KTM Solutions Gives F-15 Another Fighting Chance

Background

Obsolete parts can be impossible to procure. In every industry, daily operations are impacted by out-of-service machines requiring obsolete replacement parts. In some cases, replacements do not exist and the original part definition or manufacturing tooling isn’t available. Old military aircraft are not an exception. A leading aerospace parts manufacturer contacted KTM Solutions about re-creating engineering data in order to manufacture a replacement F-15 wing spar. A wing spar is a large, machined part and a primary component of a wing’s overall structural load-path.

The Problem

The manufacturer wanted to construct the part using a CNC machine, but only had the hand-drawn machining diagram from when the plane was initially constructed in the 1970s. The data included a series of detail drawings, contour lines, 3D points, and vectors defined in tabular form. However, a surface model and 3D contour lines did not exist. The client needed a 3D model of the spar to load into the CNC programs. This needed to include complex surface models to replicate the skin inner mold line contours and the spar/skin interface. This surface had to be developed from the 2D data and point/vectors provided. To validate accuracy, a full 3D model was needed to compare to the original drawing.

The Solution

KTM Solutions engineers excel in advanced CAD techniques, including creating complex surfacing. To develop an accurate mathematical model, we drew on our significant experience reading complex aircraft engineering data as well as our expertise with CATIA, a powerful CAD system used in the aerospace industry. To ensure the correct geometry, our engineers checked the 3D model for compliance with the original drawing and with adjacent wing frame components. We successfully created a 3D wing spar model, which our customer used to manufacture a new replacement wing spar.

About

KTM is a team of professional engineers that partners with manufacturing companies to overcome challenges and deliver the custom design solution and the expertise you need for your project.