Excerpt from WKEF/WRGT
A one-of-a-kind laboratory is on its way to the University of Dayton's Research Institute.
A decommissioned C-130 plane, donated by the U.S. Air Force has been partially disassembled in order for it to make the trip from Eglin Air Force Base.
The pieces will be reassembled and once the aircraft is whole again, it will be used to test technology that's designed to lower the cost of sustaining the Air Force's C-130 fleet. According to Brian Stitt, division head for Sustainment Technologies Transition at UDRI, they will research ways to save on fuel, additive manufacturing - also known as 3D printing , cold spray for repairs, robotics and laser paint removal, environmental evaluation of coatings, augmented and virtual reality, condition-based maintenance and aircraft battle damage repair.
By using 3D printing technology, Debbie Naguy, AFLCMC Product Support Engineering Division chief said the Air Force will be able to reproduce parts for a lower cost. "The challenge is that, in many cases, no technical information exists on these parts because of the age of the aircraft," she said. "So when a replacement part or structure is needed and there is no drawing available, we will reverse engineer the part, scanning it to create a three-dimensional digital model that will be used to develop and qualify AM replacement parts."
The program is expected to last between 18 and 24 months and will involve students from the University of Dayton, Ohio State University and Wright State University. Students will work alongside Air Force and UDRI engineers and researchers.
