Browse Topic: Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO)
ABSTRACT This paper is a technology update of the continued leveraging of using the newest vehicle diagnostics system, the Smart Wireless Internal Combustion Engine (SWICE) interface as the Mini-VCS (Vehicle Computer System). The objective is to further enhance Conditioned Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+) secure diagnostics, data logging, prognostics and sensor integration to support improvement of the US military ground vehicle fleet’s uptime to enhance operational readiness. Evolving advancements of the SWICE initiative will be presented, including how the SWICE “At Platform” Test System can readily be deployed as a multiple-use Mini-VCS. The application of the Mini-VCS integrates the best practices of diagnostics and prognostics, coupled with specialized sensor integration, into a solution that optimally benefits the military ground vehicle fleet. These benefits include increased readiness and operational availability, reduced maintenance costs, lower repair part inventory levels
ABSTRACT Vehicle prognostics are used to estimate the remaining useful life of components or subsystems, based on measured vehicle parameters. This paper presents an overview of a vehicle prognostic system, including the critical tasks associated with configuring such a system. The end user of a vehicle prognostic system focuses on the reports generated by the system that provide indications of vehicle readiness, condition and remaining useful life. These reports are based on measurements recorded from sensors on the vehicle and analyzed either on the vehicle or remotely by a “back office” information management system; the latter also provides usage severity trends. To implement such a system, an engineer must first define the vehicle components of interest and determine “damage correlates”: the relationship between damage occurring on key component(s) and key vehicle parameters that can be obtained from vehicle “bus data”. These “damage correlates” and the associated analysis methods
ABSTRACT As the industry looks towards Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) as the next maintenance paradigm, OEMs and suppliers are looking into their readiness in meeting the CBM challenges for the future. The US armed forces are currently investigating CBM for their Tactical and Combat vehicles as a means of improving combat readiness & equipment reliability, and reducing maintenance costs. Many cutting-edge technologies will have to be integrated in designing the CBM systems that will support the next generation of vehicles. While most of the required technologies exist, a comprehensive design will be required to make CBM systems feasible and economical
ABSTRACT Product Development (PD) remains a highly uncertain process for both commercial and DoD programs. The presence of multiple stakeholders (e.g., DoD and allied agencies, soldiers/users, PEO, contractors, manufacturing, service, logistics) with varying requirements, preferences, constraints, and evolving priorities make this particularly challenging for the DoD. These risks are well recognized by agencies, and it is widely understood that acquisition is about risk management and not certainties. However, almost all the DoD acquisition processes still require critical reviews, and most importantly, structured decision support for the fuzzy front-end of the acquisition process. What is lacking, are effective decision support tools that explicitly recognize the sequential milestone structure embedded with multi-stakeholder decision making in all acquisition programs. We describe the Resilient Program Management & Development (RPMD) framework to support complex decision making with
ABSTRACT The Product Director Light Tactical Vehicles (PdD LTV) is responsible for the Army’s High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) family of vehicles. Due to the large number of variants found throughout the Army plus the continued need for their service into the foreseeable future, the Army has conducted extensive depot recapitalization programs and continues to explore modernization options to sustain enduring requirements. Because competing performance requirements exist and budget constraints demand careful design choices, PdD LTV commissioned the development of a Whole System Trades Analysis Tool (WSTAT) specified for the HMMWV family of vehicles to help gain an analytic understanding of the key performance, cost, risk, and growth tradeoffs inherent within their potential designs. The WSTAT provides a holistic framework for modeling and understanding these tradeoffs. In this paper, the overarching WSTAT methodology is presented along with the specific implementation
ABSTRACT Curtiss-Wright has developed an acoustic based sensor technology for measuring friction, shock, and dynamic load transfer between moving parts in machinery. This technology provides a means of detecting and analyzing machine structure borne ultrasonic frequency sounds caused by friction and shock events between the moving parts of the machine. Electrical signals from the sensors are amplified and filtered to remove unwanted low frequency vibration energy. The resulting data is analyzed as a computed stress wave energy value that considers the amplitude, shape, duration and rates of all friction and shock events that occur during a reference time interval. The ability to separate stress waves from the lower frequency operational noise makes this technology capable of detecting damaged gears/bearings and changes in lubrication in equipment earlier than other techniques, and before failure progression increases cost of repair. Already TRL9 in adjacent industries, this technology
