Joint Technology Exchange Group (JTEG) Meeting

May 9 Through 11th 2000

Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD)

Depot Processes
Leading Edge Technology

Maintenance Directorate
Production Engineering Division
Industrial Engineering Branch
Mr. Edward C. Cooper
Chemical Engineer
TEL: (361) 961-6403 FAX: (361) 961-3937
Corpus Christi Army Depot

WORKLOAD TO BE SUPPORTED

Engines, Components, and Airframe sections from the

 UH-60 Blackhawk (Army work load)
 SH-60B Seahawk (Navy work load)
 MH-60 Pavehawk (Air Force work load)
 AH-64 Apache (Army work load)
 AH-1W Super Cobra Whiskey model (Navy)
 UH-1 Huey (Army work load)
 CH-47 Chinook (Army work load )
 CH-53 Sea Stallion (Possible Navy/Marine)
Industrial Engineering Branch
What Do We Do?

Function
Depot Tasking to Plan and Manage the
Upgrade and Modernization of:

Processes
Equipment
Facilities
Industrial Engineering Branch
How Do We Do It?

Identify problems
Propose solutions
Coordinate with customer
Perform Market Survey
Perform Independent Government Estimate
Perform Economic Analysis
Write Technical Specifications
Award contract
Implement projects
Industrial Engineering Branch
Credentials To Do What We Do It?

Degreed Engineers

Chemical Engineers
Industrial Engineers
Electrical Engineers
Material Engineers
Mechanical Engineers
Product Production Engineers
 Wheat Starch Blasting (WSB) Room

SPECIAL FEATURES

 12-ft W x 10 ft H x 30-ft L Blast Room

 Uses 12/30 mesh Wheat Starch media to strip paint from composites
 Composites have been damaged by Plastic Media Blasting (PMB) in the past
 Supports new model helicopters
 Non- Flight Safety parts, process based on TM55-1500-345-23 and CCAD’s A.10
 Procured at $400,000
 80% of the man-hours previously used to PMB and repair will be saved
 Army Working Capital Funds (AWCF) FY 96
 Procured by CCAD 15 May 96 from Aerolyte Systems Inc
 Installation began in September 96 and completed November 96
 Operational as of November 96, processing Army, Navy and AirForce workload
 CCAD’s Process Standard A.10 released July 98
 AVRDEC sees benefit in stripping blades relative to hand sanding
 Automated New Style Vapor Degreasing System

SPECIAL FEATURES
 Liquid and vapor phase is used to clean engine sections, gears, shafts
Equipment uses Normal Propyl Bromide which is not a HAP
3 feet of liquid immersion phase cleaning/agitation
3 feet of vapor phase cleaning
12 feet high tank (4 feet high hood)
Automated clean solvent spray mist
Automated part processing
Heat loss insulation
Power miser to reduce heat input during idle conditions
Solvent distillation/recycling
Automated New Style Vapor Degreasing System

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS (SOLVENT EMISSION REDUCTION)

Tight designed enclosure

Designed to use regenerative activated carbon to capture solvents
Dehumidifying coils
Super condensing coils (cooled to approximately –20 F)
100% Freeboard
Primary condensing coils (cooled to approximately 40 F)
Super Heated Vapor plate coils (steam at 50 psig) for fast part drying
 New Generation Vapor Degreasing System

PURPOSE
 Existing equipment upgraded to use solvents in the liquid spray and vapor phase to
clean composite structures prior to adhesive bonding.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
 The equipment will use Normal Propyl Bromide which is not a HAP

LOCATION
 Composite Shop

CAPACITY
 13 ft L x 5 ft W x 10.75 ft H overall dimensions
 Varsol Spray Cabinets (Depot Wide)

SPECIAL FEATURES

Uses PD-680 Type II A Varsol (no aromatics) to clean small parts

Vapors are exhausted and captured by carbon adsorption and returned
to holding tank
High volume low pressure spray at10 psia as gauged at 12 psig
Electric pump spray (not air atomization)
Varsol is filtered as it leaves the holding tank
Door operates under negative pressure (vacuum) when door is
open, and positive pressure when door is closed
Explosion proof lighting
 Composite Repair Facility (Waterjet cutter)

This cutting system is capable of operating up to

60,000 psi and cuts material such as composites,
glass, plastics, and exotic materials. The system is
desirable because of the precision cutting capacity
and the non-thermal application. The waterjet is
robotically operated on a three axis gantry system.
Layout Patterns and Foundry (Laser Vane Removal
Systems)

