AFRL-developed Advanced Removal Tools Reduce Maintenance Time and Cost Published July 22, 2014 By Ryan Osysko Materials and Manufacturing WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) developed and commercialized coatings-removal technology for stealth aircraft that is quicker, safer, and more cost effective than the currently used removal tools and procedures. These new implements--which include a heat-blade process, impact and pneumatic tools, and nonmetallic rotary Gap Filler Removal (GFR) bits--are used in removal of surface coatings and the hard filler material used to fill gaps existing between the panels that form the outer skin of the aircraft. The new tools' ergonomic design and non-metallic blades reduce the manual effort and time required to remove coatings and gap fillers from aircraft surfaces. Additional time savings are realized by softening the materials with heat prior to removal with a special blade, as with the heat-blade process. The new tools also do not exhibit wear or require replacement as often as the traditional plastic scrapers. Because of these improvements, organizations that maintain stealth-enabled aircraft may observe annual cost savings ranging from $69,000 to $141,000 depending on the work performed. Additionally, the new tools and procedures do not generate hazardous waste or require the use of harsh solvents, adding to the safety of the maintainer and preservation of the environment. The United States Air Force (USAF) is pursuing alternatives to harmful materials and methods that may be encountered in maintenance of various weapons systems. Organizations that maintain stealth aircraft are particularly interested in alternative tools and processes for removing hard coatings and gap fillers from external aircraft surfaces. Two main operations exist that require the removal of coatings from external aircraft surfaces: panel coating repair, and panel removal to facilitate other maintenance. The current removal processes for small area repairs involve the use of hand sanding, solvents, and plastic scraping tools. Sanding and solvents create air pollutants and secondary hazardous waste, while plastic scrapers require intensive manual labor that can cause injury to maintainers. In general, the processes are extremely slow, physically difficult, and can be hazardous to health. As a result, AFRL developed, demonstrated, and commercialized several tools for coating and gap filler removal under the premise that the maintainers can choose the tools most suited to their particular application and with the understanding that certain situations require different tools and processes.