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Show NEWS Sept. 6, 1991 dlsngiini Editor's note: VOInKSODHS , The following is the second of a - series on how the Air Force is instilling two-pa- rt COMMENTARY reliability and maintainability principles.) f r by Gen. Charles C. McDonald This management concept allows for a single system program office to be responsible for the entire life cycle of a w eapon system. There will no longer be a "handing off" of a system from r AFSC to AFLC. This approach will further strengthen and institutionalize our R&M initiatives by eliminating cultural difference that existed between the research and development and logistics communities in years past. We have also made tremendous R&M strides in academia. R&M is an important part of the curriculum for our engineering students at the Air Force Institute of Technology at and other Air Force educational facilities. Our engineers of tomorrow are leaving their classrooms with an appreciation for sound R&M basics. An objective of the early R&M 2000 campaigns, was a call for institutionalizing the R&M mind-set- . Retired Brig. Gen. Frank S. Goodell, the special assistant for Reliability and Maintainability at Air Force headquarters in 1986, said his role was to institutionalize R&M to the point that his organization at the Pentagon would go out of business. His goal has been realized as his former office is dissolving. Air Force leadership has declared victory in our efforts to institutionalize R&M. The examples I have cited clearly illustrate the tremendous progress we have made in recent years. Our weapon systems are more reliable and maintainable today than at any time in history. The systems of tomorrow will be even more dependable. cradle-to-grav- Commander, Air Force Logistics Command AFB, Ohio (AFLC-AFSNews Service) The weapon systems in deand sign production today will be some of our greatest reliability and maintainability success stories. The B-- bomber is already a classic example. Throughout the design, development and testing of the , R&M has been as important to the program as the plane's composite makeup and its stealth capabilities. An aircraft's stealth technology is relatively ineffective if that aircraft is not maintainable and reliable when it comes time for it to perform its mission. Early in the B-- program, logisticians helped establish many maintainability design requirements and our contractors responded with products dedicated to the original R&M 2000 goals. Aircrews and maintainers alike will appreciate the test system which computerized monitors aircraft performance, detects and isolates component failures and produces data on the" failures. This means a need for less technical data, less maintenance training in lengthy diagnostic WRIGHT-PATTERSO- N C 2 B-2- 2 B-2- 's on-boar- d procedures, less support equipment and less manpower. In place of traditional printed paper products, maintainers will have needed information at their integrated technical data electronic device provides accurate and complete technical data with speed and mobility. No longer will maintainers have to lug around an armload of technical manuals or laboriously keep them updated page by page. fingertips with the system. This hand-hel- B-2- 's d Time, money saved s Even the simplest ideas will save countless B-of maintenance. For example, components requiring frequent maintenance are easily accessible. This means less time spent by maintenance people removing several good parts in order to get to a problem part. As a result, our early data indicates the s maintenance per flight hour will be less than 34.5, far better than our original requirement of 50. But our emphasis on R&M is not limited to the weapon systems program offices and the production lines. Two joint Air Force Logistics Command Air Force Systems Command offices at Wright-PattersoAFB, are continually adding to the list of good R&M ideas. The Productivity, Reliability, Availability and Maintainability Program Office inserts mature, technology into existing weapon systems, support equipment and our main- man-hour- 2 B-2- 's man-hour- n off-the-sh- 7 HXtop Times e single-manage- VJ I'l 1 'y "a a M Gen. Charles C. McDonald Wright-Patterso- tenance depot operations. The Reliability and Maintainability Technology Insertion Program Office focuses on new, emerging technologies that can be applied to developing and existing systems. One of PRAM's most recent successes is the fielding of a "video fax" machine that allows field maintenance technicians, when necessary, to relay video images back to our depots where engineers can assess aircraft damage and quickly develop repair processes to get the aircraft flying again. This capability will save hours, even days, in exchanging drawings and photographs explaining the extent of an aircraft's damage and needed repairs. Three video faxes were deployed and used in Saudi Arabia. Maintenance crews were extremely pleased with this new capability. Working with our Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins AFB, Ga., RAMTIP is developing a program for repairing aluminum aircraft structures with epoxy composite materials. The composites will prevent crack growth, require less repair time and significantly reduce corrosion problems at the repair site. This process is expected to shorten repair time from six weeks to two weeks and increase aircraft availability. These are just two of many examples that add up to meet the overriding R&M goal of increased combat capability. R&fit must specialists, maintenance technicians and system program managers has sound working knowledge of, and appreciation for R&M, will it truly be institutionalized. Until that day, we must continue to improve our processes, emphasize quality and be creative at every level of our business. Our world has changed dramatically in the past two years. The Cold War has ended and the Soviet threat has diminished. Consequently, our defense dollars are becoming leaner. Fewer of today's aircraft will be needed and we'll be buying fewer in the future. With less money for maintenance and support, our remaining aircraft will have'to be more reliable and maintainable. This is why we must always look for new and better ways to design, build and support our weapon systems. We can accomplish this by remaining focused on R&M. By doing so, we can continue to push the art of the possible. day-to-da- g RE-MI- S tegration is Integrated Weapon System Management. machines. On the manual machines, a worker was given a set of drawings AFLC Office of Public Affairs and had to watch the machine for each WRIGHT-PATTERSOAFB, cut; stopping and starting the machine (AFLC-AFSService)-TNews he each time. Cutting contours, circles Ohio and ovals was virtually impossible to Air Force Packaging and Evaluado with any degree of accuracy. tion Activity here has a new computerWith the new system, engineers ized spindle cutting system that performs the job in less time with draw on their work station computer. greater accuracy and higher quality. Drawings ae then sent, by way of fiber optic cables, to the cutting sysThe system, which uses computer-aidemanufactem's computer which can automatidesigncomputer-aideinstalled was by cally begin cutting the product. turing technology, The new system is also more versaAir Force Logistics Command in for tile than its predecessors. Because of February. It cuts precision parts prototype containers for the shipping its size, more pieces can be set up at and storage of weapon system parts the same time. According to Vance, the new system and equipment. The system's efficientime to has reduced the time required to cy reduced the fabricate prototype containers by 50 produce a product by 75 percent. The percent, according to Don Vance, system also saves personnel the time model maker at the packaging ac- needed to set up cutting operations. Because of its size, cutting operations tivity. The system is much easier to oper- don't have to be set up as often as beate than the previous manual fore. Said Vance, "I can put on a piece f life gineers, scientists, logisticians, acquisition And to manage our wealth of R&M AFLC has information, developed the Reliability and Maintainability Information System. REM IS is the standard Air Force computer system for collecting, processing and analyzing R&M data. will increase readiness and sustainability of our weapon systems by improving the availability, accuracy and flow of essential maintenance information. Another initiative that will strengthen R&M is the integration of AFLC and AFSC to form the new Air Force Materiel Command. The cornerstone of the in- Prototype packaging easier with computerized system off The search for increased R&M must continue. We have not, and must not, lose our focus on R&M. The R&M office closure at the Pentagon represents a milestone in our efforts to institutionalize it. However, only when every one of our design en- Information systems upgraded ever-growin- be way n rm y v j; by Rufus Thomas N C r';-x - 7-- H a :r A Qr ill d d turn-aroun- d X ? U.S. Air Force Photo by Chock Stout Cutting it close Larry Hotter demonstrates how the computerized spindle cutting system works. it the system can packaging and evaluation activity, cut anywhere on that piece of feels that the $91,000 spent on the materiel." spindle cutting system is money well Chuck Edmonson, director of the spent. 7 feet by 16 feet and |