CAStLE_IndustryDay_Program_Overview.pptx

US Air Force Academy CAStLE Gregory A. Shoales, Director James M. Greer, Jr., Technical Director Lucinda Matteson, Finance Manager Lt Col Aaron Drenth, Lab Operations Director CAStLE Overview Industry Day 19 February 2020

USAF Academy Center for Aircraft Structural Life Extension (CAStLE)

Sustainment S&T Need Sustainment requirements continue to increase due to aging fleet, delayed/cancelled procurements, management surprises, and changes in planned sustainment funding.

This is just a graphic that illustrates why there is such a demand for S&T (Science and Technology) in the sustainment business. We have an ever dwindling supply of aircraft to accomplish a given USAF mission and that supply is constantly getting older.

Average age of USAF fleets by fiscal year (FY) according to the USAF Almanac and the total USAF aircraft inventory according to the Mitchell Institute.

Why CAStLE?

CAStLE evolved, in part, to fill the gap between long-term “breakthrough” R&D (AFRL) and the organic engineering capabilities of Air Logistics Complexes (ALC). Due to ever-increasing workload, the ALCs often don’t have the time, manpower, or equipment to address structural integrity issues without going to the weapon system’s original manufacturer (sometimes not possible). CAStLE offers alternatives that are sometimes faster and usually at lower cost.

The US Air Force has no other government alternative for sustainment support

CAStLE’s History Pre 1995: USAFA research under F.J. Seiler Center 1995: CAStLE stands up after Seiler stands down Under the then Department of Engineering Mechanics Bonded repair focus (composite patches on metal) 2002: CAStLE’s USAF role expands Assumes responsibility for planning and executing the Aging Aircraft Program Office’s structures portfolio Sole focus: near-term, cross-cutting, structural sustainment R&D to support DoD weapon systems 2006: Aging Aircraft Program Office stands down CAStLE sought out by ALCs to define S&T projects Retained cross-cutting, near-term, product delivery focus 2008: CAStLE authors the USAF teardown analysis handbook and process protocols 2011: CAStLE assumes technical advisory and contracting responsibility for the OSD’s corrosion program 2016: CAStLE completes largest scale teardown analysis ever, four aircraft, wing-tip to wing-tip and nose to tail

200 fold plus increase in funding

Funding levels are average levels of annualized external funding during the particular time period.

SPO = System Program Office. The organization that is responsible for a given system like an aircraft for example.

S&T = Science and Technology.

By the end of 2016 CAStLE was involved in 46 teardown analysis programs on a dozen different MDS

Faculty Development Sponsored Research Programs CAStLE’s Mission Efficiently execute sponsored research programs focused on delivered structural sustainment S&T solutions and products Provide world-class laboratory support to cadet engineering curriculum Integrate operationally relevant research into cadet curriculum and faculty development USAFA Department of Mechanical Engineering Center for Aircraft Structural Life Extension (CAStLE) Cadet Curricular Mission

S&T = Science and Technology.

Some of CAStLE’s Customers

Typical Projects

Explicit Structural Modeling

Teardown Analysis

Root Cause Analysis and Model Validation

Flight Loads Data Acquisition And Spectrum Validation

Structural Testing

ASIP Support / Full-Scale Test

Current CAStLE Task Sites

= CAStLE USAFA site = CAStLE off-site contractor locations

Weapon System Support Examples

KC-135

Structural Teardowns Four complete aircraft, tip-to-tip, nose-to-tail Tests of teardown parts to assess residual strength and residual life Wing Joint Fitting Evaluation Suspect replacement parts subjected to thorough metallurgical evaluation by CAStLE Created instant increase to spares inventory Upper Wing Skin (UWS) Analysis Characterized failure mode; tested panels Provided new tool to assess UWS damage Dent Study Tests and analysis to see effect of dents on structural integrity Results allowed millions in savings per aircraft by deferring dent repairs

Supports fleet manager mandate to safely extend life to nearly 90 years of operation

Introduced in 1957 as the “Boeing Interim Tanker”. 803 built between 1954 and 1965. Close to 450 in service.

T-38A/B/C

New non-destructive inspection (NDI) tool development drives inspection fidelity up, increasing inspection intervals, saving time & money Multiple teardowns analyses assess actual fleet condition, assess new NDI tools, pinpoint new “hot spots” Full-scale wing tests allow for high-confidence life extension and continued safe fleet operation Flight data collection supports accurate flight spectrum development to produce valid test and analysis data; captures “mission creep” effects

Providing tools and data to support operation of 50-year-old aircraft through mid-2030s

Entered service in March 1961. Fleet size just shy of 540.

