F/A-18 Decompression Sickness · FRCSW Mission & Vision Mission e We generate readiness through timely and responsive production of engines, aircraft, and components for the warfighter.

F/A-18 Decompression SicknessFRCSW Working to Find Solutions

Volume 10 - Issue 2

Teammates,

As I said at the tailgates recently; I am proud to be the new Commanding Officer of FRCSW and I appreciate the efforts of each of you. I look forward to much success working with this team.

At the bottom of this page, left of the Almanac staff box, you will see a section with our Mission and Vision statement. Together, these statements not only serve as our operational base but also lead us to our ultimate goal: to provide and improve upon the readiness of our fleet.

Though the fiscal year (FY) 2018 defense budget has increased over last FY, so has the demand to ensure our fleet’s readiness.

To meet that demand, we must stay focused on our mission — delivering the best MRO products and services to our customers, the warfighters.

From production to support, the jobs here and the skill sets required to do them are varied. But there are a few approaches to our daily work that should be characteristic to everyone:

• Think about what you are doing, why you are doing it, and for whom. Stay focused. Our warfighters depend on you doing your job properly and thoroughly. Their lives depend upon the quality of aircraft and components we send them when they are called upon to perform on behalf of our nation.

• Be inventive in solving problems. Much of our current tool-ing uses the latest in the industry’s technological advances, programs like our additive manufacturing and cold spray technologies greatly increase the efficiency and quality of our products. Technology is just one avenue toward problem solving. Quite often, problems are easily solved with a simple common sense anecdote.

• Innovate where you can. Think “outside of the box.” Without innovative thinking, we would have never created the F/A-18 Center Barrel Replacement Program over 25 years ago. If you have an idea on how to improve a procedure, run it up the chain. You may find yourself with a Beneficial Suggestion Award.

• Communicate with one and other. If you see or think something is wrong, say something to your work leader or supervisor. And lastly, if you need help, ask for it.

As the Defense Department adapts to meet and exceed its chal-lenges in the coming years, we will be called upon to craft solutions to increase the throughput of our products while ensuring our proce-dures are the best in naval aviation.

Each of you plays an important role here. Like the artisans and Sailors who came before you, it is the people who work here who are the key to our success.

For almost 100 years, this command has forged a rich tradition founded in innovation, dedication and service to our nation. Together, I am confident we will meet the upcoming demands and readiness requirements of our nation, our Navy and warfighters.

As always thank you for your continued support.

Anthony JaramilloCaptain, U.S. Navy

Commanding Officer

Skipper’s Corner:Focus on Mission and Vision

Commanding Officer

Capt. Anthony JaramilloCommand Master Chief

CDMCM (AW/SW) Joel Rodriguez

FRCSWCommand Address

Commanding OfficerFleet Readiness Center SouthwestP.O. Box 357058San Diego, CA 92135-7058

FRCSW Website http://www.navair.navy.mil/frcsw

FRCSW Facebook https://www.facebook.com/frcsw

FRCSW YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/FRCSWPAO

FRCSW Public Affairs OfficePhone: 619-545-3415Email: [email protected]

OmbudsmanMatthew Lutz

Phone: (619) 301-7091Email: [email protected]

Work Schedule Status &Special Instructions in Emergencies

1-866-269-6590

FRCSW Mission & VisionMission

We generate readiness through timelyand responsive production of engines,

aircraft, and components for thewarfighter.

VisionTo be the premier maintenance repair

and overhaul organization in theDepartment of Defense by providingthe best value, highest quality, and

most reliable products.

FRCSW is a cornerstone of futureNaval Operations which we achieve

through a highly capable workforceand robust community partnerships.

Magazine StaffPublic Affairs officer Mike Furlanoeditor Jim MarkleGraphic Artist Chuck ArnoldVideographer/Photographer Scott JanesPublic Affairs Specialist/Photographer Christopher Nette

FRCSW ALMANAC is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Navy. Contributions are welcome, but the Commanding Officer and editor reserve the right to correct, edit, and omit material as necessary to conform to editorial policy. FRCSW ALMANAC is printed from appropriated funds in compliance with NPPR P-35 Rev. Jan. 1974.

Fleet Readiness Center Southwest

Capt. Anthony Jaramillo

About the Cover: Lt. Eric Wickens performs pre-flight checks on an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the “Golden Dragons” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 192 on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Photo by MC3 Matthew Granito

Features4 COVER StORy F/A-18 Physiological Events8 SuPER hORnEt WindSCREEnS F/A-18s Get a Clear View10 FRCSW tESt LinE First and Last Stop For Rework12 AIRSpeed Improved Efficiency16 nEW PLAting OVEn Cadmium Plating Quicker17 ARRESting hOOkS Stopping Hornets Safely

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) leads the Republic of Singapore navy corvette RSS Valiant (PGG 91), frigate RSS Supreme (FFG 73) and guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102).