Nd: YAG Laser, this laser uses the mineral crystal

Yttrium Aluminum Garnet as the medium to
produce 10,600 nm light. The laser resonator is
adjustable to achieve power of either 250 watts in
precision drilling or 400 watts as a higher through
put cutter-driller on T-700 3rd Stage Nozzle
Segments and other nozzle segments.
Layout Patterns and Foundry (Laser Vane Removal
Systems)

CO2 Laser System, this laser uses Carbon Dioxide

gas as the medium to produce 10,600 nm light in
the far infrared spectrum with rated power at 1100
watts. Control and Operation can be done from a
CNC or the Control Console. System is used to
remove T-53 first stage gas producer vanes and
vanes from other turbine and gas producer parts.
 Rotary Wing Facility (Laser Paint Stripping
System):

The system is capable of removing paint and

primer from composite rotor blades without
structural or thermal damage to the substrate. The
system is fully automated with operation taking
place while the operator and observers are inside
the control room. The system is capable of
handling all blades currently worked at CCAD and
will be able to accommodate the Navy/Marine
CH-53 Sea Stallion blades should the need arise.
 Rotary Wing Facility (Laser Paint Stripping
System):

In addition, future use of the laser could involve the

stripping of various aircraft parts including
tailbooms, cowling pieces, and tail pylons. For this
to be possible, additional fixtures would have to be
manufactured and the system programmed by the
operator. The programming of the system is done
with a “teach pendant”. This allows the operator to
position the laser head over 3 points to define an
area, these are then saved in the system to teach the
robot the area to be stripped.
 Rotary Wing Facility (Autoclave):

The contract to design, fabricate, and install a 10

foot diameter by 50 foot, natural gas fired,
autoclave at CCAD was awarded to Taricco Corp.,
Long Beach, CA, on October 21, 1994. The cost
of the entire system and installation was
approximately $2,000,000. The autoclave system
is able to operate at temperatures up to 650
degrees Fahrenheit, 165 psi, with a full vacuum of
29 inches of Mercury.
 Rotary Wing Facility (Autoclave):

The autoclave system, which includes associated

instrumentation and support systems, was installed
at the Blade Facility in support of the Blackhawk
and Seahawk programs. This equipment provides
the Department of Army, and specifically CCAD,
the capability to perform de-icing mat
replacements on the leading edges of the main
rotor blades. This is a Category 3 level repair that
only Sikorsky can now perform.
 Rotary Wing Facility (Autoclave):

An added Autoclave benefit to composite repair

curing is the ability to remove moisture from main
and tail rotor blades.
The autoclave is utilized during the curing process
of composite repairs. After a de-icing mat or
honeycomb section is replaced and adhesive
applied, a bagging material is placed around the
repaired area. A vacuum is drawn on the bag to
remove air contamination to the adhesive bond
during curing.
 Rotary Wing Facility (Autoclave):

The blade is placed into the autoclave with the

vacuum still in place. The entire vessel is
pressurized (using a nitrogen atmosphere for
safety) and heated to accelerate curing. As the
pressure increases, the vacuum on the bag
decreases so that too much adhesive does not
squeeze out. A stronger bondline is obtained
using this procedure.
 Manufacturing NDT Shop (Waterjet Stripper)

2.9 gallons per minute of water at 55,000 psi

maximum pressure is use to Strip
Nickel/Aluminum metal spray coats from such
parts as Cooling Plates, Compressor Cases and
Impeller Shrouds in 8-14 minutes. The system is
programmable with a teach pendant. There is no
hazardous waste disposal. The unit was procured
for $900,000. Process replaces hazardous acid and
caustic coating stripping process.
 Advanced Metal Finishing Facility

A $25 million Advanced Metal Finishing facility (Plating shop)

became operational in September 1996. The project was funded
under Military Construction Army (MCA) dollars. The facility
houses 25 metal finishing processes. The facility includes the
following facility support items:
 Packed bed scrubber to prevent the emission of acidic or
corrosive exhaust fumes from entering the air.
 Water purification systems to removed hard deposits from city
water.
 Waste Treatment systems to remove heavy metals and other
contaminant from process solutions.
Engine Cleaning Shop (Automated Shot Peening)

Shot Peening is a cold working process used to

increase fatigue life & prevent stress corrosion
cracking of metal parts. The surface of metal
substrates are bombarded with round steel shot
under fully controlled conditions. Every piece of
shot acts as a tiny peening hammer. Peened part
surface layers are compressed. Cracks will not
propagate into a compressed layer formed by Shot
Peening.
Engine Cleaning Shop (Automated Shot Peening)