ABSTRACT Defense fleet managers require maintenance strategies that deliver high readiness, reliable and sustainable combat equipment in the face of operational uncertainty and chaotic tactical environments. Shaping depot maintenance strategy is complex: aircraft, vehicles, and weapons systems operate in unpredictable and dynamic environments while component aging, convoluted maintenance practices, and overlapping sustainment programs all influence requirements. Yet, most predictive analytics efforts are focused on short-term tactics and historical data. As a result, these models cannot deliver the needed long-run precision suitable for depot strategies. Despite new big-data feeds, cloud applications, and innovative visualizations, most underlying predictive models are not suited for the challenge due to a simple reason: The past does not represent the future. Without the appropriate predictive tools, fleet managers lean heavily and cautiously towards doing more maintenance. The
ABSTRACT Implementing Prognostic and Predictive Maintenance (PPMx) for the U.S. Army’s ground vehicle fleet requires the design and integration of on-platform predictive analytics. To support the design process, U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) and Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) Penn State researchers are developing a systematic approach that uses reliability modeling in a guiding role. The key steps of the process are building the initial reliability model from available data (e.g., system diagrams and physical layouts), augmenting with information on observed states and failure modes via subject matter experts, and then conducting trades on additional sensors and algorithms to determine a suitable predictive analytics capability. In this paper we provide an example of this process as applied to an Army ground vehicle, first focusing on a simplified sub-problem to demonstrate the technique, then providing statistics on the large scale process. Citation: M
ABSTRACT This presentation will review the ongoing lessons learned from a joint Industry/DoD collaborative program to explore this area over the past 5 years. The discussion will review the effectiveness of integrating multiple new technologies (combined with select COTS elements) to provide a complete solution designed to reduce spares stockpiles, maximize available manpower, reduce maintenance downtime and reduce vehicle lifecycle costs. A number of new and emerging technology case studies involving diagnostic sensors (such as battery health monitors), knowledge management data accessibility, remote support-based Telematics, secure communication, condition-based software algorithms, browser-based user interfaces and web portal data delivery will be presented
ABSTRACT The M1 Abrams will be the primary heavy combat vehicle for the US military for years to come. Improvements to the M1 that increase reliability and reduce maintenance will have a multi-year payback. The M1 engine intake plenum seal couples the air intake plenum to the turbine inlet, and has opportunities for improvement to reduce leakage and intake of FOD (foreign object debris) into the engine, which causes damage and premature wear of expensive components
ABSTRACT All CBM+ solutions must establish a business case considering cost of implementation and sustainment of value with a quantifiable return on investment. The business case must be traceable to specific failure modes, associated failure effects, criticality, and risk. Risk is not limited to safety and operational risks. Predictive systems by definition return both true and false predictions representing operational and financial risk from high false positive rates. There is also risk of losing operator confidence in predictive systems when there is a high false positive rate. All of these risks must be quantified and considered in the design and development of CBM+ systems. Model based approaches are effective in accelerating development, defining advanced functional characteristics, and efficiently testing dynamic effects of complex systems. CBM+ maintenance strategies rely on performance of complex systems
ABSTRACT Sharing platform health information in a disconnected environment requires the use of design strategies that consider the various systems that must participate in the creation, processing, and consuming of component health information. Using a common representation of a vehicle structure, platform health can be calculated, predicted, and communicated to end users at all levels of the enterprise. Implementing a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) using a Grid Services approach enables a central application to manage and share data as needed; performing data integration, data cleansing, and data normalization. This design pattern facilitates holistic collaboration for platform health management on-platform, at-platform, within the tactical domain, at the national level, and at the OEM location
ABSTRACT Predictive analysis of vehicle electrical systems is achievable by combining condition based maintenance (CBM) techniques and testing for statistical significance (TSS). When paired together, these two fundamentally sound sciences quantify the state of health (SOH) for batteries, alternators, starters, and electrical systems. The use of a communication protocol such as SAE J1939 allows for scheduling maintenance based on condition and not a traditional time schedule
ABSTRACT A toolchain must be functionally cohesive with a business process, especially in technical domains such as complex systems engineering. Despite the industry-wide shift towards model-based digitization within engineering organizations, there is a lack of development in implementing model-based RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintenance, Safety) processes. This results in a missed opportunity to create value throughout the entire system lifecycle, from conceptual design to operations. This paper proposes some reasons for this and outlines a framework for evaluating model-based toolchains in the context of the entire Engineering cycle. A model-based architecture for RAMS is proposed and contrastively evaluated with respect to SysML. Key use cases are identified, and benefits are demonstrated using Maintenance Aware Design Environment Software. Citation: J. Langton, S. Hilton, “Iterative Co-Design Of Organizational Processes and Toolchains For Model-Based Reliability