Photo by MC3 Anthony J. Rivera

Volume 10 - Issue 2 - May 2018

NAVAIR Engineers Target F/A-18 Physiological Events

A group of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) engineers intend to solve a troubling and dangerous problem that has been experienced by pilots who fly all variants of

the F/A-18 Hornet airframe: decompression sickness, or Physiological Events (PE).

An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the “Stingers” of Strike Fighter Attack Squadron (VFA) 113 flies by the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Photo by MCSN Michael A. Colemanberry

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During a PE, a pilot may experience confusion, dizziness or even the loss of consciousness due to hypoxia, or the lack of an adequate supply of oxygen. To date, more than 500 PEs including decompression sick-ness and hypoxia have been documented.

Kyle Zust, F/A-18 Environmental Control Systems (ECS) Cabin Pressure Test Lab (CPTL) Project Lead, suspects that problems with the airframes cabin pressurization system may be contributing to PE events.

“The inability of the cabin to maintain proper pressure has been recorded in F/A-18 A-F and EA-18G aircraft. Improper cabin pressure on the ground and during flight can result in a PE,” Zust said. “We have docu-mented occurrences during the life cycle of this aircraft that have stated issues with cabin pressure. Around 2011, the F/A-18 and EA-18G Fleet Support Team (FST) created a PE tracking system which has allowed us to gather information following a PE to investigate the occurrences.”

To test and verify cabin pressure anomalies, Zust and NAVAIR lead engineer Sean Alexander formed an engineering team in September 2016 and designed and built a testing laboratory in Buildings 486 and 487 at Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW).

“Following a PE, we have removed ECS cabin components and sent them for investigation and have found no `smoking gun’. The purpose of the CPTL is to establish system level test capability that will enable us to determine root cause(s) and corrective action(s) to cabin pressure related PEs. The CPTL and multiple other efforts is a product of the PE tracking system,” Zust said.

The main testing component of the F/A-18 Hornet pressurization test lab is pictured. The test lab is also comprised of a vacuum pump and accumulator which stores the air pressure. Photo by Jim Markle

Aerospace engineer Nathan Cox operates the pressurization test lab control station while fellow aerospace engineer Duy Nguyen, foreground, monitors the inside of the test chamber. Photo by Jim Markle

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Working in conjunction with the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Boeing through the NAVAIR F/A-18 Physiological Root Cause Corrective Action Team (RCCA), the CPTL was designed in fall of 2016, and built in the spring of 2017 by FST engineers. The facil-ity was fully operational Aug.18, 2017.

NAVAIR ECS branch manager Dan Cummins said that the RCCA is split into two primary groups: one that focuses on identifying the root cause(s) of the F/A-18 PEs, and the other group on implementing solutions into F/A-18 aircraft.

“RCCA is a problem-solving model that has been used by Boeing to solve complex aero-space issues on other platforms,” he said. “The RCCA team is a

government-private industry partnership that has representa-tion from Boeing, Northrup Grumman, In-Service Engineering (FST), F/A-18 Aircraft Certification Engineers (ACE), PMA 265 engineering Class Desk, as well as aeromedical experts.”

“The team has begun testing on what we call `ECS Characterization Testing’. This testing gives us a measured baseline on how the ECS system performs in the F/A-18 aircraft. Follow-on testing will include fault testing and qualification testing of solutions,” Cummins said.

The test lab is comprised of three major components: A 3,400 cubic feet per minute variable speed industrial pump that generates negative pressure, or a vacuum, an accumulator, and the test chamber.

Aircraft cabin pressure components are placed in the chamber and analyzed via a closed-loop electronic control system and software devel-oped by the NAVAIR team. A closed-loop control system uses feedback signals to make adjust-ments to itself.

The test chamber is compat-ible with all single and dual seat F/A-18 variants and has the abil-ity to simulate an aircraft cabin environment from 0 to 50,000 feet, and climb rates exceeding 50,000 feet per minute.

“Much of the system testing being done in the CPTL cannot safely or practically be done in a manned aircraft,” Cummins said.

At a cost of approximately $1.8 million, the lab is the only one of its kind that can test cabin pressure components on a system level. And with more than

Commander, Naval Air Forces Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker is briefed by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) engineers in the Cabin Pressure Test Laboratory (CPTL) in Building 487 onboard Fleet Readiness Center Southwest. The CPTL is used to test and verify F/A-18 Hornet cabin pressure anomalies in an attempt to isolate and resolve physiological events that have been experienced by pilots flying the fighter jets. Photo by Scott Janes

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Editor’s note: NAVAIR would like to recognize the following personnel who were instrumental in the development and construction of the Cabin Pressure Test Laboratory (CPTL):

• CPTL Project Manager, Capt. Kyle Zust, USAF

• Lead design senior engineer Sean Alexander

• Assistant Project Manager, senior engineer Wesley McGinn

• Software design senior engineer Daniel Newell

• Software design senior engineer Jay Chu

• Mechanical engineer Tim Wenzler

• Aerospace engineer Duy Nguyen

• Aerospace engineer Nathan Cox

• Aerospace engineer Tanner Munson

• Aerospace engineer Thomas Olson

• Aerospace engineer Nicholas Nguyen

• Aerospace engineer Brian Greubel

• Mechanical engineer Ernest Sadovnikov

• Cherry Point Pneumatics Fleet Support Team mechanical engineer Ian Simmons

150 hours of testing already under their belts, the F/A-18 FST has garnished valuable insight from the work already completed.

“We have gained a clearer understanding of how the F/A-18 cabin pressurization components are performing at the system level,” Cummins said. “We are currently systematically testing flight profiles to better understand the system variables that drive the system pressurization overshoots and cabin surging. We believe we are heading in the right direction.”

“By creating this lab we will gain the system level test capability that will ensure our aircrew can come home safely to their families, and also be effective down range,” Zust said. ▼

Aerospace engineer Ian Simmons monitors the pressurization lab’s vacuum pump. The pump is one of three major components to the lab. Photo by Jim Markle

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FRCSW Revamps

Super Hornet

Windscreen Production

A project in the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) canopy shop that began in June 2017 to address

occurrences of delamination in some windscreens of F/A-18 Super Hornets has come to an end.

Components production manager Jakob Grant said that fleet back orders for the windscreens had reached about 40 last year prompting FRCSW artisans and engineers to apply their expertise and ingenuity to craft a solution.

“Working together with the sheet metal artisans in the canopy shop, the machinists, painters, and the evaluation and examination teams, engineering embedded itself into the paint and sheet metal shops and worked side-by-side with them to develop local engineer-ing specifications (LES) to measure the coating that is used on the windscreens and to streamline the process,” Grant said.

To improve the paint process, materials engineers determined the requirements for measuring the density and thickness of the low-observable coatings that are applied to the windscreens.

An initial LES for the repair and replacement of the transparencies (the actual glass which is made of polycarbonate and acrylic plastics) was also developed.

“The coating process in the painting area was our main develop-ment and deviation from our regular procedure, and because of the additional requirement to measure the density and thickness of the coating, it went from a 13-day process to averaging a 26-day process in paint,” Grant said.

“This also caused some of the backlog because it was taking us twice as long to meet the engineering requirements which had become more stringent, and to still meet fleet requirements.”

Nevertheless, team efforts enabled the canopy shop to produce 31 windscreens during the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. The shop is on track to produce the same amount for the second quarter.

“For three months we worked to streamline procedures, and in early October, we were able to meet fleet demands of 10 windscreens per month. During that time, we had to work with engineering under temporary instructions to get those 30 windscreens done,” Grant noted.

Windscreens are turned in from the fleet as repairable units. Upon induction they are cleaned and prepared for disassembly by the shop’s artisans in Building 250.

“We remove the fasteners and sand and prime the windscreens,” said sheet metal mechanic Loc Yu. “Afterward, the windscreen is placed in the fixture where we install new glass and seal the seams. All of this takes about five days. Then it moves to paint in Building 472 before being reissued to the fleet.”

Canopy shop work leader eugene ellis noted that the shop uses continuous process improvement measures on windscreens and Hornet canopies.

“We have a single piece flow system that results in less waste of materials and sealant, and fewer defects. In turn, this increases our production quality and results in less rework. Our ultimate goal is to extend the service life of the windscreens and improve production to the fleet,” he said.

FRCSW is the only naval facility that refurbishes Super Hornet windscreens. ▼

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FRCSW Test Line:

Ensuring Quality Aircraft to the FleetPhotos by Jim Markle

Encompassing almost 1.5 million square feet at the very Western portion of Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI), the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) Test

Line Support Facility is the hub for test flying the aircraft the command’s artisans repair and maintain.

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The sprawling compound includes an 800,000 square-foot aircraft ramp with parking for numerous aircraft, three climate-controlled storage hangars, out-buildings, seven fabric work shelters and a main support building (785).

Unless an aircraft is trucked onto NASNI, the FRCSW Test Line is the first – and last – stop during its visit to the command.

“The squadron maintenance charts and log books are some of the first things we go through upon induction of any aircraft; it’s the first step in the process before an aircraft is turned over to its product line,” said Aviation Machinist Mate Chief Petty Officer Gabriel McConico, maintenance controller of the FRCSW Test Line.

On the reverse side of that process, the Test Line and log sell procedures include final ground checks, test flights, and a review of all documentation to ensure that the work has been completed and certified.

In accordance with Navy regulations, any aircraft completing depot-level rework is required to undergo at least one Functional Check Flight (FCF) prior to delivery to the fleet to determine the quality of work and the airworthiness of the aircraft. The FCF is the final step in Test Line procedures.

Three of the four major aircraft product lines at FRCSW bring their aircraft to the Test Line: F/A-18 Hornets, E-2C Hawkeyes, C-2A Greyhounds, and H-53 Super Stallions all must be flight checked at the flight line.

The only aircraft that doesn’t pass through the Test Line is the H-60 Sea Hawk helicopter; though the aircraft may be stored in facilities there on a short-term basis, McConico noted.

Returning more than 40 F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft to the fleet during fiscal year (FY) 2017, FRCSW test flies more legacy Hornets than any other airframe.

The Test Line ‘selling’ phase begins once the aircraft is transported from Building 94 where all repairs and maintenance proce-dures are performed.

Once under the cognizance of the Test Line staff, it is checked, prepared, test flown, and returned to the customer.

The Hornets are also weighed when returned from maintenance because modi-fications or repairs can affect the aircraft’s weight. The planes are weighed again after painting (prior to delivery to the customer) to make sure they’re within an acceptable limit.

Artisans assigned to the F/A- 18 Test Line program include aircraft examiners (AE) and an examination evaluator (EE).

AEs also assess the aircraft’s functions to ensure a safe and proper flight. This includes the hydraulics, fuel system, air conditioning, engines, and cabin pressure.

“AEs are the initial ones who issue discrep-ancies, fix discrepancies and decide when the aircraft is ready,” McConico said.

While AEs turn the avionics on, actual system checks are performed by EEs, electri-cians, and electronic integrated systems mechanics.

The F/A-18 Test Line artisans face few barriers they cannot overcome at the flight line to ensure a safe initial test flight.

“But on occasion certain issues can come up where we would have to return the aircraft to Building 94,” McConico noted. “If a new message is released that requires replacement of an inboard leading edge flap, for example, or if there’s a technical directive requiring an update, then we would send the aircraft back for things like that.”

In contrast to the volume of F/A-18 Hornets, only nine E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning and eight C-2A Greyhound transport aircraft were inducted and returned to the fleet in FY 2017.

Artisans comprised of AEs, mechanics, electricians, and avionic artisans prepare the turbo-propeller airframes for flight at the Test Line.

During induction a series of “dynamic tests” are performed on all systems to check their condition.

Dynamic tests are those that engage the engines, hydraulics, fuel, radar, and other systems used in the flight of the aircraft.

“From the initial induction to get to the production floor is dependent on available space, and can be about three to five weeks to get to Building 460 for the aircraft’s planned maintenance interval (PMI),” McConico said.

After PMI and any repairs, the aircraft are reassembled and returned to the Test Line where another round of dynamic tests are

performed to ensure they meet pre-flight inspection status.

AEs test all of the systems except the avionics, which is tested by journeyman avionic artisans.

Solely serving Marine Corps squadrons throughout the west coast including Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, the FRCSW CH-53 Super Stallion program returned 10 helicop-ters to the Corps during FY 2017.

During induction the main rotor blades are removed and the aircraft is de-fueled.

Afterward, the aircraft is transported to Building 378 to undergo the Integrated Maintenance Program (IMP) that includes a variety of procedures including structural repairs to the fuselage and electrical wiring upgrades.

Work exceeding IMP specifications, like replacing engines or rotor heads that have ex-ceeded their recommended hour or life limit, is often done by the Marines themselves to save money.

AEs are assigned to the Test Line and perform startups, systems, and electrical checks.

Unlike the F/A-18 and E-2/C-2 programs, FRCSW does not have CH-53 pilots on staff. Instead, pilots from prospective squadrons are notified when an aircraft is ready for test flight and delivery. ▼

Electrician Dana Joygrimley makes adjustments to a legacy F/A-18 flight control computer at the FRCSW Test Line.

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Systems analysts James Brown and Marty Hernandez are looking to change things. Things like work place cultural and how to

effectively solve problems that get in the way of aircraft production.

Brown and Hernandez are assigned to the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) training department. They are two of seven “Black Belts,” or those who have achieved an advanced skill set in the continuous process improvement program they teach: AIRSpeed.

AIRSpeed was introduced to the Navy in the early 2000s, and first taught here about 13 years ago at the then-Naval Aviation Depot North Island (NADEP).

Vidal Nuno, work leader for the fuel cells installation shop in Building 94, opens a storage cage where ready-for-issue fuel cell parts are stored for legacy F/A-18 Hornets. Photo by Jim Markle

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AIRSpeed, itself, has not changed. But the way it’s used, and its perception at FRCSW has:

In the past, Brown said, people were having AIRSpeed “done to them.”

“An AIRSpeed team would come out to a work center and tape out production areas. Now the whole point is project manage-ment. AIRSpeed is used to find out what the customer thinks his problem is, and then dissecting that to see what is causing it,” Hernandez said.

“People simply see the issues in front of them. They don’t know what caused them, they just know they’re there.”

New employees learn the value the com-mand places in AIRSpeed within their first 90 days of reporting here, as they are required to attend “Yellow Belt,” or basic skills AIRSpeed training.

The course covers the process improve-ment tools of “Lean,” or identifying waste (time, material, etc.) in a production process and developing remedies to find efficien-cies and reduce time, and Six Sigma which strives to improve production and services by eliminating variation in a process.

During Yellow Belt training, employees move through production areas to see examples of existing and previous AIRSpeed

projects and applications. Training is aug-mented by charts, explanatory digitals and films, Hernandez said.

“By going on the floor and then showing them the films, it clicks better. We’ve seen a difference especially with the last class, they got it a lot faster; so visual representation, and instruction along with film gets them to the `Green Belt,’” he said.

The Green Belt course is one-week long and is the intermediate level of AIRSpeed. It teaches the Theory of Constraints which is used to identify restrictions to processes, and targets eliminating organizational conflicts to optimize a system flow.

AIRSpeed: Solving Problems to

Increase Efficiency

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Aircraft mechanics Mike Chi, right, and Dang Nguyen replace the fuel cell of a legacy F/A-18 Hornet in Building 94. The fuel cell shop had recently undergone a Green Belt project to increase and improve the flow of its production system. Photo by Jim Markle

Green Belt training, unlike Yellow Belt, is not required by the command. Instead, employees must request the training through their supervisors and have a definitive problem or project they wish to address.

Participants receive hands-on training and learn the sequences of AIRSpeed to resolve and conclude the project.

“once people start understanding the methodology and how to look for issues, they start looking below the surface for the root causes that are causing problems,” Brown said. “What was done in the past was just band aids put on the problems, but we show them how to get to the root cause, and how to mitigate that to eliminate it. This is essential to project management.”

“If you know what it is you’re going to fix and what causes it, then you have to know how to manage it,” Hernandez noted.

Concentrating their efforts within the F/A-18 Hornet production line in the Building 94 hangar, Hernandez and Brown cited the Hornet fuel cell shop as an example of how a Green Belt project resolved production barriers and improved readiness.

Because there was no established sched-ule for them, the shop’s artisans had to wait when servicing the fuel cells that are located behind the cockpit on top of the aircraft. Only the hours to perform the work were allotted.

“If you don’t schedule a process to be done and give it the time it needs and it’s spread all through the overhaul of the aircraft, the continuity or the loss of continu-ity could cause something to be missed,” Hernandez said.

Fuel cell personnel must be finished with the aircraft before it continues through assembly. Power runs, checks and operations are not possible with an artisan working in the cell.

To remedy the issue, a work schedule was set and other improvements within the shop were made.

“We have a schedule of 14 days now to complete work on the five fuel cells in the legacy Hornets. And we have our own designated area for installation that includes storage,” said Vidal Nuno, fuel cell work leader and one of the Green Belt project participants.

“We also received new fuel stands about eight months ago which don’t require harnesses, and one more set is on order,” he added.

Prior to their relocation to the hangar floor, the shop was located in the building’s mezzanine. Artisans had to walk seven to 10 miles a day to carry their gear to aircraft work sites. It now takes them about 40 steps to gather what they need.

“Anytime you have to walk to do some-thing it’s a waste because it’s taking time away from doing your job,” Brown said. “When you walk a process that someone says takes about 10 minutes to do, you often find they may stop to get a tool they need, or stop to get rags or hazmat, and it can turn into an hour. This is what we look to mitigate.”

Meanwhile, the mezzanine has been converted to the shop’s kitting area.

“Material storage cages are used in the kitting area. Before, the shop couldn’t pull its inventory. Now they know exactly what they’re supposed to have, can track it, and when they are supposed to have it by com-partment on the aircraft,” Hernandez said.

AIRSpeed

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Artisans enter the fuel cell through a 17-by-12-inch hatch where they remove and install the fuel bladder and work among the cell’s components.

“Parts that are removed have to be dispo-sitioned. They go through an evaluator and examination (E & E) to determine if they can go directly to kitting, or are good but in need of slight repair, or if they need to be scrapped out and a new replacement part ordered,” Hernandez said.

The recent addition of E&E and production control personnel have significantly increased the efficiency within the kitting area and the shop’s timeliness in meeting other require-ments, Nuno noted.

Procedure turn-around time (TAT) is another factor commonly evaluated through an AIRSpeed project.

“With TAT we are looking at time available divided by customer demand. That gives us an idea of how much time we have to work on something,” Brown said.

TAT also serves in determining work center staffing requirements based upon the number of people needed to complete a procedure in an allotted amount time.

If or when a process fails, it may usually be attributed to either training, communication or accountability, Brown noted.

“We continuously validate the processes to make sure they are still working. That’s part of the continuous process improvement, because the Theory of Constraints (restric-tions to processes) will always move. Theory of Constraints works well in a manufacturing environment, but here, because we have different configurations of aircraft, we have different requirements like a Planned Maintenance Interval 1 and 2, so it depends on the hours on the aircraft,” he said.

Though AIRSpeed is the vehicle to efficiency in program readiness, the chang-ing culture of the FRCSW work force is the catalyst to its implementation.

“The biggest change I’ve seen in this group (F-18) and others is the ability to walk them through an area in work or completed in work and let them ask the questions: `how, why, when, who, where and what,’ and then show them through the training how it all con-nects,” Hernandez said.

“There are cultural barriers, but what makes this program successful for the F-18 is that Marty and I are out there all of the time, and now that the work force knows we are there to help them, someone may stop us and say, `Hey, I’ve got an idea,’ whereas that really wasn’t happening before,” Brown said.

“People are seeing the value in the training and we pack a class of 30 people every session for the Yellow Belt, and we have people waiting to get in to the Green Belt training,” he added. ▼

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To help ensure its cadmium-plated aircraft parts are manufactured

under the highest possible standards, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) replaced its 45-year-old cadmium plating furnace with a new computer-aided design (CAD) model.

The new furnace, which arrived in the plating shop in Building 472 on Dec. 5, can accommodate parts as small as bushings to components of up to 5 feet in length by approximately 2 ½ feet in width.

Unlike its predecessor, the new furnace has two holding racks: one stationary, and the other with an option of motion that ensures a more even coating process.

“Not only does this new one have a higher component capacity, but it can complete the coating process in approximately 50 percent less time,” said Martha Hoffman, Capital Investment Program (CIP) project manager. “The old furnace required the operator to remove and turn the components as part of the coating process, which can add up to an additional 30 minutes to the overall procedure.”

FRCSW artisans underwent a five-day operator training seminar by Tito Visi, presi-dent of V&N Advanced Automation Systems, manufacturer of the furnace.

Training included the use of the unit’s 500-gigabyte computer/control panel to input production commands and print reports. The CAD system is user-friendly, operating through common programs like Microsoft Word™ and Excel™.

A successful cadmium coating procedure is dependent upon a variety of requirements, Visi noted.

“The fewer molecules of air you have in the chamber, the better coating you are going to have. So for this, we have a mechanical pump and a booster pump which brings the atmosphere to a regulated air pump (RAP) vacuum,” he said.

“We bring the pressure down and when we hit the base pressure needed for the coat-ing, we are able to evaporate the material (cadmium) to stick to the part. That takes around 20 minutes. Then, argon is introduced to cool down the part which eliminates any contamination. We don’t use oxygen or air, because the part could oxidize.”

When complete, the part is removed and moves on through the plating process.

Costing approximately $990,000, the new furnace will not only be used to coat F/A-18 Hornet and E-2/C-2 aircraft parts, but LM2500 engine parts, as well. ▼

FRCSW Fires Up NewCadmium Plating Furnace

Tito Visi, president of V&N Advanced Automation Systems, right, discusses use of the recently installed computer-controlled cadmium plating furnace to materials engineer Howard Whang, center, and equipment engineer William Castillo in the FRCSW plating shop in Building 472. The new plating furnace offers a higher component capacity than its predecessor and can complete the cadmium coating process in approximately half the time. Photos by Jim Markle

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While the Navy continues to test and hone the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and the Advanced

Arresting Gear earmarked for the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, the fleet continues to rely upon the steam catapults and hydraulic arresting gear used on its Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

Refurbishment of F/A-18 Super Hornet arresting hooks that are used aboard the Nimitz-class carriers is handled by the artisans in the dynamic components division in Building 472 at Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW).

Arresting hooks work in conjunction with the ship’s arresting gear. Arresting gear are typically comprised of the arresting cables; purchase cables, which connect the arresting wire to the arresting gear engines; sheaves which the purchase cables run through; and arresting engines that absorb the energies resulting from an aircraft landing.

“The arresting hook is made up of three parts: the arm, shank and pivot. We have pivots and arms in our kitting area and the only thing we’re waiting for right now are shanks,” said supervisor Roger Smith.

Arresting hooks are removed from the fleet and refurbished every 300 trappings.

After a non-destructive inspection (NDI), the arresting hooks undergo paint stripping, removal of the catapult plate and bushings, and then an inspection for corrosion.

“We will fabricate bushings and machine them out when neces-sary, NDI the part, cadmium plate, prime and paint them,” Smith said.

Three artisans are assigned to the arresting hook assembly workload, which is undergoing an engineering analysis to ensure the highest possible standards throughout the production process.

“We have been checking the status of the required processes of the arresting gear. Many are about half way through the process and have been put in preservation. The engineers will review whatever processes have been done to them, and will make decisions from there to carry on with the work,” said aircraft mechanic Rayson Retener.

The artisans also test the assembly shanks using machinery designed to emulate the force of a Hornet aircraft carrier landing.

“The shank is attached inside of the machine where 1,000 pounds per second are pulled against it until it reaches 200,000 pounds, which are then held for five seconds,” Retener said.

Until March 2017, FRCSW was the single source provider of shanks for the fleet. That service is now divided equally with subcon-tractor Able Aerospace Services located in Mesa, Ariz.

Smith said that the command is also contracting some of its E-2/C-2 landing gear workload to UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) headquartered in Charlotte, N.C.