Core Competencies based on recent past and current projects Structural design, analysis, and testing Solid mechanics modeling, simulation, and testing Fatigue crack growth analysis and testing (component & full-scale) Environmentally assisted cracking Flight data collection and analysis Structural system teardown analysis Material characterization and alloy development Metallurgical analysis Failure analysis (including root cause analysis) Corrosion chemistry and mechanisms Curricula, short course and outreach programs and products High temperature ceramics and MEMs Structural bonding/bonded repair and composite materials

Personnel Government—externally (soft money) funded Strategic planning, tactical operations & contracting Technical direction of all programs Projects sometimes supplemented by faculty/cadets Government personnel system lacks sufficient agility to meet CAStLE near-term delivery focus On-site (USAF Academy) contractors Project technical expertise Maintain the core competencies at USAFA Technical advice to cadets and faculty Off-site contractors and locations Provide specialized capability that may not yet be economically efficient to have in-house (at USAFA) Supplement labor capacity to support large scale, CAStLE developed, projects and processes

Contract Support Numerous established contract vehicles to execute tasks—superb base contracting shop ID/IQ Task Order (TO) Contract—primary support for near term sustainment focused projects Specific deliverables per a contracted schedule 30-60 days from funded requirements to TO award Past TO values: $9K to $13M, terms 6 days to 4.6 yrs Broad Agency Announcement—longer term basic research S&T support Cooperative Agreements or Grants RDTE funded A&AS—services support for CAStLE’s USAFA site Other: SBIR III Direct Awards, FOA, etc.

S&T = Science and Technology.

The established contract vehicles mean that we can respond quickly to customer needs and be able to use funds that may be expiring soon.

ID/IQ = Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity A&AS = Advisory and Assistance Services FOA = Funding Opportunity Announcement

Government Project Support It is in the department’s, and therefore CAStLE’s, interest to have on-site contractors Equipment/workspace in the CAStLE Lab Conditions and Caveats Must comply with training and safety requirements Equipment/space prioritized per Department mission USAFA curricular mission USAFA contracted projects Other DoD contracted projects No guarantee of availability/operability Contract performance shall not be dependent upon CAStLE Lab availability or equipment operability Higher HQ requirements may further restrict support CAStLE can no longer host web-based data systems

CAStLE Applied mechanics lab equipment overview

CAStLE Lab Equipment Material Analysis Scanning Electron Microscope (2), Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS), Electron Backscatter Detectors (EBSD) Dual Beam Electron Microscope – Focused Ion Beam NanoLab with Four Gas Injection System (SiO2 Insulator, Platinum, Tungsten and XF etching) Atomic Force Microscope Stereo Optical Microscope w/Digital Image Capture Automated Image Analysis Equipment Automated Metallography Specimen Preparation Equipment with Automatic Mounting Press, Automatic Grinding and Polishing, Electro-polishing, Electrochemical and Plasma Etching Analytical Weighing Balance Enclosed flood coolant Cut Off Station

CAStLE Lab Equipment Prototype Assemblies, Components and Test Specimen Modeling, Design and Fabrication CNC Mill (2), Digital Mill, CNC Lathe (2), Digital Lathe Electro-Discharge Machine (Wire and Plunge) Multiple Rapid Prototype Machines Fiber reinforced Composite Fabrication Low and High Speed Saws, Wire Saw Cutter Plasma Cutting, Tungsten and Metal Inert Gas Welders (TIG and MIG) Standard Wood/Metal Workshop Machines and Tools Precision Surface Grinder Water Jet Cutting

Also have X-ray CT scan (NDI and high precision reverse engineering) but is currently in-op

CAStLE Lab Equipment Material Characterization Macro-hardness testers (2), micro-hardness tester, nano-indenter Differential Thermal Analyzer (DTA), Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) Conductivity Meter and Capacitance Meter X-ray Diffractometer Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) Computer Controlled Potentiostats/Galvanostats (4) Scanning Vibrating Probe Automated Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) scanning tables (2)

CAStLE Lab Equipment Mechanical/Environmental Testing Computer Controlled Mechanical Test Frames, 120 kip (1), 50 kip (1), 25 kip (5) Computer Controlled Servo Hydraulic Test Frames (MTS Flex-Test), 220 kip (1), 110 kip (1), 55 kip (3), 22 kip (2), 11 kip (2) Vibration shakers (2) Thermal Environment Spectrum Chamber for MTS Testing Computer Controlled Creep testing frames with static and dynamic loading for temperatures up to 2200F Salt Fog Chamber 3-D Digital Image Correlation Laser Doppler Vibrometer Roll around LabView Data Acquisition & Control Carts (4)

CAStLE Lab Equipment Material Processing High Temperature Furnace 2200F (4) Ultra High Temperature Furnace 3100F, with controlled environment Cold rolling mill Ball mill Fastener hole cold working tooling

Additional capability accessible at multiple off-USAFA locations via government facilities and contracts Full-scale fatigue tests Larger scale mechanical testing Large scale structural teardown High speed computational network image3.png image4.png image5.png image6.png image7.png image8.png image9.png image10.png image18.gif image11.png image12.jpeg image13.jpeg image14.png image15.jpeg image16.jpeg image17.png image19.jpeg image20.png image21.png image22.png image23.png image24.jpeg image25.jpeg image26.png image27.png image28.png image29.png image30.png image31.jpeg image1.jpeg image2.png