Laser Coating Ablation
JTEG Forum Minutes
Event: On 30 April 2024, the Joint Technology Exchange Group (JTEG) hosted a virtual technology forum on “NAVAIR Sustainment Technologies”.
Purpose: The purpose of this forum was to describe some of Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) sustainment technology processes and highlight a few of the capabilities that NAVAIR has demonstrated and now use within their organization. Most of these have potential joint applications.
Welcome: John Shultz, ODASD (Materiel Readiness), welcomed everyone to the forum and provided a brief introduction while also reminding everyone about the upcoming Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) Partners’ Meeting.
Administrative: There were approximately 55 people in attendance on the open forum. The presentations, along with questions and answers, were conducted through MS Teams which also offered a chat capability for comments and Q&A. Each presenter provided an approximately 15-20-minute brief of their topic followed by Q&A. The presentations can be found on COP4ST (Requires a CAC) at: https://wiki.a2et.advana.data.mil/display/ASTECH/NAVAIR+JTEG+Tech+Forum
NAVAIR Intro / Advanced Technology Programs – Fred Lancaster (COMFRC) provided a brief overview of Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers (COMFRC), to include mission, capabilities and locations. He then described the COMFRC Advanced Technology
and Innovation (ATI) IPT whose purpose is to identify, develop, demonstrate, and support the qualification, certification, and transition of advanced technology solutions and modern industrial capabilities to improve maintenance operations and activities. He also covered the ATI structure and focus areas followed by a description of several technologies that have transitioned and are making an impact today. Lastly, he talked about technology insertion in the FRC Infrastructure Optimization and Modernization Plan, future project focus areas, and the importance of collaboration.
Additive Manufacturing at FRC-E – Jeremy Bunting (FRC-E) led a presentation on additive manufacturing (AM) and rapid support solutions at the depot. He described the benefits AM at FRC-E, the rapid expansion of AM, and today’s AM capabilities to include resin / photo polymerization, metal AM capability, laser powder bed fusion and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) applications, polymer applications with a drill fixture, and sheet metal form block.
E-Drill Applications at FRCSE – Charles Newton (FRC-SE) described the E-drill technology and its implementation at FRC-SE. He compared conventional fastener removal techniques with E-drill and provided examples where E-drill is more efficient, more ergonomic, and reduces the defect rate. He also discussed production use cases with the F-5 and even provided an example where E-drill caused damage, though at a significantly lower rate than conventional methods.
Augmented Reality Tools – John Schneider (FRC-SW) talked about COMFRC digital initiatives to include augmented reality tools used by maintainers and depot artisans
For automated inspections, NDI, defect characterization, and enhanced fleet health monitoring. He also described transitioning analog historical data to digital formats, storing and transmitting data, infrastructure modernization, processing power, machine learning considerations, digital shop floor, digital thread, digital twin, RFID, and the modern shop floor.
Cold Spray Repairs at FRCSW – Matthew Chu (FRC-SW) described NAVAIR cold spray capabilities to include the equipment, the conditions when cold spray is used , and that NAVAIR has 45+ approved repairs and 500+ components repaired. He explained the types of cold spray repairs conducted at NAVAIR: Blend and Fill (Corrosion Damage Dimensional Restoration and Wear Damage Dimensional Restoration) and Repair Process Replacement (Thermal Spray Replacement and Hard Chrome Replacement) and provided examples of each.
Robotic Painting System; Autonomous and Intelligent Aircraft Maintenance Technologies at FRC SE – Fred Lancaster (COMFRC) explained the projects’ objective as: design and develop an Autonomous Robotic Platform (ARP) with multiple functions and capabilities for aircraft maintenance and sustainment operations. Specifically, a coordinated, autonomous, mobile robotic solution will provide a scalable platform for corrosion mapping, laser coating removal Non- Destructive Testing (NDT) inspection and coating system re-application for use in aircraft maintenance and sustainment operations. He described a use case involving organic coating application at FRC-SE including the paint bot design and use.
Laser Ablation for NAVAIR Applications: ONR MANTECH – Fred Lancaster (COMFRC) briefly spoke about evaluating laser ablation for use in varied applications within NAVAIR and generating strategies for testing and implementation. He highlighted the technical status of laser ablation at NAVAIR to include fatigue testing, adhesion/repaintability, corrosion testing, stress analysis, and sealant testing.
Q&A – Q&A occurred during and after each briefer conducted their presentation.
Closing Comments: John Shultz, ODASD(Materiel Readiness) thanked the panelists and participants for their attendance and discussions on the laser ablation technologies presented and all the work being done to support the development and implementation of maintenance innovations in support of DoD operations.
Action Items:
- None
Next JTEG Meeting: The next scheduled JTEG virtual forum is 28 May 2024, 1:00 – 3:00 pm EST. The topic under consideration is “Technology Transfer”.
POC this action is Ray Langlais, rlanglais@lmi.org, (571) 633-8019