Robotic Electronic Component Replacement and Soldering in a Digital Depot Environment

The Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex (ALC) conducts programmed depot maintenance, PDM, and repairs on F-15, C-130, C-5 and C-17 aircraft. The group is responsible for the repair, modification, reclamation, and rework of over 200 aircraft worldwide. Technology insertion related to Smart Manufacturing is a strategic objective of the Electronic Maintenance Group.  Due to increasing difficulties involved in manual rework of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) there is a need for research and development of an automated rework station able to operate in sustainment and depot environments. Recent developments in robotic control have allowed the number of industrial robotic systems, in AF depots to grow significantly. When it comes to standardized mass production, specialized robots can be used, which perform the same tasks day and night. But depot processes require flexibility when it comes to working high mix product with low batch sizes.  On average three electronic components are replaced per depot repair, with an average time of 15 minutes per component to perform a part replacement. Automated systems would provide vast improvements in safety, quality, agility, and throughput metrics. There is a continuing need to have a robotic soldering solution with the flexibility of a human to solve the requirements for reducing direct labor costs. Our innovative robotic technology will be adapted and demonstrated to support the Air Force goals. The D2P2 effort will further the research and development our team completed in the automating processes targeting an innovative solution to implement an automated electronic rework system.  The phase II objective is to design and build a proof-of-concept (PoC) low-cost prototype robot soldering solution to use as a base for further development, through which a production-worthy system would eventually be reached. This system must handle the flexibility required in the printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) that are manually operated on, both in terms of physical maneuverablility and product variety. Improvements in depot-level manufacturing (components, machines, controls, software) for the Air Logistics Complex (ALC) processes will accelerate throughput and reduce delays.