Technical Data Package Modernization for As-Built Data

Current Technical Data Packages (TDPs) provided by the OEMs to the Department of the Air Force (DAF) describe the ôas-designedö state of a delivered weapon system. Models, drawings, part numbers, specifications, and more are included in the TDP, including model revisions, providing the as-designed data for each delivered system. However, this TDP does not accurately describe the ôas-builtö state of the weapon system. As the lifecycle of a weapon system progresses from as-designed to as-built to as-maintained to retirement, the state of the weapon system deviates further and further from the as-designed intent. Capturing this ôcradle to graveö perspective of a weapon system is one of the objectives of digital thread and digital twin efforts. Current standardized TDPs do not incorporate these deviations from as-designed, such as the nonconformances (NC) and subsequent repairs performed on a system during manufacturing. This translates to a loss of important information to the DAF, in particular to the engineers responsible for monitoring and maintaining the health of each individual weapon system and the fleet, such as the Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP) engineers. A TDP that incorporates the as-built state would be transformative to DAF sustainment practices. While the need for a modernized TDP is clear, the data to include and format to use still needs to be determined. Open standards such as the Quality Information Framework (QIF) can incorporate both Model Base Definition information as well as metrology inspection data. Inclusion of QIF data in a modernized TDP would provide the dimensional variances downstream and to the DAF, resulting in substantial value. However, other types of NCs and repairs important to the DAF during sustainment are not as well suited to QIF. For example, non-destructive inspection (NDI) of a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) part may reveal a delamination in the carbon fiber stack-up. If this delamination exceeds acceptable limits, the manufacturer may need to perform a repair to remove the delamination. The NC itself or the repair if required may result in little to no net shape differences in the part, but the existence and location of the NC and repair is very important for sustainment. Any TDP modernization efforts should also account for these non-dimensional deviations from the as-designed state. In this program, NLign Analytics will leverage its existing relationships with the DAF, OEMs, and PLM providers to define a new Enhanced Technical Data Package (E-TDP) that incorporates this as-built data.