1. Air Force Cold Spray Applications
Brian L. James
28 MXG/AFETS
CSAT 2014

2. Aircraft Aging Rapidly Updated repair methods would improve
Need
Technology Insertion
Aircraft Aging Rapidly
Average Age ( Years)
Across the DOD weapon systems are old and getting older. New lean fiscal environment requires innovation to be able to sustain equipment. Additional challenges arise when services are asked to extend service life of existing platforms. Mounting costs associated with use – stressing already aging platforms.
Updated repair methods would improve
repair & sustainment 2

3. Air Force Technology Insertion
Background
2007 Aging Aircraft Repair Feasibility Study
Innovative process/mechanism for solving operational aircraft availability problems
Repair of previously un-repairable/unobtainable DoD managed components through the use of innovative technology
Integrated team: Operational Maintenance, Depot, Gov/Univ R&D, Industry
Mr. Victor Champagne – USA/ARL
Mr. James Yankel – USAF AFMC
Col Charles McFarland – USAF/ACC
Mr. Omar Medoza – USAF AFMC
Mr. Tosh Farr – AFMC 419 SCMS/CL
Mr. Bill Raphael – USAF AFLMC
Mr. John Robertson – HQ USAF
Mr. Thomas Condron – USAF AFLMC
Mr. Rob Norcross – USAF ACC
Dr. Christian Widener – South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Dr. Brian Kowal - USAF AFMC
Mr. Robert Hrabe – H.F. Webster Eng

4. Cold Spray Collaboration
Warfighter
Ellsworth AFB
Government R&D
Army Research Lab
Navy Mantech
Air Force Maintenance
AFETS
Air Force Engineering
OC-ALC
University
SDSMT
SD State University Center
R3S
Industry
HF Webster
MOOG

5. Chafing Location – Cold Spray Pretreatment B-1 Forward Equipment Bay
Cold Spray Applications
B-1 Hydraulic Line
Chafing Location – Cold Spray Pretreatment
B-1 Forward Equipment Bay
Integrally stiffened bonded panel – composite metal hybrid structure
CS Applied Jan 2011 (2 A/C)
~3 Years 4151 Combined Flt Hrs
Chafing Point
Wear Tested
Chafing Point
Wear Tested
CS Repaired June 2012
1+ Year, 155 Flight Hours
CS Applied Mar 2009
4+ Years, 2202 Flight Hours
Nose Landing Gear
Accumulator Line

6. Problem B-1 FEB Panels 8 panels per aircraft
Four panels per side, Lt and Rt sides
After

7. B-1 Forward Equipment Bay
Chafing Wear on Operational Panel
Before
After

8. Cold Spray Repair Process
Grit Blasted Fastener Hole
Cold Spray – as deposited
Note: Panel back surface temperature near hole can be maintained below 100°C to protect composite & prevent aging of aluminum panel

9. Repaired Surface Deposited material ground flush with surface
Before
Deposited material ground flush with surface
Hole filled & re-drilled back to OEM specifications
Repaired Fastener
OEM Fastener Hole

10. Transition and Implementation
Official Approval Documents and Commitment:
Engineering Technical Assistance Request (ETAR) E FEB Panel
Tinker Air Force Base-B-1 Chief Engineer Jeff Vaughn
2. Engineering Technical Assistance Request (ETAR) E NLG Lines
Tinker Air Force base B-1 Hydraulic Engineer Barry Magerus
3. Aircraft Modification Proposal (AF-1067) Mar 2011 MLG Lines
Langley Air Force Base ACC B-1 A4V1 Lt Col Joseph Shirey
Cold Spray Transition Locations
Ellsworth AFB
Hill AFB
Tinker AFB
Mid-America/MOOG-Webster, MA and Fargo, ND

11. Problem Hydraulic Tubing Chafing
ROI primarily based on lost flight hours and reduced maintenance man-hours
#1 Maintenance man-hour driver on the B-1
Estimated at least 1800 Mission Capable (MC) hours ~75 days improvement per year
Equates to $78M annually in lost training and maintenance costs*
* Based on AFIT Study, “Total Cost Comparison of B-1B Non-mission Capable (NMC) Drivers using Finite Source with Spares Queueing, Maj Dan Diehl, 2012
Chafing Points
Wear Tested
Spoiler Actuator
line
Nose Landing Gear
Accumulator Line
Main Landing Gear Line

12. Cold Spray Hydraulic Line pre-treatment
Process Development
Cold Spray Hydraulic Line pre-treatment
Goals
Reduce the occurrences between PDM/HVM cycles
Reduce MMHs
Improve aircraft availability

13. Action Plan Cold Spray Hydraulic Line pre-treatment
Develop logistical and maintenance procedures for implementation chafing limits
Implementation TO changes
Equipment
Define future development
Non-B nut lines
On vehicle

