Enterprise_Product_Support_Engineering_Effort_Draft_SOO_2015-1-7.docx

Enterprise Product Support Engineering Effort

IDIQ GSXXX

Jan 2015

TASK ORDER: ID05140071

Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Product Support Engineering Division (EZP) Department of the Air Force Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), OH

POCs:

Program Manager:

Debora Naguy, AFLCMC/EZP Phone: (937) 255-7705 E-mail: debora.naguy@us.af.mil

COR:

Jared Petry, AFLCMC/EZP Phone: (937) 255-7728 Fax: (937) 255-7791 E-mail: jared.petry@us.af.mil

GSA:

Benny Reyes Phone: (937) 937-431-5530 Fax: (937) 431-0137 E-mail: benny.reyes@gsa.gov

BACKGROUND: The Air Force must endeavor to find ways to modernize and sustain affordable and effective systems in a challenging fiscal constrained environment. For most Air Force systems, the majority of the total life cycle cost is expended in executing product support functions in the Operations and Support phase, approximately 60-70 percent. For this reason, effective and efficient product support planning and execution are critical to the Air Force’s ability to design, field, modernize and sustain affordable systems.

Currently, the Air Force makes sustainment technology decisions on a program-by-program basis. However, a wholly program-centric approach has inherent weaknesses. This existing approach does not always include consideration of other programs on-going initiatives; which creates duplication of efforts and waste of key valuable Air Force resources.

Enterprise mindset is an evolution from our program-centric approach to an approach that leverages synergies, seeks economies of scale, and proactively manages system and infrastructure capabilities to sustain essential government and industry product support capabilities.

Air Force must design for supportability by maximizing commonality, modularity, open system architecture and standardization of support processes to increase efficiencies and reduce costs. Product support engineering solutions should maximize the use of common technology to optimize availability and reliability while reducing life cycle costs.

1. SCOPE OF WORK/OBJECTIVE: Product Support Engineering supports projects that demonstrate enterprise technologies, alternative material solutions, and standardize process solutions to enable or accelerate sustainment technology transition across multiple weapon systems. This contract will address the gap that exists between when a technology is first demonstrated and when it can be successfully acquired as an operational capability. It should bridge that gap by supporting promising system and subsystem concepts for technology integration and demonstration from laboratory to sustainment. It will allow program managers (the developers and providers) and warfighters (the end users) to integrate, prototype, and demonstrate candidate technologies and assess them in an operational environment. Product Support Engineering should support the following focus areas to ensure reduced weapon system life cycle costs and improved reliability, availability, and maintainability:

1.1. Chromium-Free Alternatives: Chromium (Cr) is a hazardous material currently in widespread use on Air Force aircraft to protect against corrosion. Continued use of chromium-containing corrosion preventative coatings, sealants and other compounds will present significant risks to both field and depot maintenance workers, along with additional issues with regulatory oversight. Enterprise efforts to qualify Cr-free alternatives have the potential to increase worker safety and reduce maintenance costs and hazardous waste. These enterprise efforts include testing of non-chrome coating systems for non-OML (outer mold line) areas; developing anodizing operations alternatives; evaluating Cr-free conversion coat-dip tank processes; evaluating non-chrome sealers for anodized parts; and qualifying an Advanced Concept Ejection Seat (ACES) II non-CR corrosion coating system.

1.2. Cadmium-Free Alternatives: Cadmium (Cd) is extensively used in USAF weapon systems because of its many positive attributes for corrosion resistance, adhesion, and lubricity. Unfortunately, Cd is also a highly toxic carcinogen and is a direct hazard to personnel. Heavy regulation of Cd in the US and Europe also drives cost for compliance and protection. The elimination of cadmium is expected to result in annual cost savings, as related to disposal activities, avoidance of penalties related to regulatory non-compliance, and reduction or elimination of operator risks that are associated with cadmium electroplating (i.e., emissions, handling, etc.). Alternatives efforts include zinc-nickel plating for nuclear hardness critical items and enterprise testing for component alternatives.

