Industry Participants: NCMS; Georgia Technical Research Center (GTRI); Mercer Engineering Research Center (MERC); Auburn University; Flexible Acquisition Support Team (FAST)

Submitted by:  John Shawhan,  WRALC

 

4.     Project:   Fault & Arc Location Test System (FALTS)

Problem:   Aircraft wiring is a safety and readiness degrader.  Aircraft maintenance spends most of their troubleshooting time trying to locate faults

Solution:    Incorporate new reflectometry technology applications to monitor aircraft electrical wiring on aircraft which could be powered in-flight, on-ground, or unpowered conditions.  Mature this new technology via miniaturization of the chip/sensor, developmental test, and operational test to prove out this technology.

Proposed DoD Participants:  USAF, NAVAIR

Proposed Industry Participants:  LiveWire Test Labs, Phoenix Aviation & Technology

Submitted by:   Andrew Yang, NAVAIR

 

5.     Project:  Condition-Based Maintenance and Wiring System Mapping

Problem: Inefficient wiring system diagnostics

Solution:  To be determined

Proposed DoD Participants:  Tobyhanna Army Depot, Anniston Army

Proposed Industry Participants:  Sikorsky Aircraft, Eclypse International

Submitted by:  Steve Varanay, Sikorsky Aircraft

 

6.     Project:  Enhance the Eclypse Wiring Integrity System to Include Capacitance Testing and Circuit Breakers

Problem:   Increased cycle time due to unknown health of wiring system (twisted pairs, signal and power distribution)

Solution: To be determined

Proposed DoD Participants:  Tobyhanna Army Depot and others

Proposed Industry Participants:  Eclypse International

Submitted by: Rick Foley, Tobyhanna Army Depot

 

7.     Project:  Results of  JG-PP Lead Free Solder Reliability Testing and Identification of Lead Free Products 

Problem: Inability to detect lead solder versus lead free solder on failed product returning from the field

Solution: Industry marking standards (components, boards, cards)

Proposed DoD Participants:  All DOD, NASA

Proposed Industry Participants:  JG-PP project, ITB Inc, Defense Contractors

Submitted by:  NCMS CTMA Electronics Track

 

8.     Project:  Enhance Static Detection Initiative to Provide a Remote Relay of Data, Failure Location and Condition

Problem: Difficulty in determining remote location and condition of electrostatic induced defects

Solution: RF link,  ???

Proposed DoD Participants:  Tobyhanna Army Depot

Proposed Industry Participants:  VCD Technologies, Motorola

Submitted by:  Lawrence Weber, Tobyhanna Army Depot

 

9.     Project:  Static Health Monitoring of Warner Robins CCA Redesign Process

Problem: Inadequate ESD static health monitoring for FPGAs on CCAs

Solution: Incorporate SED devices in FPGAs

Proposed DoD Participants:  Warner Robins AFB, NSWC Crane, Tobyhanna Army Depot

Proposed Industry Participants:  VCD Technologies, Titan Industries Inc.

Submitted by:   John Shawhan, WRALC

 

10. Project Synthetic Instruments in Hand-Held Portable Maintenance Aid Applications 

Problem:  Inability to comply with requirement to replace manual functional test equipment on Organizational and Intermediate maintenance levels

Solution: Synthetic instrumentation and data buss emulation

Proposed DoD Participants:  Marine Corps Systems Command, NSWC Crane

Proposed Industry Participants:  Lockheed Martin, Teradyne, Honeywell, Boeing

Submitted by: Gene Morin, Marine Corps Systems Command

 

11. Project:  ATE Expanded to Test Requirements from Design-Based Test Information for Boundary Scan and Flying Probe Technologies

Problem:  Inadequate coordination of design and test information, integration of test environment and design environment

Solution:  Integrated design to test process

Proposed DoD Participants:  Tobyhanna Army Depot, Warner Robins AFB

Proposed Industry Participants:  Teradyne, Huntron

Submitted by:  Rick Foley, Tobyhanna

 

12. Project: Automated Tool Control Inventory/Tracking System, Automated Tool Box Inventory
Problem:
Too often, tools are left on aircraft and engine components at the completion of a maintenance, sometimes causing minor repair to catastrophic events
Solution: An automated daily or real-time tracking/inventory system to account for worker’s tools that automates all tool check-out to a particular maintenance action, with check-in prior to maintenance completion
Proposed DoD Participants: Aircraft Depots, Flight safety vendors, Airlines, Medical field
Proposed Industry Participants: Lockheed, Boeing, NASA
Submitted By: Ben H. Thompson, NAVAIR Depot Cherry Point

 


 

Track 4: Business Practices and Testing Project Ideas; NCMS Contact – Mike Gnam, mikeg@ncms.org

 

1.     Project: Non-Intrusive Data Extraction and Process Automation to Support Readiness

Problem: To support forward deployed warfighter readiness, complex business processes across multiple people and system touch-points must be connected in real-time, efficiently and with a low cost point. A virtual database must be established to allow operation on information without duplication of source data. Service Oriented Architectures require every system interfaced with to be heavily re-engineered to be compliant with the SOA approach. This is cost and time prohibitive causing the current processes to be manually intensive and not real-time.

