Applications

Progressive military applications

Ultra high pressure (55,000 psi) water jet stripping for aircraft engine components
Water jet cleaning C130 propeller for aircraft engine overhaul
Coating preparation on fighter engine augmenter liners
CITS (Computer Integrated Thermal Spray) Pro®
Multi-axis robotic shot peening of aircraft engine components
Robotic shot peening critical helicopter rotor head components

Ultra high pressure (55,000 psi) water jet stripping for aircraft engine components

Water jet stripping is a critical process utilized by the Air Force, Navy, and Army in the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of gas turbine engines. This process is widely used for the removal of thermal sprayed coating from stationary or rotating engine components. The water jet stripping process replaces conventional mechanical or chemical coating removal processes. It is faster, environmentally friendly, and is able to remove these difficult coatings without damage to the parent material. Progressive Surface has built more water jet cleaning systems than any of it competitors and truly understands the requirements of this demanding process. Progressive Surface has a line of specially designed nozzles and parameters optimized for removal of these difficult coatings without damage to substrate materials. Progressive Surface's PRIMS Pro® process monitoring software is incorporated into all of these systems assuring process consistency and traceability of parts processed.

Water jet cleaning C130 propeller for aircraft engine overhaul

Progressive Surface designed this custom 6 axis articulated arm robotic system specifically for the water jet stripping of composite faring on C130 propeller blades as well as paint from rotor and hub components. Progressive Surface's superior design capability was illustrated by this machine, which incorporated special material handling for these large awkward parts as well as Progressive Surface's state-of-the-art PRIMS PC based Human Machine Interface (HMI).

Coating preparation on fighter engine augmenter liners

Modern fighter aircraft engine components offer some interesting challenges. These components are large and have critical process requirements. Progressive Surface has developed this semi-automatic abrasive blasting system for surface preparation of augmenter ducts prior to thermal spray. This system is specifically designed around the requirements of this hardware and takes advantage of Progressive Surface's experience in designing custom solutions for unique hardware and process requirements.

CITS (Computer Integrated Thermal Spray) Pro®

CITS Pro® is the heart of every Progressive Surface closed-loop multi-process thermal spray system. These systems are used to apply advanced coatings to many different aircraft and industrial turbine engine components from high performance combustors to clearance control coatings on cases to wear coatings on bearing surfaces. CITS Pro was specifically designed by Progressive Surface to be the most sophisticated, flexible closed-loop plasma process controller in the industry. CITS Pro incorporates Progressive Surface's vast experience with thermal spray projects to provide many useful tracking and monitoring screens that allow users to control their thermal spray processes, collect consumable cost data, track maintenance, and monitor productivity of the cell.

Multi-axis robotic shot peening of aircraft engine components

Robotic shot peening of aircraft engine components offers many advantages including superior process control, reduction in part setup times, improved productivity and uniform intensity and coverage. Progressive Surface offers a wide variety of gantry robotic systems covering part sizes from 12" (304.8 mm) diameter to 120' (36.576 m) long. In fact, Progressive Surface has installed more robotic peening machines at military facilities than all of its competitors combined. In addition to the many machine styles offered, numerous nozzle configurations and rotary lance devices are available to improve accessibility in difficult to reach features. Progressive Surface knows the requirements of its military customers and has configured this product line around those requirements.

Robotic shot peening critical helicopter rotor head components

Progressive Surface's experience and knowledge of advanced shot peening applications has been used to develop several different machine styles to perform automated shot peening of critical helicopter rotor components. These rotor components require a very high level of closed loop process control and data collection and monitoring of critical parameters. In addition they typically have very complicated geometric features which require robotic nozzle manipulation to guarantee uniform coverage and intensity. Progressive Surface has more technology to offer customers then any of its competitors in terms of robotic part and nozzle manipulation, process control devices, and process monitoring software, making them the logical choice for these critical systems.