Category: Military

Aerobotix, an AS9100-certified FANUC robotics integrator, today marked having supported the 40^th restoration of air inlet ducts on F-22 Raptor aircraft, as part of a maintenance contract with the U.S. Air Force.

With funding from the Air Force’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, Aerobotix developed an automated painting system that restores the performance coatings on F-22 air inlet ducts far more quickly, cost efficiently and accurately than doing so by hand. Aerobotix refurbished its first F-22 in 2016 and is on track to restore its 50th by early 2023.

“Our robotic technology can paint these units using only about 300 hours of labor, rather than 1,600 hours,” said project manager Bret Benvenuti, a senior robotics engineer at Aerobotix. “That’s a labor saving of around 80%, so it really solves the challenge of getting these aircraft back into service quicker. We estimate that since 2016, we’ve helped the Air Force save $8.8 million – $220,000 per aircraft – in maintenance costs.”

On jet aircraft, inlets ensure smooth airflow into engines despite turbulent air coming at the ducts from multiple directions. Aerobotix’s automated painting solution for inlet duct maintenance not only achieves major labor savings; it also improves accuracy and quality control, giving F-22 aircraft a better performance signature against radar.

Additionally, the automated system can apply more coating before the material’s pot life expires, significantly reducing waste. The highly engineered coatings cost around $1,000 per gallon, and more efficient use can save about $40,000 per aircraft.

“When you recoat jet-engine inlets manually, it requires maintenance workers to wear protective suits and respirators and spend hundreds of hours crawling around on their hands and knees inside the inlet,” said project lead Nathan Morgan, an Aerobotix field engineer. “Under those conditions, it’s nearly impossible for workers to manually apply the coatings at consistent speeds and thicknesses. Our robots achieve better results while also curbing the number of worker injuries.”

Aerobotix’s system uses two robots working at the forward and aft ends of the ducts to sand and spray-coat them. Three of the automated systems have been installed at the F-22 Depot at the headquarters of the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

Recent system upgrades include adjustable spray paths to accommodate aircraft that need only the bypass screen areas of the inlets to be recoated, or to spray the exterior of the inlets’ forward outer lip area. Coating the lip area while the aft robot is spraying the inlets saves between two and three days in labor. Aerobotix is now looking to also use the robots to simultaneously coat other exterior sections of the aircraft, including chines and tines, which will achieve further labor savings. In addition, Aerobotix has integrated a Terahertz measurement device that delivers efficiency and quality improvements.

Aerobotix has also developed similar automated painting systems for coating the F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet and F-35 Lightning II. “These are some of the Air Force’s best fighter jets, and Aerobotix is proud that our technology is supporting the jets’ combat readiness by getting them back in the sky faster,” added Benvenuti. “When you see the aircraft flying overhead, it really gives you a sense of accomplishment.”

CAD / CAM Services – an industry leading computer-aided design (CAD) and engineering firm with expertise in 3D scanning, modeling, and conversions – has been selected to take part in the U.S. envoy headed to India in an attempt to lend expertise to the rapidly growing civil aviation market in South Asia.

CAD / CAM Services, who is currently partnering with Lockheed Martin on a drone and robotic-based metrology system for the F-35 lightening, was selected as the only CAD company to accompany the group on the trade mission.

India is currently the third largest global market for civil aviation measured by passenger numbers, trailing only China and the United States. Over the next decade, Boeing is predicting the country’s aviation industry will require an additional 2,500 passenger aircraft and by 2035, it is expected that the industry will support 19.1 million jobs and contribute $172 billion to the country’s GDP. However, in order to meet those forecasts, the country is in urgent need of assistance from a number of industries, especially those in high-tech.

The envoy will depart in mid-September for the 5-day mission which will include: briefings with the Indian government’s Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA); site visits to MROs, airports, etc.; and one-on-one meetings with potential partners.

As one of the few CAD engineering firms in the world certified for high precision conversions by both the aerospace industry and the Department of Defense, CAD / CAM routinely offers in-depth inspection programs designed to provide OEMs with extremely accurate CAD files. This ensures that all CAD drawings and models match the original specifications and are capable of producing parts and assemblies that meet all design requirements.

CAD / CAM Services is well-known for its CAD Perfect conversions, and its engineers are capable of converting any CAD format file into any other CAD system. Its highly experienced CAD engineers can also make the model (or drawing) compliant with any internal aerospace standard.

With its 3D scanning and reverse engineering expertise, CAD / CAM Services is capable of creating replacement parts for both new and older aircraft to further assist aerospace suppliers. CAD / CAM models include full assemblies that are accurate to ±.002” over any X, Y, & Z axis.

Engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines is prioritizing the maintenance of engines for the Eurofighter and Sikorsky CH-53. In this way, the company is contributing to the operational readiness of the German Air Force and ensuring that Germany can meet security challenges together with its alliance partners.

