B-1 Stabilizer Shop proves effective, efficient

Sheet metal mechanics Joey Jameson, left, and John Moy use fasteners to secure the skin to a B-1 horizontal stabilizer so they can accurately rivet the materials together. (Air Force photo by Margo Wright)

Blackanthem.com, TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., October 08, 2005

When the Air Force launched its Lean/Cellular transformation initiative several months ago, the B-1 Horizontal Stabilizer Shop at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center was one of the first shops already onboard with the program.

That transition has allowed the "Stab Shop" to develop into an efficient unit capable of providing depot-level maintenance on 30 B-1B horizontal stabilizers a year and extending the life of the aging weapon system by an additional 20,000 flying hours per aircraft.

Horizontal stabilizers, which measure 25 feet long, 8 feet wide and 1 foot deep, provide the bomber's pitch and roll. They look like short wings fitted to the tail section. They are made of aluminum skins with 25 titanium spars running lengthwise and a number of aluminum ribs crisscrossing the spars.

"In the sheet metal business, you're constantly shaking down parts, performing inspections and evaluations to determine those 'hard broke' items," said Angie Weaver, chief of the Sheet Metal Composite Branch.

The B-1 Stabilizer Shop was established in 2001 after researchers discovered the stabilizer substructure was prone to cracking. Prior to this discovery as many as 180 interim repairs had been developed to cut out and splice defective spars and rib lines in the stabilizers.

But it wasn't until 2001 when the ALC began to design, develop and build six B-1B horizontal stabilizer prototypes that a permanent solution was found.

Stab Shop personnel managed to produce the prototypes while establishing a Lean facility and becoming the first to implement the Consolidated Tool Kit process, a best practice solution of converting 47 individual tool kits to the current seven CTKs.

The Lean practices allowed the shop to reduce the original overhaul of the B-1B horizontal stabilizer from 4,500 man hours to 3,600 and reduce its staff from 63 people to the current 42.

"Part of the Lean process involves learning as you go," said Mike Smith, unit supervisor for the Stab Shop. "What we've been able to do is employ a team concept that involves engineering, planning, production and material."

Part of the workload itself entails locally manufacturing six rib lines consisting of 256 separate parts and scheduling for 30 B-1B stabilizers, or a total of 7,680 individual parts per year.

Beefing up the horizontal stabilizers on the tail sections of the Air Force's 93 B-1B Lancers have made the stabilizers safer and sturdier.

During the repair, workers remove the upper aluminum skin, which has about 3,500 fasteners per side, take out the old spars and ribs and replace them with new, sturdier parts.

Mr. Smith said maintenance on the stabilizers is set up on a rotational basis so that as one set comes off an airplane an overhauled set is ready to replace it.
 

By Darren D. Heusel
72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs