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New Wing-Top Sander
March 2014 Newsletter
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Working closely with our European launch customer, Temple Allen has developed a pneumatic low-vibration sanding tool for wing-top sanding operations. An advanced prototype, shown here, incorporates ergonomic handles, a dual-inline sanding head, a vibration-absorbing boom, and an optional fluid delivery system. Production systems will offer, like our EMMA™ systems, an interchangeable selection of end effectors to accommodate different pad sizes and orbits for task-specific requirements; an integrated dust collection system which turns on with the sander and routes particulate to HEPA-rated 3M Clean Sanding Filter Bags. Temple Allen's new Wing-Top Sander is patent pending, and has been CE-certified for the European market. You can see video here.
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New Solution for Helicopter Blade Prep
Helicopter blades, particularly composite blades, require the same sort of surface preparation steps during production as other flight control surfaces (rudders for instance) – deglossing, feathering, and reactivation.
During MRO, helicopter blades are a challenge to sand because the paint thickness on rotor blades varies along the surface (especially considering the frequency of field repairs); because the substrate (and copper grid/ lightning protection) is susceptible to damage, and because the topcoat (particularly CARC paint used in some military applications) is hard enough to survive extreme operating conditions.
Temple Allen’s solution focuses on finish quality (consistent scratch depth/pattern) and part protection - by holding the sander flat while applying even pressure to the workpiece, operators are able to dial in a desired contact force and thereby establish a predictable material removal rate which, among many advantages, allows different operators to generate the same high-quality results.
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EMMA Wields Grinders too
While the vast majority of EMMA systems in the field wield sanding tools from Dynabrade, 3M, and National Detroit, the EMMA arm can wield grinding tools just as easily. Working with clients needing to improve the ergonomics and productivity of their grinding operations, Temple Allen has adapted a 3M tool for EMMA™ deployment. Video of this tool in action can be seen on YouTube. Our next steps in development include optimizing the tool HP and RPM characteristics, and the abrasive choice, for each primary application.
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