P&W F-100 Engine Hydraulic Tester
During ground maintenance, a F-16 Compressor Vane Positioning Tester (Hydraulic Tester) moves the compressor vanes working through the hydraulic actuators on the Pratt & Whitney F-100 engines series.
United Dynamics was asked to look at the existing design and formulate changes to improve the mean time between failures (MTBF) of the existing unit.
Our due diligence path led us back to the drawing board
After performing a thorough investigation that included numerous hours of speaking with end users, we discovered a stark reality: Improving the MTBF would require starting over again.
Our engineering department designed and developed the hydraulic tester from ground up. To add value, we engaged with the end user to discover what features should be included that were not part of the original design.
A new breed of hydraulic tester
When our team finished, we delivered a robust new hydraulic tester. The tester met the physical and technical requirements of the Air Force with much more versatile capabilities. It even surpassed the requested performance requirements.
The Hydraulic System delivers hydraulic controlled pressures between 0 and 250 pounds per square inch gauge (psig). It controls pressure within ± 2 pounds per square inch (psi). It has five main elements: filtration, pumping, control, monitoring and direction.
The improvements we made proved so significant that the Air Force assigned a new National Stock Number to our part and made it a preferred unit.