Platform Machining Evaluation
Abstract
Air Methods Corporation, Englewood, Colorado, manufactures litter pans (platforms) used in the UH-60Q MEDEVAC (Medical Evacuation) variant of the UH-60 Black Hawk interior that are machined aluminum pieces designed to support litter-borne patients. These platforms also serve as attachment points for the ambulatory patient seats. The original platforms were designed to meet civil crash requirements. However, with the pending introduction of the HH-60M, the platforms must meet stricter Army crash requirements, and the loads on the platforms themselves have increased. Reducing the weight of the medical interior increases the performance margin on the aircraft. This translates into increased "payload" capacity, better performance, better fuel efficiency, and longer aircraft life. Air Methods Corporation requested that the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) review a proposed stiffener design and develop a manufacturing process capable of producing a complex stiffener geometry that will reduce the weight of the platform along with increasing its "payload" capacity.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 21, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA481785
Entities
Organizations
- National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining