Abstract
Cold spray is a cost-effective, environmentally-friendly repair technology that can effectively reduce non-mission capable rates for DOD assets. It is an additive, solid-state thermal spray process that restores components’ critical dimensional features lost to corrosion, wear or mechanical damage. The process bonds metal to metal in a relatively low-heat environment, whereby metal or combinations of metallic and non-metallic, particles are injected into a high-velocity gas stream and are directed upon a suitable substrate where they impact and consolidate to form a coating or freestanding structure, without melting.
Cold spray repairs are often faster and safer than traditional methods, eliminating health hazards and reducing safety precautions required by traditional methods. It is used to form corrosion and wear-resistant coatings and can also be used to provide dimensional restoration and a means to repair worn and/or corroded parts fabricated from a variety of materials including aluminum, titanium, magnesium, and steel. This virtual forum will feature several presenters who discuss current and future cold spray repair technology and how it is being employed or demonstrated within their DoD organizations to repair both aviation and naval equipment.
Agenda
1300-1309: Welcome and Overview – Greg Kilchenstein (OSD-MR) 01 Cold Spray_JTEG_2020_Intro
1309-1310: Administrative Notes – Debbie Lilu (NCMS)
1310-1330: Cold Spray Overview and New Technologies – Aaron Nardi (ARL) Presentation
1330-1350: Cold Spray Road Map – Keith DeVries (Program Manager, OSD ManTech) Presentation
1350-1405: NAVSEA Cold Spray Program – Jeff Campbell (NAVSEA)
1405-1420: New Mobile Units and Cold Spray Initiatives – Fred Lancaster (NAVAIR)
1420-1440: “Fully Organic Repair of Air Force Assets via Cold Spray” – Glen Drebes (Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex) Presentation
1440-1455: Multipurpose End Effector Project – Tim Eden (ARL/PSU) Presentation
1455-1500: Wrap-Up Presentation
Minutes
Event: On 28 April 2020, the Joint Technology Exchange Group (JTEG), in coordination with the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), hosted a virtual forum on “Cold Spray Repair”.
Purpose: The purpose of this forum was to provide DoD and Service level cold spray overviews, describe the DoD cold spray road map, and discuss current and future cold spray repair technology and how it is being employed or demonstrated within the DoD organizations to repair both aviation and naval equipment.
Welcome: Greg Kilchenstein (OSD-MR) welcomed everyone to the forum and thanked the presenters and all the listeners for their attendance. He also stated how important cold spray repair capabilities are to support the SECDEF’s primary lines of effort through maintaining readiness and increasing the capability and modernization of the industrial base.
Administrative: This was an open forum. The presentations, along with questions and answers, were conducted through Adobe Connect and Defense Collaboration Services (DCS), and most of the briefs were also available online at the JTEG website at https://jteg.ncms.org/. A separate audio line was used. We had 143 participants from across DOD, industry, and academia join in the forum.
Cold Spray Overview and New Technologies – Aaron Nardi (ARL) provided a brief overview of the cold spray process and described cold spray powder processing and development. He then discussed some cold spray projects ARL is working on to include Bradley turret mount repair, ball screw actuator, and ballistic armor repair. Additionally, he described injection design for nozzle development and WIP coatings development.
Cold Spray Road Map – Keith DeVries (Program Manager, OSD ManTech) provided a brief on the DoD Wide Cold Spray Technology Roadmap. Facilitated by the America Makes Institute and the Barnes Group, the objectives are to identify the current state, investment gaps and priorities, and to prevent duplication of efforts. The road map was developed through a series of Service reviews and workshops which identified needed capabilities and gaps. Another result was the identification of common and specific challenges which created prioritized collaboration opportunities. The final roadmaps and report are scheduled to be completed in Summer 2020.
Preliminary findings include:
a. Short-term gaps:
- Common Database & Taxonomy for Data
- Training & Certification Standards
- Safety Planning & Approval Data
- DoD-wide Culture of Collaboration & Data Sharing
b. Long-term gaps include:
- Non-Destructive Testing & QA
- Materials/Property/Process relationships & Agreed List of Critical Process Parameters
- Evolving Cold Spray Supply Chain
NAVSEA Cold Spray Program – Jeff Campbell (NAVSEA) discussed the accelerated delivery of cold spray technology into Navy maintenance to create organic repair capability. He started by describing the NAVSEA cold spray 3 horizon model and listed organic cold spray repair projects and opportunities along with their timeline. Some of the projects coming up include qualifying hand-held cold spray applications, fielding portable cold spray equipment, developing a machine learning algorithm that can be implemented in a VRC Cold Spray system controller, and producing unique metallic cold spray powders & powder packaging systems. Dan Stanley followed with an explanation of the Uniform Industrial Process Instruction (UIPI). A UIPIs is a NAVSEA approved document that governs work performed at the four public shipyards. It includes activities like electroplating repairs, epoxy repairs, component testing requirements, and standardized quality assurance forms. UIPIs do three main things: align the work that all four shipyards perform, provide technical limits on repairs, and authorize repairs within those limits without additional NAVSEA approval. NAVSEA finished with a discussion of a Norfolk Naval Shipyard case study using cold spray repair.
New Mobile Units and Cold Spray Initiatives – Fred Lancaster (NAVAIR) talked about a project that tests an autonomous system for aircraft material maintenance using cold spray metallization technology for the refurbishment of on-aircraft metal components. The first successful demonstration of an autonomous repair on an aircraft in the field, it will provide rapid insertion of autonomous repair systems into the DoD for everyday maintenance activities.
Once programmed, the trailer mounted system worked without human intervention, on aircraft, and worked faster and more precise and repeatable than a human. PMA-276 H-1 Program Drive Systems submitted to PMA-260 Common Aviation Support Equipment (POR) to be on the qualified equipment list. Estimated Spring 2020 for full approval.
“Fully Organic Repair of Air Force Assets via Cold Spray” – Glen Drebes (Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex) gave a presentation on a cold spray repair solution developed in collaboration between AFLCMC/EZP, UDRI, and 76 PMXG that went from idea to production in only 10 months. The benefits they realized include: cold spray does not induce distortion as compared to welding, no post heat treatment is required for stress relief, it is a more controlled process-reduction of recycles/condemnations, and sealing surfaces-previously unrepairable-can now be restored with cold spray due to its high accuracy. The application of cold spray techniques resulted in a reduction of 288 flow days per year with current fall out rate requiring repair, and a cost avoidance of over $490,000. Completed actions include air worthiness was accepted Jul 2019, PMXG developed and organic capability Jul 19, the TF33-100 gearbox was qualified in Aug 2019, and production began in Sep 2019.
Multipurpose End Effector Project – Tim Eden (ARL/PSU) described a multifunctional end effector system that can be quickly adapted to several repair technologies and integrated with robots used by the Navy. Using COTS quick disconnects when possible, a prototype is in development and being demonstrated in a shipyard. The designed and demonstrated connectors include LIDAR scanning, plasma blast coating removal, grinding surface preparation, and partnering with VRC Metal Systems for a cold spray surface repair application.
Q&A – A Q&A occurred after each briefer finished their presentation. Questions and answers will be posted on the JTEG website with these minutes.
Closing Comments: Greg Kilchenstein thanked the presenters for their contributions and all the work being done to support cold spray repair capabilities efforts across DoD sustainment. He suggested continuing the information exchange beyond the forum and the importance of collaboration within the DoD maintenance community.
Action Items:
- All cleared briefing slides were posted to the JTEG website at https://jteg.ncms.org/ prior to the forum start.
- Obtain Distribution “A” level slides for the two remaining briefs.
Next JTEG Meeting: The next scheduled JTEG virtual forum is 26 May 2020, 1:00 – 3:00 pm EST. The topic is “Condition Based Maintenance-Plus”.
POC this action is Ray Langlais, rlanglais@lmi.org, (571) 633-8019