F-15 Depot Digital Data Integration

摘要

Prior to the implementation of Depot Digital Data Integration (D3I), the method WR-ALC used to generate loft data for local F-15 repair/spare parts manufacturing relied on aircraft loft data which is tabular form in notebooks or on stable base media. In either case, when available, the data was valid only for the two-dimensional slices through the aircraft components. Extrapolation to intermediate points was at best an approximation. In addition, accurate three- dimensional tube data for manufacture of replacement hydraulic lines was not available. This lack of accurate loft and tubing data costs the Air Force millions of dollars annually. First, repair/spare parts were available only from the prime contractor, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace- East (MDA, formerly known as McDonnell Aircraft Company), that had accurate loft data in digital format. MDA is a contractor for F- 15 spare parts and supplies its contractors with accurate loft data; MDA then sells the parts to the Air Force with a markup profit. Second, WR-ALC/TI manufactured some repair/spare parts but relied on trial and error for proper form/fit/function, due to lack of accurate loft data. This, in turn, resulted in late deliveries, thus raising cost, inhibiting readiness, and causing customer dissatisfaction. Third, modification projects affecting F-l5 structures, some of which WR-ALC could handle in-house, were routinely contracted to MDA because they alone had accurate loft data. Fourth, WR-ALCfFI purchased a tube bending machine, but could not employ it because of their lack of accurate tube data to drive the machine. These problems were solved with the acquisition of the digital loft data, together with the matrices to transform the loft data into exact F- 15 external surfaces, and the exact digital hydraulic tubing shapes from MDA. With this data available, WR-ALC was able to prepare precise specificat.