VIENNA, Va., April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Keeping aircraft operating safely
and efficiently involves frequent inspections of on-board equipment and
systems. An area that is particularly difficult to inspect and evaluate is an
aircraft's wiring system. To address this particular concern, GRC
International (NYSE: GRH) and Eclypse International Corp. of Ontario, Calif.,
are proceeding under a joint agreement to develop an electrical system testing
program that could help provide advanced notice of aircraft wiring
degradation.
Combining their resources, both companies will work to develop a
comprehensive system called Automated System Quality Assurance (ASQA). ASQA
will provide wiring configuration management, electrical test planning,
electrical testing and data capture, and post-test analysis to help identify
potential wiring problems. It is intended that the ASQA system will span the
entire life of an aircraft from initial design to its final retirement.
According to GRCI's ASQA Program Manager Mark Brown, "Wiring inspectors
typically look for obvious failures such as severed wires, but are not able to
identify the slow erosion of wire insulation that results from thousands of
bumps and jolts over an aircraft's lifetime. Advanced techniques and
equipment used by GRCI and Eclypse can potentially detect the degradation of
these wires. Additionally, the same test and evaluation techniques can
possibly be used to identify flaws in materials and workmanship in new
equipment and aircraft. It is believed our automation of this testing will
have a major impact on the time it takes to prepare a new vehicle or an old
one for flight."
GRCI and Eclypse are currently supporting the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) on a joint contract to
implement these techniques at the F-16 depot at the Ogden Air Logistics Center
in Utah.
GRC International is a leader in knowledge-based services and high-quality
technical solutions. GRCI has gained prominence for innovation in complex
information systems, advanced technology development, space experiments and
operations, telecommunications, materials testing and other decision-support
and productivity enhancement products and services.
Eclypse International is a leading manufacturer of automated test
equipment (ATE) and specializes in circuit analyzers for use in both
controlled and harsh environments. Currently, its equipment is in operation in
the United States and abroad with military and commercial organizations.
Mark Brown, a retired Air Force Colonel, engineer, fighter pilot, manager,
and space shuttle astronaut, has been with GRCI since retiring from the Air
Force and NASA in 1993. He works in GRCI's offices in Dayton, Ohio.
For information on this program contact Wayne Jackson at GRC International
at 703-506-5038 or Chris Teal at Eclypse International at 909-947-8839.
SOURCE GRC International
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Related links:
http://www.grci.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/320275.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 320275
CONTACT:
Wayne Jackson of GRC International,
703-506-5038; or Chris Teal of Eclypse International,
909-947-8839
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