Robins implements philosophy to help maintainers

  • Published
  • By Amanda Creel
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  Maintainers here are implementing a new philosophy that allows them to complete maintenance and get aircraft out to the fight faster, thanks to innovative changes suggested by members of the high velocity maintenance high performance team.

The search for a change began because Warner Robins Air Logistics Center maintainers were spending too much time searching for parts or equipment.

No one would ask someone on an assembly line to walk away and get their own parts, said Doug Keene, the high velocity maintenance high performance team co-lead.

"If we want to see things change, we have to keep the mechanic on the airplane," Mr. Keene said.

A few members of the 402nd Maintenance Group in the 560th Aircraft Maintenance Group A flight are putting some of the theories to the test by implementing them on a C-130 Hercules.

The hangar is now equipped with a visual board forecasting assigned tasks for the following 10 days.

The hangar is home to the production support center cage, where many of the required materials for mechanics are waiting for them. These include commonly used items such as masking tape, trash bags, sanding discs and ear plugs.

As a result, mechanics are able to focus on the maintenance immediately after arriving to work versus having to spend the beginning of their shift securing the needed materials to perform a task.

"Everything is on hand so we don't have to scrounge and hunt for it," said Harold Ingram, the lead night shift sheet metal mechanic.

Task kits are prepared with everything required for each individual job, such as tools, technical data and parts.

Members of the high velocity maintenance high performance team described the effort as "choreographing or synchronizing" the maintenance efforts. This way, mechanics will spend their time actually turning wrenches instead of searching for materials or setting up, they said. 

For the new maintenance philosophy to work, it requires a detailed plan and process.

"We want to devise a very standard process where it is difficult to make a mistake," Mr. Keene said.

Many of the A flight mechanics said the new organization of their tools makes getting aircraft out on time and ready for the fight easier. The mechanics say they are thrilled to see that their opinions and needs are being addressed as part of the high velocity maintenance experiment.

"They listen to what we want and it doesn't take long for a turn around," said Larry Sterner, a work leader for airframe repair flight controls crew.

"We are using this to validate the process," Mr. Mobley said.

The new maintenance philosophy eventually could apply to program depot maintenance. Currently aircraft in the Air Force's fleet return for program depot maintenance approximately every five to six years. Because the planes are out in the field for such long intervals, when the aircrafts return for program depot maintenance any foreseeable maintenance must be performed.

The new maintenance philosophy would allow for less maintenance to be done each time an aircraft returns because the airplanes are returning more frequently.

Under the proposal the maintenance would be divided into quadrants where maintenance would be preformed every 18 months.

The change would return 52 to 55 airplanes back to their operational wings instead of having 70 C-130s sitting on the ground at anytime.

"We fight wars and save lives in our aircraft, so availability is very important," Mr. Keene said.

That's $1.6 billion in assets that can be returned to the warfighter, Mr. Keene said.

Another key to the new maintenance philosophy is taking the time to inspect the aircraft after each quadrant of maintenance. This allows parts to be ordered and plans to be made prior to the aircraft's return.

In the past, parts have been ordered based on history. For example, if a part was repaired five times in one year, it would be ordered five times the following year.

The new process allows them to monitor maintenance issues, rather than performing unnecessary maintenance because it could become a problem before its next date with program depot maintenance.

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