ABSTRACT This paper will focus on understanding the value proposition associated with utilizing advanced lithium-ion 6T solutions versus legacy Pb-acid 6Ts for military ground vehicles. The value proposition will include an analysis of the benefits associated with lithium-ion 6T batteries and reduction in life cycle cost (LCC). The analysis of benefits will include comparative discharge curves at various rates and temperatures, discuss enhancements features such as an integrated battery management system that provides real-time battery diagnostics via CANBus J1939 protocol, increased power/energy density, reduced charge time and increased cycle life. The LCC analysis will investigate acquisition cost comparison, replacement rates, and reduced installation & transportation costs. The LCC analysis concludes with a detailed review of how the lithium-ion 6T solution can drastically reduce the operation and maintenance (O&M) cost of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) over its 20 year
ABSTRACT As the Army leverages Prognostic and Predictive Maintenance (PPMx) models to migrate ground vehicle platforms toward health monitoring and prescriptive maintenance, the need is imminent for a pipeline to quickly and constantly move operational and maintenance data off the platform, through analytic models, and push the insights gained back out to the edge. This process will reduce data-to-decision time and operation and sustainment costs while increasing reliability for the platform and situational awareness for analysts, subject matter experts, maintainers, and operators. The US Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) is collaborating with The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to develop a system of systems approach to stream operational and maintenance data to appropriate computing resources, collocating the data with DoD High-Performance Computing (HPC) processing capabilities where appropriate, then channeling the generated insights to maintainers
ABSTRACT Supporting Open Architecture is a key to most major automation and control suppliers. In every industry, there is a desire to make a unified control system architecture that can easily integrate control system equipment from multiple suppliers. Whether it is a Navy military application or an industrial application, the needs are almost identical. Some of the keys to providing this transparency among control systems are utilizing an open standard that can pull together communications from multiple suppliers. In this paper, SIEMENS will demonstrate the capabilities of utilizing an open standard, which is PROFINET. By adhering to the PROFINET standards, Open Architecture is achieved at many levels in a naval application. Open Architecture is intended to yield modular, interoperable systems that adhere to open standards with published interfaces. As will be demonstrated by this paper, PROFINET provides these capabilities and more. By implementing PROFINET as the infrastructure for
ABSTRACT Camber Corporation, under contract with the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command Integrated Logistics Support Center, has developed an innovative process of data mining and analysis to extract information from Army logistics databases, identify top cost and demand drivers, understand trends, and isolate environmental issues. These analysis techniques were initially used to assess TACOM-managed equipment in extended operations in Southwest Asia (SWA). In 2009, at the request of TACOM and the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), these data mining processes were applied to four tactical vehicle platforms in support of Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) initiatives. This paper describes an enhanced data mining and analysis methodology used to identify and rank components as candidates for CBM sensors, assess total cost of repair/replacement and determine potential return on investment in applying CBM technology. Also discussed in this paper is the
ABSTRACT Modern data loggers of industrial bus networks provide a useful tool to record the bus traffic associated critical vehicle systems, but provide little insight into the impact of maintenance patches on the associated system binary codes and system behaviors. This paper describes an emerging DARPA technology, the Tactical Smart Network Interface Card (TSNIC), that provides a secure base from which to deploy, monitor, and interact with patched binaries. Our TSNIC appliance can take either a passive or active presence on the vehicle bus, obviating the need for a vulnerable JTAG interface, and processes diagnostic messages arriving from the patched binary. These messages can provide a wide range of insights into the behavior of the system. The Tactical Smart NIC represents the next-generation of secure and reliable patching technology for military and heavy industrial systems. It provides a unique way for developers, maintainers, and field engineers to gain a new appreciation for
ABSTRACT Value Engineering (VE) is an organized effort directed at analyzing the function of a product, service, or process to achieve the lowest total cost of effective ownership while meeting the customer’s needs. A comparison as to how VE is applied and to what extent is made between the automotive industry and the Government using the Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS) as a standard. Both the automotive industry and the Government use common VE techniques to conduct VE studies. Both use VE to manage functionality to yield value to the customer. Neither the Government nor the automotive industry sacrifices the quality of the product or its reliability in the name of cost. Both the auto industry and the PEO employ a systematic team approach to analyze and improve the value of a product, facility design, system, or service. Applying systems engineering principles helps ensure successful execution of the PEO GCS VE program. The auto industry uses VE more widely
