Photo By Jennifer Bacchus | Brandon McDaniel performs non-destructive testing on a combustion cover in Anniston...... read more read more
ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- A decade ago, Anniston Army Depot and Honeywell began a Condition-Based Overhaul program for turbine engines.
Under this program, the initial engine build is a reset under the Total InteGrated Engine Revitalization program, better known as TIGER. After that, as the engine returns to the depot for maintenance, it is repaired through the Condition-Based Overhaul program.
“We still produce TIGER reset engines,” said Chris Benefield, heavy mobile equipment mechanic supervisor. “However, monthly production now consists mainly of CBO engines with fewer TIGER reset engines, which lowers the overall cost of the engine once the customer makes the initial purchase to buy into the TIGER program.”
In disassembly, work on the CBO engines begins with an inspection noting the hours of service, visible defects and missing or damaged parts. That information will be combined with the Field Service Report and Honeywell’s work planning guide to create a scope of work for the specific repair of that engine.
Prior to TIGER, all engines required a complete disassembly and overhaul.
Honeywell, the AGT-1500’s original equipment manufacturer, developed the work planning guide approximately 10 years ago.
That guide, in conjunction with the National Maintenance Work Requirement, sets the parts to be replaced, inspected and repaired, based on condition and life limits for the parts.
There are five levels of repair, maintenance or overhaul in the work planning guide, based on the hours the engine has - zero to 100, 100 to 250, 250 to 500, 500 to 1,000 and over 1,000.
According to Steve Norton, a depot turbine engine analyst, the engine is disassembled to the level needed to repair the noted issues and perform the hour-based maintenance. Any engine having 1,000 or more hours is completely overhauled.
The CBO program began in 2010 with a proof of concept program performed by Honeywell and ANAD. During that program, five engines from each of the hourly sets were inspected and repaired according to the new planning guide.
ANAD completed a pilot program of 16 engines the following year.
The program has numerous benefits, but chief among them is cost savings.
“Much of the cost savings comes from not replacing parts costing thousands of dollars. It’s a win-win situation for the depot to reclaim the parts,” said Benefield.
The increase in reclamation of parts makes the program more labor-intensive, but reduces the overall cost, while increasing production.
Currently, according to Benefield, the Turbine Engine Facility produces 45 engines through the CBO program each month.
“We now produce more Condition Based overhaul engines in a month than we did in a year a decade ago,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2020 12:46 |
| Story ID: | 371902 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 127 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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