The Shot peening process is designed to increase

part life & eliminate failures of existing designs.
Parts which are typically Shot Peened are the UH-
1 Rotor Masts and CH-47 Rotor Shafts.
The Automated Shot Peening unit has a pressure
blast machine with a large booth, robotic arms, a
CNC controller for automated operation and one
large robotic blast nozzle. The system also has two
blast pots for two sizes of shot. The system was
procured under FY 97 funding.
 Component Machine Shop (CNC Laser Thread
Measurer )

This Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machine

measures the inside and outside diameters of UH-
60 Blackhawk parts such as the Spindle and
Spindle nut. Machine is programmable and user
friendly.
 Engine Machine Shop (CNC Boring/Milling
Machine)

This Computer Numeric Control machine drills,

reams, or bore holes in such parts as UH-60 Cuff
blades.
 Rotary Wing Facility (Blade X-Ray System)

A 100 Kilo -Volt digital X ray imaging system for the

radioscopic inspection of bonded composite
helicopter main and tail rotor blade assemblies
replaced the old X ray unit. The old system uses a
real time video imaging X ray to look for foreign
objects, moisture and cracks in composite blades. The
system could X ray the 33 foot Navy/Marine CH-53
Sea Stallion blades. The old system is called the
Hangar 44 NDI (Blade X-Ray System).
 Rotary Wing Facility (Blade X-Ray System)

The new Industrial X-Ray system is a state of the art

real time radiographic x-ray system for inspection of
U.S. Army bonded composite helicopter rotor blades.
The system was supplied on a turnkey basis including
installation and training. The system includes the
following:

Closed loop, high stability x-ray generating sub-

system & 100 Kv x-ray tube head.
 Rotary Wing Facility (Blade X-Ray System)

Host computer & microprocessor based x-ray

control unit.
X-ray image intensifier, optical coupling, & color
video closed circuit TV system.
Digital image processor.
Super VHS video cassette recorder, monitor, and
video printer.
 Rotary Wing Facility (Blade X-Ray System)

Mechanical manipulation system for x-ray tube

head & radioscopic image detector.
Operator's desk style control console.
Radiation shielded blade x-ray enclosure with
safety system.
Metal Spray Shop (Robotic Metal Spray Plasma)

Nickel Alumina, Aluminum, Tungsten Cobalt,

Cobalt Chromium, Nickel Graphite powders are
melted by a flame. The molten metal is propelled
on to such parts as the T-700 Compressor
Housing, T-700 Impeller Housing, T-55 4th Stage
Nozzle, and the T-53 Air Diffusers, providing a
protective metal coating. The unit has six axes of
movement and a teach pendant or off line program
capabilities.
Metal Spray Shop (Robotic Metal Spray Plasma)

The unit allows for metal spraying of larger and

heavier parts such as the UH-60 Main Housing
Assembly. It allows for automatic (self )
calibrating of the powder feeder flowrate (g/min).
 Container Waterjet Paint Stripper

The Waterjet stripper is an enclosed eight axis

articulated robotic arm which has an end-effector
and a nozzle mounted on the end-effector. The
nozzle uses water under high pressure to remove
paint and surface rust from steel and aluminum
containers. The project was funded under FY 93
DERA or FY 94 WMCA funds for a total cost of
$1,500,000.
 Flashjet Paint Stripper

 An automated stripping cell designed to effectively

remove topcoats, primers, and contaminates from DoD
helicopters utilizing FlashJet technology.

 The system consist of a fixed, gantry style robot and

airframe support system which utilizes a combination of
high energy pulsed light and a dry ice pellet stream with an
integrated Effluent Capture System (ECS) to remove and
capture the coating residue
 Flashjet Paint Stripper

 System can remove the topcoat only or primer and topcoat without
damaging the substrate material.
 Capable of stripping weapon systems and components composed of
primarily aluminum substrates as well as composite structures.
 No preparation (masking) of aircraft required prior to stripping.
 No wipe down or rinse required after stripping. Surface is left ready
for prime and paint. Some hand sanding required in tight corners and
areas inaccessible to FlashJet stripping head.
 Removal of contaminants (fuel residue, lubricants, dirt, etc.) are added
benefits of the process
 Flashjet Paint Stripper

 Purchase costs - FY 96 $3,519,000

 Savings / benefits - $384,514
 Type of Funding - DBOF CIP