“If we‘re the single source of supply and something happens that prevents us from delivering, then the fleet comes to a stop. So it’s always better to have two sources of supply, so the other side can ramp up production. We will have more arresting hook assemblies for the fleet this way,” he said. ▼

FRCSW Refurbishes

Super Hornet Arresting Hooks

Aircraft mechanics Rayson Retener, foreground, and Jay Mamuyac review the status of arresting gear placed in preservation in Building 479. Photo by Jim Markle

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On the heels of creating its sheet metal artisan training program last April, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW)

expanded its depot-level training endeavors in January to include a paint training course.

The concept and timeline for the course, which targets workforce and production quality, was initially developed in May 2017.

Daniel DeMilio, deputy integrated production team lead for the paint complex, was joined by subject matter expert planner/estimator David Chavez, paint training crew leaders Daniel Hernandez, Donnie Kilgore, Dustin Briggs, and crew leader David Powers in developing the paint course.

The team used technical publications and drawings as guide mark-ers to ensure the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the information contained in the course.

Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers was apprised of the paint training team’s work and requested that DeMilio evaluate a 2-D Virtual Reality Paint Training system for applicability to the course.

The evaluation led to information about a 3-D Virtual Reality sys-tem developed by SimSpray™ Industrial that accelerated the impact and scope of the course.

Based in East Hartford, Conn., SimSpray™ Industrial was in the San Diego area and brought aboard by FRCSW’s Chief Technology Officer Gabriel Draguicevich to demonstrate the unit and its potential to support the training course lab requirements.

A progress review meeting was held to request support and funding for the 3-DVirtual Reality Paint Training system. Pictures and a video of the demonstration were presented which clearly displayed how the units would enhance the course’s content.

The 3-D system reduced a variety of waste factors including over production, unnecessary motion, material movement, and inventory.

Artisans performed lab training without moving into paint bays, waiting, or using materials. This reduced the indirect cost and time to complete the course from five to four weeks.

All current artisans will attend the training course to ensure a baseline of knowledge is established. The SimSpray™ system has the capability to teach several different skills in a virtual environment including de-paint, or blasting operations, and paint and powder coating operations.

Through the virtual reality headset, and given the appropriate device for the training session (blast hose, paint gun, etc.), artisans are transported into a virtual paint booth setting with a 360-degree view of the project in front of them.

When the artisan uses the device (hose or gun), the system provides haptic feedback and sound simulating the process. Direct feedback is provided at will showing any damage, overspray, drips/runs/sags, and where the coats may be too heavy or too light.

In addition, the SimSpray™ can show the “orange peel effect” and “dry spray,” which are the leading causes of damage work orders (DWO). These are correctable in the lab without wasting time or material, and the artisans can see their improvements as the course progresses.

Significantly, the course is designed for FRC-wide implementa-tion, and is based on advanced skills management collaboration for painters, with a focus on DWOs to ensure a broad-based approach affecting paint quality and speed to the customer.

The FRCSW Total Force Strategy and Management training department provided guidance and support in creating, updating and transferring lesson plans to the appropriate format for instruction.

A pilot class was held in October 2017 to test the instructional material, readiness of instructors, and every functional area of the training course. After compiling the results of the pilot, the team made the changes necessary to provide results by the established timeline.

To ensure the first official class kicked off in adequate facilities, engineering technician Bethany Harris added her support by refur-bishing the former Fleet Training classroom in Building 466.

A Grainger® 4PL contract was used to purchase the SimSpray™ units, and during FRCSW’s reduced operating period in December, DeMilio received them while the rest of his team continued fine-tuning the course content.

Instructors received Sim Spray™ factory training on Jan. 5, and the first FRCSW depot-level paint course was set three days later. ▼

FRCSW Expands Artisan Training Program

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FRCSW Names Civilian of the YearFleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) selected Aaron Vivar as its Fiscal Year 2017 Civilian of the Year and Civilian of the Quarter, third quarter.

Vivar, a financial management analyst, was recognized for his work in the command’s comptroller department where he was instrumental in identifying and processing aircraft upward obligation requests.

FRCSW Commanding Officer Capt. Craig Owen presented Vivar with the award in ceremonies Feb. 23 in Building 94.

“Upward obligation requests are actually funding requests that have been based on a certain fiscal year. These are used if more funding is needed for the following fiscal year, mostly for additional in-house funds. We used these primarily for the legacy F/A-18 Hornets that are high-flight-hour aircraft,” Vivar said.

A graduate of Ashford University with a major in organizational management and a minor in finance, Vivar developed a background in financial management while working for a credit union for three years.

In 2008 he joined FRCSW and spent two years as an F/A-18 aircraft mechanic apprentice in the fuel cell shop until becoming a journeyman mechanic. In 2014 he became a financial management analyst for the command, and in November 2017, became a supervisory financial management analyst where he oversees the work of 12 other financial analysts within the comptroller department.

