Hand-Held Additive Manufacturing Technology for Structural Repairs

Navy aircraft and rotorcraft components require constant repair due to damage from field operations. In most cases, the damage is due to maintenance occurrences or service due to Foreign Object Debris (FOD). Although the damage appears to be minor, the components need to be sent back to a Navy depot for disposition and repair, which is usually comprised of blending away the damage and substantially reducing the material thickness in the repaired region. Our Compact Repair System (CRS) provides a robust additive repair of the nicks, dings, and dents in Navy systems as a result of field operations. We have adapted conventional friction stir systems and miniaturized the technology using custom spindles and tools to facilitate the additive repair of such damage and return the component to service at or above its original strength. During this presentation, we will be discussing our research and development results in this area, and our plans to transition this technology to maintainers.