Boeing to Update P-8A Poseidon Training System for U.S. Navy

S. Davis Editor FedMil.com

Boeing [NYSE: BA] has won a contract award from the U.S. Navy to update the courseware and software for the Navy's P-8A Poseidon training system. 

Under the four-year, $194 million agreement, Boeing will upgrade devices at three locations for the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force to reflect the latest configuration of the Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is a military aircraft developed for the United States Navy. The aircraft has been developed by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, modified from the 737-800ERX. The P-8 conducts anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and shipping interdiction, along with an early warning self-protection ability, otherwise known as electronic support measures.

"With increasing demand for realistic training that is concurrent and affordable, the P-8A training system gives pilots, air crews and maintainers the most immersive environment at a fraction of the cost to train in a P-8A," said Pat Walsh, vice president of U.S. Navy & Marine Corps Services for Boeing Global Services and retired Admiral. "Boeing is proud to provide a high-fidelity experience that offers a seamless transition from classroom to aircraft."

Boeing developed the comprehensive P-8A training system to provide training for both pilots and aircrews. The aircrew training solution includes courseware, classrooms, part-task trainers and full-fidelity simulators for both pilot and mission crew. The maintenance training solution includes courseware, classrooms, hardware and virtual maintenance simulators to support all U.S. Navy maintenance certifications. The P-8A training system allows operators to train and prepare for missions while reducing flight hours for the aircraft, as well as fuel costs associated with in-flight training. 

Operating as one of Boeing's three business units, Global Services is headquartered in the Dallas area. For more information, visit www.boeing.com/services

ALL-NEW GULFSTREAM G600 MAKES STEADY PROGRESS TOWARD CERTIFICATION

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced its award-winning Gulfstream G600, the second aircraft in the company’s dynamic family of all-new ultra-long-range, large-cabin jets, has begun U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification field performance testing.

“We continue to make steady progress toward certifying the all-new G600 later this year and beginning customer deliveries in 2019,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “With the exceptional performance we’re seeing from the five flight-test aircraft in this program, I am highly confident our clients will be impressed with the aircraft we deliver. Its high-speed range, superior comfort and unmatched efficiency have already exceeded our expectations. Even at this stage in its development, the G600 is garnering attention, with its award-winning interior and seats, increased range capability and performance at high speed. The recent type certification for the G500 is added motivation and inspiration for us to bring the G600 across the finish line and into the hands of our customers.”

The Gulfstream G500 earned FAA type certification and its production certificate on July 20. Customer deliveries of the aircraft will begin later this year.

The longer-range G600, meanwhile, recently completed FAA certification for ice shapes and stall speeds testing. Since first flight, the five aircraft in the G600 flight-test program have accumulated more than 2,290 flight hours over more than 600 flights.

The G600, which made its first flight on Dec. 17, 2016, can fly 6,500 nautical miles/12,038 kilometers at Mach 0.85 and 5,100 nm/9,445 km at Mach 0.90. The maximum operating speed for the aircraft is Mach 0.925. The aircraft’s all-new interior earned top honors in Private Jet Design at the 2018 International Yacht & Aviation Awards.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 2,800 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the Gulfstream G280TM, the Gulfstream G550TM,the Gulfstream G500TM, the Gulfstream G600TM, the Gulfstream G650TM and the Gulfstream G650ERTM.

HP MetalJet is in use at GKN Powder Metallurgy

Together with HP, GKN Powder Metallurgy is working toward a vision of driving the global industrialization of additive manufacturing. The HP Metal Jet launch represents a paradigm shift in 3D printing for all markets as the new printer increases users’ productivity up to 50 fold, compared to other 3D printing methods, at nearly half the cost of other binder jetting systems. The technology will enable GKN Powder Metallurgy to transform future product thinking and traditional manufacturing on behalf of its customers by reducing the time-to-market for mass-produced parts from months to weeks, lowering development costs, and providing greater design and manufacturing flexibility.

Peter Oberparleiter, CEO GKN Powder Metallurgy

 “Our vision for additive manufacturing in the enterprise moves beyond prototypes and small-series production and into mass production. We see a future where every modern digital company will have a cutting-edge 3D printer in their facilities, enabled by GKN technology, design and support, to produce metal parts in 24 hours. This strategic partnership with HP is the tipping point to accelerate that vision,” said Peter Oberparleiter, CEO of GKN Powder Metallurgy. “Powder production and metal part processing are part of our DNA, and we have a long history of collaborating with customers and industrializing solutions that bring great benefits to the entire industry. As we join forces with HP, we want our customers to challenge us to break design barriers and accelerate the adoption of binder jetting technology as it is a wonderful compliment to our existing Additive Manufacturing technology offerings.”

 As the world’s largest producer of metal parts, GKN Powder Metallurgy is uniquely positioned to advance the development of the binder jetting industry. By integrating the HP Metal Jet into the workflow across its plants worldwide, GKN Powder Metallurgy will leverage its metal expertise to engineer new powders based on customer needs and help them design parts they did not realize were possible. The company will build on its foundation of sintering 13 million metal parts per day and continue on the path to Industry 4.0, since binder jetting is a highly digital process and GKN Powder Metallurgy has already digitized its factory floors.

 “HP is proud to partner with GKN Powder Metallurgy to bring the power of 3D mass production to the largest industries on earth, such as the auto and industrial sectors,” said Stephen Nigro, President of 3D Printing, HP Inc.  “The combination of HP’s breakthrough Metal Jet technology and GKN’s engineering and manufacturing leadership, promises to enable the production of millions of high-quality, low-cost 3D-printed final parts.”

In first half of 2019, customers will be able to receive industrial-grade parts in higher quantities. GKN will produce parts using HP Metal Jet to ensure the highest standards of engineering and production quality. GKN Powder Metallurgy will be the only partner using the HP Metal Jet within the automotive and industrial market until the machine becomes generally available in 2020. For more information about this partnership, visit https://www.gkn.com/hp. 

The Business Behind The CHEMON Name Change and New Company Direction

This Month's issue of Product Finishing Magazine, the go to source publication for all things Surface Technology, looks at the business behind the CHEMEON Surface Technology name change from METALAST and the new ownership's vision, values and global campaign for the removal of hexavalent chrome.  Read the full article at PFOnline (here)

In 2013, Madylon and Dean Meiling became owners of Metalast, a Nevada-based supplier of chemistries for the plating industry. They have since changed the name to Chemeon Surface Technology. Madylon, the president and CEO, is a Ph.D. with more than 15 years of experience as a corporate consultant and executive coach, specializing in leadership development. Dean retired as managing director of Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO), a fixed income investment management company with $1.2 trillion in third-party assets under management.

PF: Neither of you have a background in electroplating or finishing. What led you to get into the business?

MM: We strongly believed in the licensed, patented and proprietary chemistries, scientists, and potential for success of Metalast LLC and were investors in the company. Sadly, the founder squandered other people’s money and eventually led the company to insolvency. In April 2013, a court-appointed Receiver reported that approximately 1,000 members of the LLC had contributed more than $95 million, the accumulated losses exceeded  $119 million, and the accounts payable to its vendors, landlord, suppliers, and employees totaled nearly $1 million. On November 4, 2013, the Court approved a sale of all Metalast LLC assets to us, as the secured creditor. Although we entered this industry with limited experience in surface technology, we are successful entrepreneurs and leaders in business, and were confident that the chemical experience of the company’s scientists, sales team, and operations team, combined with their expertise and passion for its products and technical services, would enable us to expand and excel. Included in the sale was exclusive ownership of all Metalast company history and trade secrets, including chemistries, products, services, contacts, customer and distributor information, licenses, contracts, copyrights, product marks, and logos.  We particularly embraced our trademarked chemistries and changed our name to ChemeonSurface Technology to eliminate confusion between the company’s new leadership and values, and the former management.

PF: Your company says it will focus on environmentally responsible corrosion resistant coatings. Is this born from a professional or personal emphasis? 

DM: We have always supported organizations that are focused on improving the environment such as The Nature Conservancy and The Tahoe Fund. Chemeon Surface Technology has a choice in what we develop and provide to the public, and as a specialty chemical company, our vision is to be a leader in environmentally responsible coatings and surface technologies, committed to research, development, customer service and solutions. We are currently focused on leading a significant campaign to remove carcinogenic hexavalent chromates from the environment and replace them with our Trivalent Chrome and Zero Chrome solutions. This year, we are planning to present the first Chemeon CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Award to a company that is replacing hexavalent chrome in all of its US plants with Chemeon TCP-HF.

PF: What is the plan for expanding your global operations to new markets?

MM: Our plan for expansion is focused on Chemeon values for integrity, transparency, collaboration, and innovation. As a WOSB, we are investing resources in critical research and development to continuously provide cutting edge technologies to the surface engineering industry.  Our technical center has discovered new markets for existing products, as well developing new chemistries. We are currently working on improved no-chrome solutions as well as other needed chemistries for magnesium, zinc nickel, cadmium and more. Read more (here)

and here https://chemeon.com/p/the-companys-name-change/