Lower F135 Sustainment Costs: SmartBlend for F135 4th Stage HPC

Blade Diagnostics Corporation (BDC) develops systems for measuring and analyzing the geometry and vibratory response of integrally bladed rotors (IBRs).  Their product, SmartBlend® System (SBS), incorporates next generation testing and analytics for active propulsion fleet maintenance.  SmartBlend uses specific information about each part to safely repair more IBRs and quickly return them to service, which reduces maintenance costs, improves safety and increases fleet readiness. The SBS IBR data becomes part of a database which can be used to inform decision makers for improved workflow, repair strategies, and IBR asset management.  BDC worked with AFRL (Dayton) and ALC (Oklahoma City) to build and install a SmartBlend System for evaluating F119 IBRs at the ALC where it has been fully integrated into the F119 repair workflow. Based on F119 damage rates it has been estimated that fully implementing SmartBlend technology for the F135 would provide an ROI of more than 30 to 1.  The purpose of the proposed work is to further transition this new technology to the F135 engine.