SERDP/ESTCP Workshop –

Surface Finishing and Repair Issues for Sustaining New Military Aircraft

February 26-28, 2008

For the last 10 years SERDP/ESTCP has been sponsoring the Hard Chrome Alternatives Team (HCAT), and the annual HCAT Program Reviews have been the best place to exchange information on HVOF and other alternatives to hard chrome plating for military and aerospace equipment.  In the past few years HCAT meetings have been joined with Joint Cd Alternatives Team (JCAT) meetings so as to address both Cr and Cd.  SERDP and ESTCP have also sponsored DoD workshops on metal finishing:

Metal Finishing Workshop, Washington DC, May 22 – 24, 2006

Metal Finishing Workshop – Chromate Alternatives for Metal Treatment and Sealing, Ogden, UT, May 15-17, 2007

The February 2008 workshop represents the evolution of all these technology exchange meetings into one comprehensive meeting to address overall surface finishing and repair issues related to new military aircraft. 

Purpose

As with prior HCAT meetings, this workshop will bring together OEMs, users, DoD experts, and vendors to exchange information on repair and NDI methods for new coatings and materials now in use on new aircraft and some legacy systems, with the purpose of defining how best these materials are to be maintained and overhauled.  Some of the new materials and coatings require different technologies for flaw detection and repair (e.g. composite structures and HVOF coatings), while others require much more care with process control and surface cleanliness (e.g. Cr⁶⁺-free finishes).  The workshop is intended to ensure that everyone is aware of the many new coatings and materials being used on new aircraft, and all the stakeholders have input on how best to maintain them in the depot and operational environment.  All the briefings will be made available to the participants, together with a Summary Report outlining the state of the art, findings and concerns of the community.  Information will be shared on all aspects of MRO, including

• New materials and surface treatments being incorporated into new aircraft

• Known repair, overhaul and NDI technologies

• New repair, overhaul and NDI methods under development

• Gaps, requirements and RDT&E needs.

The workshop will address technologies and issues related to new aircraft, including:

Who should attend

Attendees will include prime contractors and their suppliers and vendors, depot and commercial MRO engineers, approval authorities, material and process suppliers, ESOH engineers and other sustainment stakeholders.

Although the focus of this workshop is aircraft, engineers involved with other types of weapons systems and platforms should obtain useful information related to technology development and insertion, since all platforms face similar problems.

Workshop program

The workshop will include briefings from engineers in all areas of sustainment of new aircraft:

• OEMs and vendors for the affected programs

• Depot engineers dealing with the new materials

• Materials and coating specialists

• Descriptions of the new technologies adopted, repair procedures currently in place, capabilities and new technologies for sustainment

• New technologies for NDI and repair

• Discussion of environmental and health issues associated with repair and overhaul

• In addition, there will be reports back from relevant HCAT and JCAT projects involving helicopter components, nanophase electroplates and Cd alternatives

• We are actively seeking input from all members of the community – depot engineers, approval authorities, OEMs, vendors, coating and surface treatment specialists.

It is anticipated that the format of the meeting will be similar to that of previous HCAT meetings, with one main session for the entire workshop and considerable time allowed for questions, discussions and interactions.  Topics will be grouped together for the benefit of individuals only interested in specific technical areas.

If you would like to give a briefing on a topic of relevance to the meeting please contact Hillary Legg (below) as soon as possible to ensure space in the agenda. 

Workshop registration fee: $200

Contacts