CONFORMAL MAGNETIC REPAIR SYSTEM

ADVANCED COMPOSITES INTRODUCE NEW CHALLENGES FOR FIELD REPAIR. THE IFEAL CONDITIONS FOR COMPOSITE REPAIR ARE TO EMPLOY HARD COOLING WITH CONSOLIDATION PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO AN AUTOCLAVE. NEITHER THE TOOLING NOR THE AUTOCLAVE ARE AVAILABLE IN THE FIELD. LAST YEAR IN COOPERATION WITH MCDONNELL AIRCRAFT COMPANY ELECTROIMPACT BEGAN DEVELOPMENT OF A CONFORMAL MAGNETIC REPAIR SYSTEM (CMRS). CMRS USES A MATRIX OF PERMANENT MAGNETS AND RESISTANCE HEATERS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE REPAIR AREA TO APPLY HEAT AND PRESSURE TO A DAMAGED AREA. CMRS IS A SMALL LIGHTWEIGHT AND VERSATILE REPAIR TOOL. FOR FIELD REPAIR THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE IS THAT THE ONLY SUPPORT EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR ITS OPERATION IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF ELECTRIC POWER. IN THE PHASE I PROGRAM THE SUITABILITY OF CMRS FOR MEETING THE ARMY ADVANCED COMPOSITE STRUCTURES REPAIR REQUIREMENTS WILL BE EVALUATED. IN THE PHASE I PROGRAM IN CONSULTATION WITH THE ARMY AND MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER COMPANY A PART AND DAMAGE CONDITION WILL BE SELECTED. A DOZEN SIMILAR PARTS WILL BE FABRICATED, C-SCANNED BEFORE DAMAGE, AFTER DAMAGE AND AFTER REPAIR BY CMRS. REPAIR PARAMETERS WILL BE VARIED TO FURTHER EVALUATE THE TECHNOLOGY.