Portable System for C-130 Propeller Blade Bore Inspection

The measurement and quality control systems used for military aircraft must be operator independent, traceable, portable, and easy to use. The current hardware used to measure the gear motor interface geometry (hole diameter and taper) on the C-130 propeller uses a mechanical dial gauge coupled with a precision machined “plug” that is operator dependent; is limited to “go/no-go” measurements; is potentially susceptible to temperature and humidity fluctuations; is unable to sense localized imperfections in the bore wall; and lacks traceability. The current measurement approach, using the existing Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) at CMXG at Robins AFB requires that propellers must be brought to the machine, which dramatically restricts productivity. Due to the increasing volume of C-130 propellers to be fabricated and refurbished by CMXG, there is a key need to improve speed, accuracy, consistency, and traceability of bore measurements while being portable and easy to use. To address this need, Creare will develop, demonstrate, and produce production‑ready Bore Measurement Systems (BMSs). The scanner provides a more flexible workflow and a digital record of a refurbishment, repair, or new part conformance through the various processing steps to completion.