Original Date: 08/07/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems (LMTAS) has opened a composites Process Development Center (PDC), which gives it an innovative, integrated, interdisciplinary development center for achieving excellence in composites products and processes. The purpose of this center is preproduction development and proofing of designs, processes, tools, methods, and procedures for low-cost, high-quality, structurally efficient composite structures. With the addition of this center, both engineering and shop personnel have the opportunity to accomplish hands-on development of new processes and products.

The center is supported by on-site design engineers, manufacturing engineers, and shop support personnel who are tasked to complete specific tasks along with general research tasks. As a process is refined, it is then taken to the manufacturing floor where personnel from the PDC train shop personnel in integrating the new process into daily production tasks.

Another Development at the PDC is the direct linkage of design data with key manufacturing equipment. This key manufacturing equipment includes laser ply projectors ply flattening software and Computer-Aided Three- Dimensional Interface Applications (CATIA) downlink protocols for an ultrasonic cutter that was developed and manufactured by American GFM Corporation, Chesapeake, Virginia. Sensor feedback control of thermal processes through artificial intelligence software and embedded sensors in the composite structures is also under development.

This PDC at LMTAS helps the company to remain at the leading edge of composite technology and achieve excellence in developing new composite products and processes.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.