This SAE Standard for reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) is intended for use by any organization that has or makes use of physical assets or systems that it wishes to manage responsibly
A research team at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has developed a new implant that conveys electrical signals and may have the potential to encourage nerve cell (neuron) repair after spinal cord injury
Subject document is specifically intended for service brakes and service brakes when used for parking and/or emergency brakes (only) that are commonly used for automotive-type, ground-wheeled vehicles exceeding 4536 kg (10000 pounds) gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). Subject specification provides the off-vehicle procedures, methods, and processes used to objectively determine suitability of tactical and combat ground-wheeled vehicle brake systems and selected secondary-item brake components (aka aftermarket or spare parts), including brake “block” for commercial applications only, specifically identified within subject document. Subject specification is primarily based on known industry and military test standards utilizing brake inertia dynamometers. Targeted vehicles and components include, but may not be limited to, the following: a Civilian, commercial, military, and militarized-commercial ground-wheeled vehicles such as cargo trucks, vocational vehicles, truck tractors
Moisture adsorption and compression deformation behaviors of Semimet and Non-Asbestos Organic brake pads were studied and compared for the pads cured at 120, 180 and 240 0C. The 2 types of pads were very similar in moisture adsorption behavior despite significant differences in composition. After being subjected to humidity and repeated compression to 160 bars, they all deform via the poroviscoelastoplastic mechanism, become harder to compress, and do not fully recover the original thickness after the pressure is released for 24 hours. In the case of the Semimet pads, the highest deformation occurs with the 240 °C-cure pads. In the case of the NAO pads, the highest deformation occurs with the 120 0C-cure pads. In addition, the effect of pad cure temperatures and moisture adsorption on low-speed friction was investigated. As pad properties change all the time in storage and in service because of continuously changing humidity, brake temperature and pressure, one must question any
Usage of cloud technology is essential for aftersales tester providers. It eases the rollout of new tester content - for example, diagnostic data of new vehicle types, updated repair manuals or ECU software for flash programming. Cloud technology also implements security services such as user authentication information. Figure 1 shows a typical setup as it is implemented for the service of vehicles such as trucks and buses. The vehicle is parked (vehicle speed = zero) in the service workshop, and its E/E system is connected to the vehicle communication interface (VCI) via CAN or Ethernet. On the tester (TST) side, the TST-to-VCI connection is either USB or WiFi
Imagine a portable 3D printer you could hold in the palm of your hand. The tiny device could enable a user to rapidly create customized, low-cost objects on the go, like a fastener to repair a wobbly bicycle wheel or a component for a critical medical operation
The automotive industry has been funding warranty repair work for many decades. The most common vehicle warranty is 3 years or 36,000 miles [1]. Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) in North America have dealers record all the work completed and submit claims for the work that qualifies for warranty reimbursement [2]. The OEM reviews the request and pays dealers for the work performed. In addition to payments, the database is also used to complete quality analysis for the vehicles. Often the software being used by dealerships is old and not designed for quality analysis. Reviewing all the warranty work done can be an arduous task. OEMs can receive 100,000 or more claims each day. To speed up the analysis process the OEMs will divide the repair work into sections based on the segment of the vehicle requiring work. This categorization allows the OEMs to spread the work across many experts in the company. But what does the OEMs do when the problem cannot be located at the dealership
This document outlines the most common repairs used on landing gear components. It is not the intention of this AIR to replace overhaul/component maintenance or technical order manuals, but it can serve as a guide into their preparation. Refer to the applicable component drawings and specifications for surface finish, thickness, and repair processing requirements. This document may also be used as a guide to develop an MRB (Material Review Board) plan. The repairs in this document apply to components made of metallic alloys. These repairs are intended for new manufactured components and overhauled components, including original equipment manufacturer (OEM)/depot and in-service repairs. The extent of repair allowed for new components as opposed to in-service components is left to the cognizant engineering authorities. Reference could be made to this document when justifying repairs on landing gears. For repairs outside the scope of this document, a detailed justification is necessary
A new electrical power converter design achieves a much higher efficiency at lower cost and maintenance than before. The direct current voltage boost converter is poised to be a significant contribution to the further development of improved electric and electronic components for healthcare devices
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