14. Problem F-16 Air Inlet Housing
Repair sites
What is the warfighter capability requirement that the DoD can’t meet right now – capability deficiency and/or cost unaffordable
War fighter relevance-Convey why it is important/painful
How is it done today, and what are the limitations of current practice?
Current issue is frequent corrosion failures of Mg gearboxes, replacement cost and readiness issue due to out-of-service time. We have some of this from out CBA and can put that in. Most of it is for repair, however, because the CBA concentrates on shim repairs. It does not answer the question of how many replacement gearboxes are purchased per year and at what cost. But with the increasing power of the technique we can expect to reclaim more gearboxes, for which we will need to know how many are replaced per year. We will try to get that data quickly
Why important? Logistics and readiness issue, and very important for theaters such as Iraq and Afghanistan where helos are critical for combat and for ferrying personnel to avoid IEDs.
How done today? Some repairs simply cannot be made (sump ID for ex). Corrosion often progresses too quickly to catch before it puts the part beyond economic repair. The only available repair is glue shim. There is no way to replace lost material that restores part integrity and no good way to prevent the corrosion recurring.
Nominated by AFMC Gen Wolfenbarger Staff
Repaired Sump

15. Problem F-15 AMAD - Magnesium Housing
Repair sites
Nominated by AFMC Gen Wolfenbarger Staff
Spares availability problem
High Cost/High Demand
What is the warfighter capability requirement that the DoD can’t meet right now – capability deficiency and/or cost unaffordable
War fighter relevance-Convey why it is important/painful
How is it done today, and what are the limitations of current practice?
Current issue is frequent corrosion failures of Mg gearboxes, replacement cost and readiness issue due to out-of-service time. We have some of this from out CBA and can put that in. Most of it is for repair, however, because the CBA concentrates on shim repairs. It does not answer the question of how many replacement gearboxes are purchased per year and at what cost. But with the increasing power of the technique we can expect to reclaim more gearboxes, for which we will need to know how many are replaced per year. We will try to get that data quickly
Why important? Logistics and readiness issue, and very important for theaters such as Iraq and Afghanistan where helos are critical for combat and for ferrying personnel to avoid IEDs.
How done today? Some repairs simply cannot be made (sump ID for ex). Corrosion often progresses too quickly to catch before it puts the part beyond economic repair. The only available repair is glue shim. There is no way to replace lost material that restores part integrity and no good way to prevent the corrosion recurring.
Before
After

16. Problem F-16 ADG- Magnesium Housing
Repair sites
Nominated by AFMC
Gen Wolfenbarger Staff
Spares availability problem
High Cost/High Demand
What is the warfighter capability requirement that the DoD can’t meet right now – capability deficiency and/or cost unaffordable
War fighter relevance-Convey why it is important/painful
How is it done today, and what are the limitations of current practice?
Current issue is frequent corrosion failures of Mg gearboxes, replacement cost and readiness issue due to out-of-service time. We have some of this from out CBA and can put that in. Most of it is for repair, however, because the CBA concentrates on shim repairs. It does not answer the question of how many replacement gearboxes are purchased per year and at what cost. But with the increasing power of the technique we can expect to reclaim more gearboxes, for which we will need to know how many are replaced per year. We will try to get that data quickly
Why important? Logistics and readiness issue, and very important for theaters such as Iraq and Afghanistan where helos are critical for combat and for ferrying personnel to avoid IEDs.
How done today? Some repairs simply cannot be made (sump ID for ex). Corrosion often progresses too quickly to catch before it puts the part beyond economic repair. The only available repair is glue shim. There is no way to replace lost material that restores part integrity and no good way to prevent the corrosion recurring.
Before
After

17. Benefits ROI Total Annual Savings and ROI $2.9M
Return on Investment Ratio 11
*excluding hydro tube analysis

18. Future Work Global Hawk A-10 Plenum B-2 AMAD F-15 CGB
C-5 Match Set Housing
The other 60 Candidates
FY13 Rapid Innovation Fund Award Pending
Implement cold spray at 2 operational units and one depot, coupon testing, qualification, etc.
Teaming Arrangement: H. F. Webster Engineering, VRC, Moog, ARL, General Atomics, SDSM&T

19. Questions? Brian L. James, USAF, GS-12
Chief Engineer - Air Force Engineering and Technical Services

20. Expected Return on Investment
FEB Panel (ROI ~ 6 months)
Single panel savings = $225K
B-1B annual savings > $9.6M
Huge Potential savings if implemented AF wide
Investment at field level < $1M in equipment, training, & qualification
Anticipate ALC investment higher
Hydraulic Lines (ROI ~ 1 month )
Primarily maintenance man-hour savings
B-1B >1800 Mission Capable hours (75 days) improvement per year (potentially much more)
Equates to $78M annually in lost training and maintenance costs*