The current turning point in security policy represents a rapid transformation for MTU as well. The changed situation and the increased needs of the armed forces mainly affect two engine programs at MTU: the T64, which powers the Sikorsky CH-53G heavy transport helicopter, and the EJ200 used in the Eurofighter. Since the relocation of numerous jets from Germany to NATO’s eastern flank in the Baltics and in Romania, their flying hours have increased.

“We are prepared to do everything necessary to increase the German Air Force’s operational readiness,” says Michael Schreyögg, chief program officer at MTU, summarizing the new challenges. “If the German Air Force needs to fly more, then we need to significantly shorten the cycle for our military maintenance.” For the EJ200 and T64, MTU created cross-location and interdepartmental task forces. This is significant because the engines are dismantled and assembled at the MTU site in Erding (nothwest of Munich), while spare parts management, damage inspections, product monitoring and quality assurance take place at the company’s main site in Munich.

MTU has gathered technological knowledge from its many decades of manufacturing and maintaining engines for the commercial as well as the military sector. For instance, it originally developed its compressor technology for the Eurofighter engine, then refined it in the A400M engine and finally brought it onto the high-volume commercial market with the geared turbofan. “This mutual respect between the commercial and military areas helped MTU set up a ‘fast lane’ for the Armed Forces engines in record time,” said Schreyögg. “The major challenge for us is accomplishing that without putting the brakes on our commercial programs.”

As of mid-May 2022, MTU says it has delivered almost as many maintained T64 engines to the Air Force as it did in the entire 2021 calendar year – thereby meeting the increased customer demand. Delivery frequency increased for the EJ200 as well. Repairs of the parts needed for military programs are now a higher priority, with maximum flexibility and increased human resources. Thanks to more extensive coordination, the other partners in the EJ200 consortium are also shipping urgently needed spare parts to MTU more quickly.

The US Air Force has awarded Optomec a $1.5 million contract to develop a Metal Additive Manufacturing system and process that enables the repair of oversized titanium components used in aircraft engines. The initial target, called integrally bladed rotors (IBRs, also known as blisks), are complex, single-piece compressor rotors made of light-weight titanium alloy that are routinely worn or damaged in normal use and can cost more than $500,000 each to replace with a newly made part.

The implementation of an Additive Repair process for these parts is projected to result in greater than 80% in cost savings, which could save the Air Force tens of millions of dollars per year in maintenance costs as well shorten the supply chain for these critical components, used on aircraft such as the F22 Raptor and F35 Lightning II. Optomec’s solution will also benefit the broader commercial aviation market as engine OEMs continue to integrate larger, complex titanium components into their latest, fuel-efficient designs.

The contract deliverables include the commissioning of a large format 5-axis LENS/DED metal printer with a work envelope of 1500 x 1500 x 1000 mm (5 x 5 x 3 ft), capable of handling IBR/Blisks up to 46” in diameter. The system will be equipped with a proprietary gas purification system that maintains an oxygen and moisture free environment (<10ppm), which is necessary to ensure superior metallurgical and mechanical properties when depositing titanium, especially for flight critical componentry. Additionally, the project will investigate the efficacy of various process monitoring techniques that track key variables as a validation and quality assurance measure.

Most notably, the project will employ the capabilities above to develop and demonstrate viable repairs for large blisks, including restoration of both representative wear and foreign object damage (FOD) across critical areas of the individual blades. In a final step, Optomec will repair various sections of a large scale blisk for evaluation in a spin pit test as an initial step on the path to qualification.

Optomec’s Additive Manufacturing (AM) repair processes are currently used in high volume production for other turbine engine parts worldwide, having repaired more than 10 million components over the last 20 years. This project will scale-up Optomec’s solution for use on larger parts, with diameters greater than 1m. In addition, Optomec will integrate its oxygen-free processing solution for titanium alloys–a key capability for defect-free, high-strength titanium processing.

“As OEMs lightweight and simplify their commercial and military aircraft engine designs, the industry is faced with larger, more complex titanium parts to maintain on the MRO side,” said Jamie Hanson, Optomec’s VP of Business Development, “Optomec is best positioned to deliver production solutions to this growing need, based on its proprietary machine, software and process capabilities, combined with its existing position as the market leader delivering machines for production repair of individual turbine blades. There’s no question that this project with the Air Force will benefit the broader aerospace market significantly over the next ten years.”

Optomec’s LENS Metal Additive Manufacturing machines use a process called Directed Energy Deposition (DED) to build 3D metal parts by depositing powdered metal into a precisely controlled pool of melted metal. Fiberoptic lasers supply the thermal power while advanced motion control systems manipulate the deposition system and part to produce the required geometries. Optomec leads the DED market with more than 250 machines in use, including approximately 100 industrial printers used for production repair of turbomachinery used in aircraft and energy applications.