Solution: A non-intrusive software approach that does not require additional programming or re-engineering and without costly XML modifications to existing maintenance and service applications that exist within the DoD maintenance. This solution would allow for easy, real-time access to information within legacy systems without requiring any changes to the legacy systems.

Proposed DoD Participants: Oklahoma City ALC, NAVSEA Crane, US Army CECOM

Proposed Industry Participants: SDI, EG&G, HIS

Deliverables: Software solution to support readiness

Benefits: Increased readiness with lower cost by eliminating manual processes and expensive software re-engineering,

 

2.     Project: Generating Manufacturing Information from Raster information

Problem: lack of method to use raster drawing data to create model-based manufacturing and design information

Proposed Solution: Create software to automatically analyze raster data to best extract manufacturing information

Proposed DoD Participants: Tinker, NAVSEA Crane

Proposed Industry Participants: Siemens, Boeing Phantom, Imaginestics, UGS, Rolls Royce

Deliverables: Software

Benefits: Reduce cycle time (increased readiness)

 

3.     Project: Joint Readiness Support Center

Problem: Ability to provide situational awareness and connectivity to subject matter experts in real time collaboration

Proposed Solution: Develop capabilities to ensure connectivity combining the organizational, intermediate and depot capabilities to ensure mission capable of weapon systems (ERP solutions) (MMS)

Proposed DoD Participants: Tinker AFB, NAVSEA Crane

Proposed Industry Participants: UGS, SDI, IHS, Anautics

Deliverables: Development of a collaborative environment using legacy ERP and logistics management systems

Benefits: Improved readiness

 

4.     Project: ERROR Modeling of Motion Control Devices

Problem: Lack of written specifications for motion controlled devices

Proposed Solution: Generate specifications for the accuracy of motion controlled devices

Proposed DoD Participants: Air Force – engine and repair facilities, Tinker AFB, NFPC 

Proposed Industry Participants: IQL, Dimensional Photonics, Koops

Deliverables: Specifications

Benefits: Improved readiness

 

5.     Project: Assembly Design and Documentation

Problem: Work instructions with animated 3D simulations are highly effective but difficult to produce and maintain

Proposed Solution: Automated 3D assembly model disassembly/assembly animation integrated with PLM

Proposed DoD Participants: Oklahoma City ALC

Proposed Industry Participants: GE Aircraft Engines, MRI, UGS PLM Solutions, BCT, OU

Benefits: Reduce manual effort and errors, improve quality, reduce time for maintainability

 

6.     Project: Acoustic Thermography for NDE

Problem: High cost, long lead-time to identify defects, early identification of repairability

Proposed Solution: Standards development in acoustic thermography, develop a smart system to self calibrate  and self inspect, miniaturization of the AT device for remote inspection

Proposed DoD Participants: Oklahoma City ALC, Cherry Point Naval Air Depot

Proposed Industry Participants: Siemens Westinghouse, Cubic Systems, Anautics, FLIR  End users – Sikorsky

Deliverables: Standards, miniaturized smart remote device

Time: 12 - 18 months, Phase I – standards and smart technology Phase II – remote technology

 

7.     Project: 3D Photographic Visual Inspection System

Problem:  Non standard visual inspection data quality and reporting format. Nonsystematic process used in many locations and many steps in both mfg and repair

Proposed Solution: Develop a 3d photographic platform to conduct automated visual inspection

Proposed DoD Participants: Oklahoma City ALC 

Proposed Industry Participants: Siemens, Rolls Royce, Anautics, Flow Int., IQL, Boeing

Deliverables: 3d photographic visual inspection system (machine and software)

Benefits:  Enhanced cost and reduce inspection time and use of intelligence

 

8.     Project:  Prognostic Network based Fault Detection

Problem: Lack of predictive fault detection reducing the reactive response to network component (prognostics) failure 

Proposed Solution: Develop a self aware network protocol and diagnostic prognostic algorithms to monitor network message to provide proactive response. Pilot on one platform.

Proposed DoD Participants: TACOM

Proposed Industry Participants: Cubic Systems, IT companies, automotive members

Deliverables: Protocol and diagnostic prognostic algorithms

Benefits: Enabler to CBM plus


We appreciate your feedback. Please contact Chuck Ryan with suggestions or input on other topics that would be of interest to you in this newsletter. The CTMA Program is sponsored by the Department of Defense; the content of this newsletter does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the government; no official endorsement should be inferred.


Copyright 2005
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences