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Show Friday, November 12, 1982 FF(g( expanded from nine to 30 work sta--' tions and bench workers were increased from 17 to 63. The magnitude of this task encompassed replacement of 1,278 chips per computer, or making 18,000 solder connections per computer and required development of skills in soldering to ensure a quality product. As a result of the experience and confidence gained in the SRAM computer project, the team began identifying generic problems in other throw-awa- y coded end items. In printed circuit boards they en- countered burn damage to substrates. Normally, this would be cause to discard the board. For some circuit boards, the replacement costs have mutliplied as they are no longer in production. Others are no longer avouauxc ucvauoc oiatirMi uur aib txx vances in electronics have antiquated the manufacturing process. Procedures wre devfilonpd to cut back the burned material to good substrate with dental tools. New material was patched in, smoothed, and drilled in the appropriate places. I'hen new circuit paths and terminals were traced in and the replacement component soldered into place. Page assemblies Another type of printed circuit board damage for which repair pro? cedures were developed was the faulcirty circuit paths inside multi-laye- r cuit boards Completed repairs into several layers of substrate are, once again, made with use of dental tools. Replacing pins on IBM page assemwas and blies from the anotner project money saver. When the circuit cards were shipped to depot with broken connector pins, the card (priced at just under $8,000) had to be discarded. The TRAC team developed a repair procedure usingdental and surgical tools that averFB-11- 1 F-1- 5 one-ha- lf "The light panel of the navigational is another computer used in the ll how of the TRAC example program gets involved in repair of throw-awa- y items," Mr. Scully said. Some were grounded due to a shortage of LN-1-4 edge-lighte-d panels. Authorized repair was very limited, and the contractors could not qualify replacement panels to military specifications. The team developed a total repair and manufacturing process. Completed panels were tested to comply with military specifications. "The TR AC team used these specifications to manufacture 37 panels," Mr. Scully continued. "With our F-l- F-ll- 1 St.- - f '; ls repair capability, expanded and the technical data written, we have recovered 63 panels since April." This effort lowered the condemnation rate on the light panel from 54 percent to zero and kept the system and the aircraft flying. Repairing the panels saved $63,000. The repair of broken 5 ribbon cables was undertaken because the gun camera was awaiting replacement a v A ..-- - t3 1! parts and the unit cost had increased to $1,000. The repair ten-fol- d pro- cedure allows the repair of multi-layere- d ribbon cables much faster than they can be provided by the supplier and will save $98,000 annually. Mr. Scully explained the decision process in taking on a repair job. "First, we decide whether it is cost effective to repair an item. Then using a decision tree, we take into account the stock on hand, test capability, impact on mission capability, plus other factors. The decision is made either to develop a repair capability or to terminate the project at that time." v A typical repair job candidate was a suggestion submitted the first week of August by Richard Burgen, an item technician in the Directorate of Materiel Management. He asked the TRAC team to check the possibility A bench worker performs microscopic repair. of repairing cathode ray tubes used on the unit. There are 100 of them in Base Supply that need high voltage leads repaired. The tubes cost $ 1 ,700 each.-The TRAC team accepted the F-1- 6 heads-up-displa- y challenge. They will identify: needed tools, molds, and fixtures, then repair several tubes. Repair procedures will p to be inbe documented cluded in the repair technical order. A step-by-ste- procedure will be written to test the repaired tubes to ensure specifications are met. "If the repaired tubes can't be tested, we can't go into production," Mr. Scully said. "We will even check out the tubes in an altitude chamber to ensure no arcing occurs at 80,000 feet. If the tubes can be repaired and tested, written procedures will be submitted for inclusion in the proper technical order. Only then will the Ogden ALC depot repair them on a regular basis." ft s Mr. Scully feels the bench workers' jobs have been enriched because of TRAC. "Their attitude is 'If it can't be fixed, then it isn't broken " In vouching for the success of TRAC, Mr. Bailey stated, "We had three goals when we started this pro- - w gram: people, dollars and work reliability. The bench workers now have the necessary tools and a better working environment. They know we're hiring their minds now, not just their hands. "This is a high visibility area," he went on. "The worker is doing something unique. I guess the best indication of whether or not people like the program is the many men and women who want to get into it, and the fact ' Li (U.S. Mr Fore Photo) Howard Makin, a former bench worker, uses precision desoldering system to remove multi-leacomponents from printed circuit board in room at Ogden Air Logistics Center. micro-miniatu- d Ss F-1- ; j ' 3MJ -i- Not broken T 11 hours and cost aged two and the Air Force only $87 for each card. This pin replacement process was tried on the SRAM circuit card. In five months 10 cards were saved and returned to the Air Force inventory, a savings of $320,000. ; ' Page GQG1)(!W than either of the other alternatives. If this Center could accomplish the task, the choice was obvious. The Air Force made that choice, and in January 1980 the training of bench workers began. In April the first computer was repaired. By October 1981 more than 500,000 chips had been replaced and the task was completed." To accomplish this assignment, existing circuit card repair center was - HILL TOP TIMES re that no one wants out." "TRAC takes the process one step further," Mr. Whitlock pointed out. (U.S. Air Force Photo) "If a worker on the bench suggests repair of a circuit card or panel, that person is brought in as a technical advisor to develop the idea and is there when we determine if the suggestion is cost effective. If it isn't, the worker knows why we didn't use it. If it is accepted, the worker feels responsible for the new process and for saving the Air Force money." Mr. Scully summed up the feelings of most of the men and women involved in TRAC. "We meet or exceed government specifications on every repair job we take on. Every worker knows this and feels he or she is the real expert in the field." Col. Sam P. Morgan Jr., Director of Maintenance, stated in his briefing to the AFLC staff during their recent visit to Ogden ALC, "We have been quite successful in reducing the back n order, capable supply, and condemnation rates on several items through our TRAC projects. The potential savings at the current non-missio- attrition rates for several projects being considered would be $9.1 million in 1982. "The Ogden Maintenance TRAC Team will continue to research and develop advanced concepts to repair end or replace critical throw-awa- y items. Several criteria will guide our efforts. Projects with good potential paybacks will be systematically selected, complete repair packages will be developed, and we will use Air Force and evaluation facilities to validate the reliability of our methods, obtain prime ALC approval of our. repair packages, and assist other ALCs in implementing them. "One of our greatest efforts will be to help item managers in all ALCs systematically seek out other problem items for our technical research and advanced concept." v |