HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Perfect Point EDM Corp. (PPEDM) recently conducted a two-day E-drill training session at the Aging Aircraft Lab of the National Institute of Aviation Research (NIAR) in Wichita, KS to demonstrate the efficiency and safety of removing hard metallic fasteners from a composite skinned aircraft without damage to the skin or substructure with PPEDM’s patented hand-held electro-discharge machining (EDM) process.
NIAR will complete the structural teardown of three jet fighters, artificially aged through fatigue testing, to collect objective data on E-drill’s performance capability to reduce damage rates, foreign object debris, and consumable material costs compared to the standard twist-drill fastener removal process.
Dr. Melinda Laubach-Hock, Director of NIAR’s Aging Aircraft Lab, will analyze the collected data for potential applications in the future. Well-known and respected in her field, Dr. Laubach-Hock’s expertise spans 16 years of performing commercial and military structural teardowns.
The aircraft are undergoing a complete structural teardown inspection, isolating detail parts with minimal disassembly-induced damage; this type of high-fidelity inspection identifies structural anomalies, primarily cracks.
“We fully anticipate NIAR’s testing to produce a range of valuable data points on E-drill damage reduction compared to twist drills. Authoritative and objective data is key to helping the industry make informed evaluations on new technology,” says Larry Harrell, President and CEO of Perfect Point.
By properly aligning the E-drill concentrically to the shank of each fastener, technicians know with certainty that no damage occurs to skin or substructure. Even the hardest fasteners remove in seconds with E-drill’s EDM process—a pivotal asset in NIAR’s structural disassembly.
In addition to veteran technicians assigned to the E-drill test program, NIAR also employs students from Wichita State University in a co-operative educational program, allowing the next generation of technicians, engineers, and program managers to address MRO workforce challenges. These next-gen technicians welcome the opportunity to work with new generation technology on new generation aircraft.
About Perfect Point EDM Corporation
An Electro Discharge Machining (EDM) Technology and Engineering Services Company, Perfect Point manufactures its patented E-drills for the aerospace industry worldwide to streamline MRO work for military and commercial aircraft, helicopters, and engines. Already, many aerospace OEMs have integrated the E-drill into their MRO operations including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Military, Airbus, Boeing, Gulfstream, Textron, Rolls Royce, Bombardier, Embraer, select global airlines and MRO providers to support numerous aircraft platforms.
Visit www.ppedm.com for more information.