1.3. Paint/De-Paint: Application and removal of weapon systems organic coatings is a labor-intensive, time-consuming process that generates large amounts of hazardous waste and air emissions. Enterprise efforts to evaluate and implement advanced coating application and removal technologies have the potential to reduce costs, process time, rework, and hazardous materials. Paint/De-Paint efforts include weapon system enterprise projects such as development of a Low Observable (LO) robotic laser coating removal system; investigating an automated system to paint a full aircraft; developing a robotic confined space paint system; and testing an automated robotic paint system for off-air-frame components.

1.4. R&M: Reliability & Maintainability (R&M) Engineering focuses on ensuring end items perform as required, when needed, and are easily restored to useful condition when failures occur. Ensuring that R&M practices are understood and employed on AF weapon systems requires investments in commercial standards; program office support for R&M Engineering tool acquisition and implementation (i.e. Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis, Failure Reporting Analysis and Corrective Action System, Pareto Analysis, Reliability-Centered Maintenance, etc.); deep-dive investigations into program R&M issues; tools & technology for data collection, storage, and analysis; adherence to Conditioned Based Maintenance (CBM+) initiatives; R&M training and materials; and other efforts to supporting program office R&M focus and implementation.

1.5. Engines: Improvements to engine sustainment technology, impacting multiple weapon systems through an enterprise approach, will reduce sustainment cost, increase organic capability, and increase availability. Multiple avenues for improvement are available to enhance detection, understanding, repair, and lifing of engine systems. Projects include enterprise automated crack detection, Engine Health Management (EHM) initiatives, and development of a service life prediction database and modeling tool for gas turbine engine components.

1.6. Corrosion/Coating: Corrosion is a universal threat that concerns all weapon systems in the DoD and has direct impacts on aircraft availability, cost, and safety. Enterprise efforts to approve advanced weapon system coatings or utilize state-of-the art coating technologies have the potential to reduce costs, process time, rework, and hazardous materials. These cross-cutting efforts include such projects as development of UV curable coatings; assessment of low temperature powder coating; comparison of 4 thermoplastic coating COTS products; development of sensors for corrosion detection; and corrosion mitigation using dehumidification.

1.7. Manufacturing: Traditional manufacturing processes have proven, cost-effective methods for large production runs of simple geometries, but become highly expensive for low volume or complex parts production. Additive manufacturing technology has the potential to dramatically reduce cost for these niche applications and this cost savings has already been demonstrated for rapid prototyping and reverse engineering. Continued investment in additive manufacturing technology can advance current capabilities that lead to increases in availability and an expansion of application options. These cross-cutting efforts to support depot maintenance operations of legacy weapon systems include such projects as Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM), robotic aided welding, and rapid manufacturing of nonstructural brackets.

1.8. Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI): NDI technologies represent the ability to inspect weapon systems for issues without altering or damaging the structure, yielding cost savings and increasing aircraft availability. New or improved NDI methods have the potential for detection of issues like corrosion or damage in challenging areas like unique geometries, through coatings, or at new detection thresholds. Automation of NDI, in conjunction with paint/de-paint or Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM), also has the potential to decrease flow time and cost which will increase weapon system availability. These cross-cutting efforts include such projects as replacement of chemically processed x-ray film and advanced automated fluorescent dye penetrant inspection in lieu of large vats of chemicals.

1.9. Low Observables (LO): LO technology provides a critical capability edge for USAF assets, but comes with the increased burdens of cost, complexity, and sustainment requirements. Advanced technologies and techniques to inspect, quantify, standardize, qualify, and repair LO coatings, across all airborne applications, would mitigate cost and improve aircraft availability.

2. CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS: Contractor requirements will be met as outlined in follow-on contracting tasks.

3. DELIVERABLES: Deliverables will be in accordance with requirements as outlined in follow-on contracting tasks.

4. MEETING ATTENDANCE/TRAVEL: Meeting attendance/travel will be in accordance with requirements as outlined in follow-on contracting tasks

5. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED FACILITIES AND INFORMATION: Government furnished facilities and information will be provided in accordance with requirements as outlined in follow-on contracting tasks.

6. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Place of performance will be in accordance with requirements as outlined in follow-on contracting tasks.

7. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

8. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 5 Years

9. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: None