Development of Pulse Water Strip of Tungsten Carbide HVOF Coatings and Chrome Plating on Landing Gear Components

Aircraft components are typically surface finished requiring removal for typical repair and overhaul processes. Consequently, ES3 has successfully developed a 20KHz PAWSS for cleaning, surface preparation and coating removal of organic and inorganic coatings under SBIR Topic AF071-317, Phase I-III efforts with the US Air Force (USAF) and US Navy that provides a common strip process that is environmentally friendly and easily filtered for waste disposal. These advantages make PAWSS an alternative for the current stripping processes. Leveraging the successful previous efforts, this US Navy & USAF Phase II.5 effort will focus on the development and documentation of initial control parameters for a prototype 40 KHz PAWSS system for increased productivity capable of removing identified thermal spray coatings, electroplating, and paint from aircraft components. Validation testing will be conducted and applied to down-selected demonstration/validation (DemVal) components. A technical data package (process specification and technical order/technical manual updates) for routine operation will be developed for repair/overhaul instructions of the down-selected DemVal components. In addition, it will develop and install the prototype 40 KHz PAWSS system, retrofit a high-pressure water jet stripping system with pulse capability (PAWSS) at designated military installations, and provide operator training for NAVAIR and USAF aircraft sustainment personnel.