Wednesday
January 24, 2001 :
CH-46 Helicopter Order Awarded to Radian's Military Parts Reinvention Network
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, USA ( Radian Inc Press Release ) -
The Military Parts Reinvention Network (www.milparts.net), a Radian Technology Group, announces the award of a re-engineering and production order for reinvented parts.
The USN/USMC dual rotor CH-46 Sea Knight Helicopter, the mainstay for troop and heavy equipment transport, was designed more than 40 years ago by Boeing-Vertol. The original equipment manufacturers that produced parts for this aged airframe are no longer available to provide required repair parts.
The ordering activity is the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Patuxent River, MD. Under the award, Radian MILPARTS will re-engineer new parts using original material removed from an in-service helicopter and create a technical data package suitable for state-of-the-market manufacturing.
Using 21st century technology, Radian's Military Parts Reinvention Network will develop a digital technical data package (D-TDP) compatible with state-of-the-market Computer Numerical Control (CNC) manufacturing equipment. Through the process of rapid prototyping and first article qualification, Radian's Military Parts Reinvention Network creates "manufacturing-ready" technical data to solve the 20th century parts dilemma.
Sub-tasks in support of this effort include the following as appropriate:
a) Identify, obtain, and analyze existing technical data.
b) Develop 3D parametric models suitable for describing dimensional data.
c) Produce rapid prototypes from the 3D parametric model to validate dimensional data.
d) Develop production tooling using approved 3D parametric model data.
e) Produce / test first articles at independent laboratory.
f) Deliver production quantities to meet NAVAIR needs.
The result is perfect part replication with significantly reduced production lead time (PLT) from months to days. Radian addresses the administrative lead time (ALT) challenge through its pre-competed omnibus contract vehicle, the Rapid Response to Critical System Requirements (R2CSR). Using this contract vehicle, Radian can be under contract in as few as 19 days, funded through a Defense Department MIPR (Military Interdepartment Procurement Request). Radian's MILPARTS technology-driven process reduced the PLT from a historical 395 days to less than 240 days, including development of new tooling.
CH-46 Sea Knight
Boeing Vertol timeline