Supportability Information and Decision Analysis Center (SIDAC )

Supportability News



SIDAC Supporting T.O. Modernization and Digitization Activities

SIDAC staff working under a Reliability Analysis Center Technical Area Task (TAT) are currently supporting the Electronic Warfare Directorate at Warner Robins ALC in publishing electronic technical orders (T.O.s). This activity is concerned with capturing and accurately documenting engineering and procedural changes, system modernization through the infusion of new technology and establishing consistent formats to ensure system maintenance documentation is accurate, up-to-date and field worthy. Updated T.O.s must be deployed to field activities prior to the release of any system hardware upgrades. Timely preparation and dissemination of technical documentation is necessary to alleviate delays in fielding system upgrades. Under this program existing documentation is being converted to standardized formats utilizing commercially available desktop publishing tools. All raster graphic images are being converted to AutoCAD R-14 format to facilitate future system upgrades. Newly developed materials are integrated with existing materials utilizing the same conventions. Finalized T.O. packages are then converted to portable document format (.pdf) with standardized indexing and links. These pdfs are then packaged as a T.O. suite onto CDROM for distribution to the field.

USAF Conference Held on Aircraft Structural Integrity

SIDAC staff attended the 1998 USAF Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP) Conference held at the Hyatt Regency in San Antonio, TX November 30th through December 3rd. This conference is sponsored by the Materials and Manufacturing and Air Vehicles Directorates of the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Deputy for Engineering, Aeronautical Systems Center, WPAFB. It is co-sponsored and hosted by the Aircraft Structural Integrity Branch, Aircraft Directorate at San Antonio ALC. The conference focuses on bringing together world leaders in the area of aircraft structural integrity and related technologies to share and exchange information pertaining to the latest developments in the design and acquisition of new aircraft and the maintenance of both commercial and military aging aircraft.

Dr. Jack Lincoln, ASC/EN, WPAFB, OH served as the host and moderator for much of the conference. During his Aging Aircraft Forum, Dr. Lincoln discussed much of the work that he has sponsored and performed over the last several years pertaining to aging assessments of the USAF inventory. As a result, Dr. Lincoln stressed three key areas that require particular attention and investment resources: Corrosion, NonDestructive Inspection/Testing and Development of Cost-Benefit Models. Sessions included presentations relating to life enhancement, environmental effects, bonded composite repair, nondestructive evaluation, analytical methods, fatigue and fracture, probabilistic methods, full-scale testing and force management. In addition to the general sessions, poster sessions describing specific research studies were presented with opportunities for one-on-one discussions with the actual researchers. Information pertaining to the ASIP conference, sponsoring organizations and research activities in this supportability area can be found at http://www.asipcon.com. Proceedings will be available on CD-ROM in the Spring '99.

Partnership In RMS Standards Coordinates Supportability Standard Development

The following information was excerpted from Partnership In RMS Standards - A Newsletter For Professionals, Volume 2 Number 1, August 1998. A number of "standards-related" development projects pertaining to supportability are currently underway and are being coordinated within various committee activities. These include:

1. IEEE Reliability Society, Standard, Reliability Program for Development and Production of Electronic Systems and Equipment (P1332). Provides guidance to suppliers to plan a reliability program that suits their design philosophy, the product concept, and the resources at their disposal so that every activity adds value. Contact Dr. Michael Pecht.

2. IEEE Reliability Society, Standard Methodology for Reliability Prediction and Assessment for Electronic Systems and Equipment (P1413). Provides the framework for the reliability prediction process for electronic systems and equipment, including hardware and software predictions at all levels. Contact Dr. Michael Pecht.

3. IEEE Reliability Society, Guide for Reliability Growth Management and Assessment (P1467). Intended to be a replacement for MIL-HDBK-189. Contact Dr. Paul Ellner.

4. SAE G-11, Software Reliability - An Overview (JA1001). This provides an overview of the issues relating to the reliability of software in computer-based systems. Contact David E. Peercy.

5. SAE G-11, Software Reliability Program Standard (JA1002). Defines a simple and flexible framework for the management of a software reliability program. Contact David E. Peercy.

6. SAE G-11, Software Supportability Program Standard (JA1004). Defines recommended practices for the achievement of suitable supportability and through life support arrangements for software within an overall systems engineering framework. Contact David E. Peercy.

7. SAE G-11, Software Supportability Implementation Guide (JA1005). Identifies the recommended practices for the implementation of a supportability program for software within a systems engineering framework. Contact David E. Peercy.

8. SAE G-11, Software Support Concept (JA1006). Provides an overview of support-significant information related to the support and supportability of software in computerbased systems, centered on software support concept: support profiles, functional support areas, and support classes. Contact David E. Peercy.

9. SAE G-11, Recommended Best Practices for Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis Procedures (ARP5580). Best commercial practices for function, interface, and detailed FMECA for hardware and software, product and process design. Contact Gary Bustos.

10. SAE G-11, Supportability Program Standard. Provides guidance for structuring a general supportability program and is adaptable to any product or enterprise in the public or private sector. Contact Howard Hetrick.

11. SOLE, In-Service Logistics Demonstrations. Provides guidance on the planning and use of data from initial product fieldings as a means of validating logistics performance parameters. Contact David L. Place, CPL.