Spangdahlem mechanics fix jet engines on ‘the line’

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  • By Louis A. Arana-Barradas
  • Air Force Print News
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) --  Mechanics at this base fix F-16 Fighting Falcon engines on a production line that makes the process of getting engines back in service more predictable.

The 52nd Component Maintenance Squadron’s propulsion flight switched to the new maintenance method less than a month ago as part of a lean initiative to streamline the way the shop does business, flight commander Capt. Alysun Kossow said.

The plan now is to maintain a steady flow, to turn out an engine every 30 hours, she said. The goal is to cut the number of days some engines spend in the shop from 41 to 25 and get 95 engines out the door each year.

“We’re pretty busy now with the new setup,” said the captain from Maxwell, Calif. “And we’ve had more than a few headaches. But once we set up and get rolling, we’ll be OK.”

While some Airmen are not yet sold on the new system, there is plenty of optimism among flight workers that the new system will work.

“It’s about 50-50 right now,” engine mechanic Senior Airman Ronald Craven said. “Some people like the old dock method, some like the new line. But we’re all trying to make the new system work.”

The new production line, called the rail, dominates the entrance to the flight’s building. Under the old dock system, one crew was responsible for all aspects of engine repair. The production line -- where mechanics concentrate on one phase of maintenance -- is built for efficiency.

Captain Kossow said the system increases engine production and cuts waste in the production flow time. That’s crucial because, in the past, getting engines out on a schedule was often hit or miss, she said.

“Sometimes we would put out engines and sometimes we wouldn’t,” Captain Kossow said. Sometimes it would be weeks, or months, before an engine left the shop -- and the next month the shop might put seven engines back on line. There was often no consistency.

The holdup was usually parts availability, which often causes engines to sit for months awaiting repair. As a result, wings and major commands cannot accurately forecast when a jet will return to duty.

The production line aims to take the guessing game out of the engine maintenance process. It will space out the rate at which engines flow through the shop so as not to overburden the supply system and make sure mechanics repair two engines a week.

“Basically, we’ve taken what used to be a pretty disorganized way of prioritizing and handling maintenance and put it into a process flow,” the captain said.

It’s easy to tell at what step in the maintenance process the engine is by its location on the line. Engines move from one spot to another after finishing six-hour maintenance blocks. Building the time schedule took months of careful research and planning. Then the squadron planned the engine flow timeframe around a worst-case scenario -- a jet engine overhaul inspection, where mechanics replace most moving parts.

“Nothing takes up more time than that,” the captain said.

The production line crews work on two types of F-16 engines and do minor maintenance on A-10 Thunderbolt II engines. Engines come from Spangdahlem, Aviano Air Base, Italy, and units in Southwest Asia. Repairs now begin before engines reach the shop. From the moment a report of a broken engine comes in, communications begin. The flight starts talking with the engine’s owner and the depot that provides spare parts.

“We get involved from the get-go to understand what we must do to make the process run smoother and faster,” said Senior Master Sgt. Wayne Stephens, the flight superintendent.

The jet engine mechanic from Erwin, Tenn., said calling customers and parts suppliers before an engine arrives allows his troops to better prepare for their task. This process also allows for more accurate forecasting of scheduled maintenance.

“If we know the parts we need to change, we can order them ahead of time,” Sergeant Stephens said. “And that’s one thing we make sure goes smoothly. So when engines do come in, we have everything ready to go.”

The streamlining has changed the way the shop looks. The building, about the size of a football field, is neat, clean and well lit and ventilated. The eight docks that once handled two engines at a time are gone. Now in place is a linked system that handles six engines at a time. Engines move forward on the line in six-hour work blocks.

The new process still has kinks that need working out, the captain said. Nevertheless, it gives a definite order to the maintenance process, she said.

“Now we know exactly where every engine is all the time and in what maintenance step,” Captain Kossow said.

Engines arrive in the receiving and inspection area. Mechanics check for damage and anything else that might be wrong. From there, the engine goes to the disassembly unit, where mechanics take off parts that need repair. The parts go to the shop replaceable unit where mechanics inspect and repair or replace the parts.

Repaired or replaced parts go to the assembly unit, where mechanics put engines back together. After that, engines get a pre-test-cell inspection. Here Airmen inspect the engine and ready it for a functional check, done at a test cell. There, jet engine troops fire it up and test it. Then the engine returns to the shop for a final inspection. From there, it goes for storage at the unit’s “engine barn” until it’s needed.

Jet engine mechanic Staff Sgt. Erick Slater is sold on the line. The chief of the disassembly unit said the production line makes the whole maintenance process flow smoother. It gives workers a clear picture of the work they must do. And it gives each one a specific task.

“It’s easier now,” said Sergeant Slater, of Chino, Calif. “Now I know exactly what I’m doing when I go on the line every day. I can go to the engine, take it apart and send the parts off for repair. And that’s all I do.”

The specialization allows Airmen to become proficient at one job. Then they may move into another section and learn new skills there. The advantage is that working in one unit for a time allows mechanic to learn a skill -- whether in disassembly, repair, assembly or testing. In the long run, the training allows them to get better, faster and safer at what they do, the sergeant said.

Airman Craven, of Long Beach, Calif., said, “I have more time to build components instead of taking apart engines all day long. And I get more training and experience.”

Captain Kossow said another benefit of the line is that technicians “aren’t getting jerked around like before.” She referred to mechanics working in the dock system. They often had to leave a job to do priority engine repairs. Not anymore.

“Now my priority is right in front of me,” Sergeant Slater said. “I know exactly what needs to be done that day. And I know exactly what to do tomorrow.”

That makes it easier for the sergeant to know what his crew is doing. When done with their tasks, mechanics help other crews, speeding up the process and getting valuable training.

The streamlining has brought another change. Now tools and supplies are located on the work floor -- not in a tool bin 75 yards away. This puts tools right next to where mechanics work.

“We had people having to walk two miles a day to get tools,” Sergeant Slater said.

That’s how the flight is meeting its 30-hour “takt time.” That is the rhythm a shop must have to produce an engine to meet flightline needs. This step makes the shop more efficient, the sergeant said.

Airman Craven’s job is to setup the tool and parts bins. He’s still working on it. But his design is built with the mechanics’ needs in mind.

“All our tools and parts are five paces from where we’re working on the engine,” he said.

As the propulsion shop continues to adapt to the line, it’s also finding new ways to further streamline the engine maintenance process. And each day, the system gains more converts -- and engines keep moving down the line.

But like with the dock system, the line system’s success will depend on the availability of parts. Right now, apart from the “nuts and bolts,” the shop orders all major components, Airman Craven said. So there’s still the chance an engine could sit in line for months waiting for a part.

“It’ll work as long as the depot comes up with the parts,” the Airman said.

Captain Kossow is optimistic. She knows success won’t depend on how fast her troops build engines. Right now, the process needs to catch on and expand.

“When it’s all working, flowing and everything is going exactly the way it should, I know -- and so does everyone else -- that we’ll push out two engines every week,” she said.