The department is responsible for the allocation of financial expenditures for FRCSW and all of its sites.

Working with the FRCSW Integrated Products Team (IPT), Vivar assisted in the identification of 45 cost-reimbursable aircraft maintenance repair or overhaul procedures that required additional expired funding, and 70 planned maintenance interval actions that had suffered understated workload standards, generally applicable to the legacy Hornet airframe.

“We want to make sure that we have the correct amount of money for the correct work and that all of our transactions are in accordance with the law.”

“All total, these obligation requests come to about $58 million,” Vivar said. “Our goal is to make sure that we have the correct amount of money for the correct work and that all of our transactions are in accordance with the law.”

“We want to make sure that we have the correct amount of money for the correct work and that all of our transactions are in accordance with the law.”

Obligation requests of up to $4 million may be approved by Naval Air Systems Command. For amounts above that, higher authority like the Undersecretary of Defense or congressional approval is required. To date, FRCSW has received more than $28 million in upward obligations funding.

“I would thank our team in the 10.0 (comptroller) staff and our collaboration with the IPT side for the data calls in getting this done,” he said. “I enjoy the readiness portion of working here — from being an aircraft mechanic to working on the support side now, seeing the aircraft leave the test line and heading for the fleet — that’s the best thing about working here.”

NAVAIR Engineers Win 2017 DOD Maintenance Innovation ChallengeA joint project by three Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) materials engineers has won the 2017 DOD Maintenance Innovation Challenge.Justin Massey, Andrea Boxell and Rob Thompson’s submission entitled “The Use of DRIFT for Composite Heat Damage Evaluation of the V-22 Wing,” was selected from a field of 77 entries during the DOD Maintenance Symposium in Salt Lake City Dec. 5.

“The Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) is a portable spectrometer that can determine if a composite is heat damaged. We developed it to serve that purpose,” said Massey, who works at the In-Service Support Center (ISSC) on board Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW).

An assignment to assess the integrity of an MV-22 Osprey wing at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in North Carolina earlier this year resulted in the validation of DRIFT, a non-destructive inspection (NDI) method that stands to save the Navy and Marine Corps millions of dollars in maintenance and repairs to the primarily composite-based airframe.

“It was originally invented for geological surveys, then we (modified) it with the help of Boeing to determine chemical changes in composite materials to find out if they are heat damaged or not,” Massey said.

The handheld DRIFT detects chemical changes, such as those induced by heat, to composites on a molecular level. Weaken or damaged composites typically result in cracks or de-laminates to the component.

“Boeing initially developed DRIFT for its 787 platform. Our team lead, Ed Harris, came up with the idea of developing it for the F/A-18. The development period was from 2012-2015, and it was officially adopted as an inspection method by NAVAIR in 2015 where it has been used on the F/A-18,” Massey said.

The DRIFT NDI procedure was qualified by FRCSW in 2015 to detect heat damage in F/A-18 composites using an Agilent Flexscan 4200 spectrometer.

The following year, a national team that included staff from FRCSW, FRC Southeast, FRC East, and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) was assembled to modify the DRIFT NDI for use on other airframes, including the V-22 Osprey.

“It usually takes about two to three years to do something like this, but we got it done in two months to be able to inspect the V-22 wing (at MCAS New River),” Massey said.

“The wing was thermally damaged from an engine fire, and there was no inspection technique to determine if it could be saved or not.”

Massey and NAVAIR materials engineer technician Steve Pacheco were joined by Thompson and Boxell, and with the help of the materials group and Fleet

Support Team at Cherry Point, completed inspections and assessments on the V-22 wing after two days.

“This was a one-time deal in that we got authorized through their program office,” Pacheco said. “It was an emergency because the aircraft was taking up an entire hangar bay, so they needed to know if they could fix it and fly it again, or part it out.”

The wing was recoverable, saving approximately $10-$12 million in replacement costs.

“We’ve already saved about $20 million in aircraft parts over the past few years,” Pacheco said.

The DRIFT spectrometer cost about $60,000, and development costs were approximately $400,000.

“Composites are high value assets, and the return on investment is relatively quick on this kind of technology,” Massey noted.

“Prior to the development of DRIFT, visual inspections and standard NDI methods were used on composite parts. Generally, if the paint showed any discoloration, it was the removal and replacement of the part under analysis. Which is what would have happened on this V-22,” Massey said.

“We’re currently the only branch in the military that can detect heat damage on composites,” he said. “We see this use expanding to every aircraft that has composites. People have reached out to us from the Air Force, to the Army and the prime contractors. Everyone has caught wind of this and wants to know how to get this for their aircraft.”

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An MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263, Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa takes off from the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS New York (LPD 21) during routine flight deck operations. Photo by Cpl. Juan A. Soto-Delgado

F/A-18 Decompression Sickness · FRCSW Mission & Vision Mission e We generate readiness through timely and responsive production of engines, aircraft, and components for the warfighter.

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