WR-ALC helps Navy meet helicopter mission requirement

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – A team of maintenance workers with the 571st Commodities Maintenance Squadron Advanced Metal Finishing Facility, pause for a photo while packing H-53 helicopter skins into a sheet metal pallet at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Aug. 20, 2023. The AMFF team was tasked to chemically mill and anodize 15 Navy helicopter skins for the United States Navy Fleet Readiness Center East. (U.S. Air Force photo by Danny Walters) From left to right: Decoda Davis, 571st CMXS plater, Jamario Davis, 571st CMXS plater, Stephen Daniels, 571st CMXS plater, Brad Smith, 571st CMXS plater, Spenser Nelson, 571st CMXS plater, Clay Nelson 571st CMXS scheduler.

WR-ALC helps Navy meet helicopter mission requirement

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Daniel Honrath, 571st Commodities Maintenance Squadron metalizing equipment operator, removes etched areas of masking from a piece of sheet metal to be used for an H-53 helicopter skin at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, June 21, 2023. The etched pieces of sheet metal go through a chemical milling process which remove layers of metal until a specific depth is achieved. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather)

WR-ALC helps Navy meet helicopter mission requirement

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Daniel Honrath, 571st Commodities Maintenance Squadron metalizing equipment operator, left, and Danny Walters, 571st CMXS director, place an etching guide onto a masked piece of a sheet metal at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, June 21, 2023. The etching guide was used to cut the pattern needed for the H-53 helicopter skin. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather)

WR-ALC helps Navy meet helicopter mission requirement

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Daniel Honrath, 571st Commodities Maintenance Squadron metalizing equipment operator, uses a hoist to raise a piece sheet metal out of liquified washing tank at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, June 21, 2023. The cleaned piece of sheet metal is coated with a mask for etching. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather)

WR-ALC helps Navy meet helicopter mission requirement

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Danny Walters, 571st Commodities Maintenance Squadron director, right; Daniel Honrath, 571st CMXS metalizing equipment operator, center; and Emmett Cuasey, 571st CMXS metalizing equipment supervisor, place a completed H-53 helicopter skin onto a shipping pallet at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, June 21, 2023. Each aircraft skin was inspected for defects and packed in a manner to protect the skin during shipment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather)

WR-ALC helps Navy meet helicopter mission requirement

Published Oct. 4, 2023
By Joseph Mather
78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --

The 571st Commodities Maintenance Squadron Production Flight, Advanced Metal Finishing Facility with the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex has helped the United States Navy Fleet Readiness Center East meet their helicopter mission requirements this year.

men working — ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Daniel Honrath, 571st Commodities Maintenance Squadron metalizing equipment operator, uses an H-53 helicopter etching guide to cut the outline of various areas to be chemically milled on a piece of sheet metal at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, June 21, 2023. The guide has specific measurements and milling instructions for the chemical milling process. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather)

The AMFF applies coating for corrosion prevention, wear protection, etching, cleaning, and chemical milling in preparation for paint and other follow-on manufacturing processes.

The 571st CMXS directly supports to all of the 402nd Commodities Maintenance Group, performing Planned/Scheduled Depot Level Maintenance processes in support of the F-15, C-5, C-17, C-130 weapon systems and other aircraft.

Danny Walters, 571st CMXS director said, during the local manufacture of multiple aluminum skins for the H-53 rotary-wing aircraft platform at Fleet Readiness Center East, it was discovered that the proposed workaround for its insufficiently sized chemical milling tank was not possible.

“The FRC East requested the WR-ALC perform a one-time only chemical milling and anodizing processes required to manufacture the skins,” he said. “This effort was coordinated via Memorandum of Agreement with the Commanding Officer of Fleet Readiness Center East.”

Walters said the AMFF is a one-of-a-kind facility and their tank’s capacity is not readily available in the DOD or commercial sector.

“The AMFF team was tasked to chemically mill and anodize 15 Navy helicopter skins,” he said. “The metalizing team adhered to the defined technical execution requirements provided by FRC East and complied with technical and contractual requirements.”

A significant challenge was equipment downtime and skins which, required multiple cuts.

group working — ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – A team of maintenance workers with the 571st Commodities Maintenance Squadron Advanced Metal Finishing Facility, pause for a photo while packing a truck with Navy H-53 helicopter skins at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Aug. 20, 2023. The Warner Robins Air Logistic Complex AMFF team helped the United States Navy Fleet Readiness Center East meet their helicopter mission requirements this year. (U.S. Air Force photo by Danny Walters) From left to right: Richard Christmas, 571st CMXS plater, Jamario Davis, 571st CMXS plater, Brad Smith, 571st CMXS plater, Spenser Nelson, 571st CMXS plater, Stephen Daniels, 571st CMXS plater, Sam Waterman, 571st CMXS planner, Decoda Davis, 571st CMXS plater.

“The AMFF team worked hand-in-hand with 402nd CMXG engineering and the 402nd Mission Support Group to aggressively attack infrastructure failures, reducing downtime from months to weeks,” he said. “The AMFF team coordinated with FRC East engineers quickly and effectively to obtain clear guidance when multiple cuts were required to ensure precise requirements were met.”

Walters said the sister service had a requirement that only the AMFF team could meet.

“They executed their mission with technical excellence while maintaining a commitment to conformity, quality and product safety,” he said. “Our ability to enable the Navy to meet their helicopter mission provides an avenue for future workload while meeting the nation’s defense needs.”