Mr David W' See Project Engineer

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Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and
Manufacturing Directorate
Aerial Multi-axis Platform Aerospace Coatings
Removal Coatings Forum 11-12 May 04 Charlotte,
North Carolina
Mr David W. SeeProject Engineer
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Aerial Multi-axis Platform
Technology TransferTEAMING ARRANGEMENT
SPONSOR
CUSTOMERS
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Depaint Background

• AF Issues
• Depaint is Most Labor Intensive Effort in the
  Depots
• To depaint tops and sides of current C-5, C-17,
  C-130, C-135, KC-10, B-1, B-52 fleet it
  annually takes 2,000 days and well over 22,000
  person-hours
• High Source of Workers Compensation and Turnover
• Physical Very Demanding in a Toxic Environment
• Requires Fire Hoses, Scaffolding and
  Telescoping Cranes
• Requires Time for Set-up, Movement and
  Disassembly
• Creates Hazardous Ground Clutter Around Aircraft
• Depots Need To Purchase Depaint Equipment
• Depot Unable to Use Funds to Purchase Newer
  Capability Since Not COTS

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Aerial Multi-axis Platform

• Depaint is most labor intensive effort in the
  depots
• To depaint tops and sides of current large
  aircraft fleet it annually takes 2,000 days and
  over 22,000 person-hrs
• High Source of Workers Compensation and Turnover
• Physically Very Demanding in a Toxic Environment
• Creates hazardous ground clutter around aircraft

• Impacts AMC, AFMC
• Reduce Depot depaint flowtime by 40 - 50 for
  C-5, C-130 and C-141
• 4-5 day reduction in depaint flowtime for C-5
• By eliminating ground based scaffolding, hoses
  and other inefficient clutter
• By improving positioning accuracy and efficiency
  in all phases of the aircraft maintenance
• Reduce collisions and minimize fatigue and injury
• Significant reduction in operator stress /
  injuries
• Increasing blasting time by reducing fatigue /
  injury, maximizing labor
• Can be implemented in new or existing facilities

• Develop a functional, production hardened aerial
  platform for de-paint environments
• Demonstrate operator controlled de-paint
  manipulator (with multiple nozzles) performing
  abrasive blasting
• Demonstrate hazmat friendly and ergonomically
  friendly operator interface

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AMP Depot Impact
BEFORE
AFTER

• Existing equipment
• Difficult to maneuver accurately
• Uncoordinated motions
• Frequent collisions
• Setup time
• Delays productive portions of de-paint process
• Ground clutter
• Hinders efficient access of aircraft
• Ergonomic issues
• Causes operator fatigue/injury
• Lost labor hours (avg.. one per shift)
• Damage to aircraft skins from trigger work-around
  and nozzle dwell time

• Reduce flow time by
• Eliminating ground based scaffolding, hoses and
  other inefficient clutter
• Improving positioning accuracy and efficiency in
  all phases of process
• Increasing blasting time by reducing
  fatigue/injury, maximizing labor
• Reduce direct costs
• Requiring no heavy duty hangar structure, deploys
  from existing facilities
• Reduce collisions caused by operator positioning
  errors
• Manipulator integration for blasting will
  minimize fatigue/injury
• Application
• C-130, C-5, KC-135, B-52

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AMP Technology Description
Compatible with Existing Depot Facilities
Compact/Modular Aerial Design
Coordinated Motion Control System
Ergonomic Interface
Operator Proximity w/ ganged nozzles
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Project Engineer
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Director for Affordability andManufacturing
Technology
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FY03 AMP InitiativePRODUCTIONIZE THE AMP

• REPLACE WINCH
• MOTORS (6)
• INSERT ADDITIONAL
• WRIST JOINT
• INSTALLATION ON BRIDGE
• CRANE
• MOTION CONTROL ANALYSIS
• STAND-OFF SENSOR
• CONTROL DESIGN
• RASTER PROGRAM DESIGN
• MODULE UPGRADE DESIGN
• MANUAL UPGRADE
• BASKET DESIGN

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ALC Requirements SummaryIPPD PROCESS
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AMPIPPD Requirements Implementation

• Eyes always on blasting process (lt6 ft)
• Incorporates ganged nozzles (4)
• Improve safety and ergonomics
• Increase trigger time
• Single nozzle strip rate 1 ft2/min
• Ganged nozzle strip rate
• Estimated 6-12 ft2/min
• Actual 20 ft2/min
• Payload 75 lbs
• Nozzles (5 lbs)
• Hoses (10 lbs)
• Reaction forces (20 lb x 3 60 lbs)
• Enclosed Cab with ventilation
• and Ergonomic Interface

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Aerial Multi-axis Platform
FY 03 AMP Production Initiative
Original Requirements
Additional Design Changes

• Improved Winch Brake Assembly
• Additional Wrist Joint on Tripod
• Installation on Bridge Crane
• Stand-Off Sensor Demo
• Upgrade Control System to Allen-Bradley
  (Controller/Motors/Drives)
• Replace analog communication bundle with faster
  single CAT5 line
• Integrated Blasting System
• Rectangular Raster Program for Tripod Platform
• Redesigned Cab

• Improved Winch Brake Assembly
• Additional Wrist Joint on Tripod
• Installation on Bridge Crane
• Stand-Off Sensor Based Control
• Rectangular Raster Program

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Aerial Multi-axis Platform
US Technologies Macon Facility
Robins AFB, GA
Old Cab Tripod
New Cab Tripod
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Aerial Multi-axis Platform
US Technologies Macon Facility
Trolley Mounted Unit
New Cab
Multi-axis Wrist
Hardened Tripod
Integrated Blasting System
Allen-Bradley Control System
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Aerial Multi-axis Platform
OPERATIONAL AMP DEPLOYMENT
10 PATCHES 1 SWATH
6 PATCHES 1 SWATH
8 PATCHES 1 SWATH
8 PATCHES 1 SWATH
ONE SECTION 10 PATCHES 360 ft2 1 SWATH 504
ft2 8 hours of continuous blasting CURRENTLY
460 ft2 _at_ 1 ft2/min 460 minutes 8 hours of
continuous blasting (two shifts) OUR GOAL Four
flat nozzles stripping at 20 sqft/min, faster
access, better ergonomics, more trigger time...
Equate to stripping an equivalent area in ½ - 1
hour TWO SECTIONS ONE OPERATOR FOR ONE SHIFT
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Aerial Multi-axis Platform
AMP Next Step -- Production

• Building 50 _at_ WR-ALC
• Install 2 AMP units in building 50 to support
  C-130 stripping and painting operations.
• Provide 66 coverage of exterior mold line.
• Improve stripping efficiency by 50 over entire
  airframe

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Aerial Multi-axis Platform
AMP Next Step -- Production
C-5 Application with 4 AMP Units
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Aerial Multi-axis Platform Schedule
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Aerial Multi-axis Platform (AMP)Summary

• The AMP program is successfully integrating
  coordinated control technology developed at NIST
  with practical de-painting problems of the Depot
  community
• WR-ALC Production Demo Planned May-Jun 04
• US Technologies Macon Facility available for
  Depaint Demos
• Seeking effort W/ WR-ALC to install first
  production system _at_ WR-ALC
• WR-ALC Committed to purchase and install Systems
  for C-130, C-5, and C-17

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AMP Cab Motion
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AMP Basket