As the impact of the Naval Sustainment System (NSS) continues to bolster production throughout the command and increase fleet readiness, milestones often arise for those who work with the crucial components that directly affect the mission status of an aircraft.
"Last week, we actually hit zero issue-priority-group-ones (IPG1) on generator control units (GCU). I don't know when the last time it was zero IPG1s," said Rick Pfeiffer, deputy IPT lead of the GCU shop at Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW).
In addition to the GCU, which provides power to all of an aircrafts electrical systems, the shop repairs and overhauls two types of generators: Air-cooled generators that use fan blades to cool them and typically found on helicopters, P-3 Orion and AV-8B Harrier aircraft, and oil-cooled generators used in aircraft like the F/A-18 Hornet.
A staff of 42 artisans working in two shifts service about 36 GCUs per quarter belonging to the legacy F/A-18 Hornets, and 32 of the Hornets generators, or G-1s.
"There was previously two versions of the GCU, the G-2 and the G-3. About two years ago, we became qualified for the G-4 modified version. It receives 13 new parts. So now, we receive a G-3 carcass and a kit that we use to upgrade and ready-for-issue (RFI) as a G-4 version," Pfeiffer said.
The workload standard for the G-4 conversion is 80 man-hours, while a G-2 is 118 man-hours.
G-3 chassis are stripped, and with their wiring harnesses, sent for analysis on the Intermittent Fault Detection and Isolation System (FIDIS) in Building 463. The IFDIS not only checks the connection points in the GCU harness for intermittent shorts or opens, but also has the capability to simulate the flight stresses and conditions which Hornet aircraft are exposed.
The IFDIS process takes about 26 hours.
"We also repair the G-2 versions, and we get a schedule of the generators, in itself, so right now were doing about 19 per month. The goal is to get to 28 a month. Previously, the goal was around 15 per month. So, were looking to keep up with fleet demands," Pfeiffer said.
The shops GCU workload operates under a Private Public Partnership (PPP) with the General Electric Co. PPP are partnerships between commercial vendors and FRCSW.
FRCSW artisans provide the labor in disassembly, evaluation and ordering parts from GE. When parts arrive, units are reassembled and tested on the Aircraft Engine Components Test Stand (AECTS). After QA and packaging, they are returned to GE and disbursed back to the fleet through the Naval Supply Systems Command.
Through NSS initiatives, and to reduce turn-around time, the shop moved its work centers closer to its testing area. It also gained the personnel needed to reduce down time caused by machinery failures.
"We had buy-in from the get go. The NSS team of Cindy Champaign and Justin Benford worked closely with the shop artisans to get the production control center (PCC) built. Our facilities department did a great job getting floors done and everything moved quickly," Pfeiffer said.
"The shop moved phone lines and benches and set the area up the way they wanted it: GCUs on one side, generators on the other, split between legacy and Super Hornet, and in the middle, is our circuit card assembly area. So, we laid out the plan and they did a great job executing it."
The depth of repairs to circuit cards also improved through a combined effort from the artisans, engineering and GE that brought capability to the component level using micro-soldering techniques.
"The key is that the depth of repair has reduced material delay time and reduced back orders on the shop replaceable assemblies (SRA)," Pfeiffer noted.
SRAs are circuit card modules, held in weapons replaceable assemblies, or the containers that house avionic functions.
"There wasn't a lot of change to repair procedures with the NSS, it was more about gaining efficiency and also getting the priority established. The bigger issue was `how do we reach our goal.' The schedule for us is 21 GCUs a month, or 63 a quarter. We've never done anything like those numbers, but we are hitting 21 or very close to it. On the generator side, the quarterly schedule was 45. And that's increased as well," he said.
Daily meetings to address constraints within the shop are attended by all teammates who have an influence in overcoming barriers to production.
"We have our goals identified, we see workload move. We see what our work-in-progress is, and if things get stuck, we identify who is responsible for overcoming it," Pfeiffer said. "We have an issue resolution board that has a date assigned to a task. If anything goes over five days, we raise that issue up to further leadership to address."
FRCSW and GEs Vandalia, Ohio, site are the only locations conducting depot-level repairs to the GCU.
The command is currently expanding its workload to include generators of the V-22 Osprey, and in fiscal year 2021, generators of E2-D aircraft.