Photo By Keith Hayes | (Left) Tim Craig, supervisor of the Quality Control Department at Production Plant...... read more read more
Every vehicle or piece of equipment that comes through or goes out of the gates of Production Plant Barstow passes under the watchful eye of the Quality Control Department.
“When the vehicle comes in were going to do a limited technical inspection (LTI) right from the very beginning,” said Tim Craig, the supervisor of the Quality Control Department at PPB, Marine Depot Maintenance Command, aboard the Yermo Annex of Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif.
“We go out there with pen and pad and annotate what we can see. With the layers of armor bolted on we can’t really get down to the little stuff for initial inspection, but we can do a limited inspection based on what we see so we can repair, rebuild or replace components of the asset. That’s where the IROAN process begins (inspect, repair or replace only as necessary).”
Craig said he is motivated to do the absolute best job he can because of his brother. “He was in the Army and deployed to the Middle East. He came back with horror stories of being hit by IEDs (improvised explosive device) and being shot at in a combat situation. He was hit three times but lived to tell about it because his equipment saved his life. Based on the stories he brought back with him it makes it more personal for me about the importance of what we do here,” Craig said.
The QC department does the initial inspection as well as the division final inspection. “Before it leaves PPB it has to have quality control’s approval. We keep our own personal opinions out of the repair process, and refer to the technical manual on the vehicle we’re working on,” he explained. “It’s hard to argue with something that’s written down in black and white. A good job is a good job and a bad job is a bad job.”
If the statement of work says “no bare metal”, then that is what the QC department checks for. “Let’s say the QC inspectors find some minor chipping of paint on the vehicle that will not affect combat readiness. But, the customer signed up for no bare metal, so that’s what we’re contracted to deliver.”
Craig said the testing done by the QC team can get pretty exotic, such as the Non Destructive Testing Facility.
“We use liquid dye penetrant, and coat the part thoroughly,” explained Bill Stacy, metals inspector with the NDT Facility. “Then it sets for a certain amount of time, we wash off the excess dye, dry the part and apply a developing agent. After subjecting the part to current from a strong electromagnet, the dye is pulled to the tiniest crack in the part which is then highlighted by a black light.”
“We also have a large X-ray facility which allows us to get good under-the-skin shots of an entire vehicle to find cracks.”
“I find it very satisfying that we’re making quality equipment for the Marines. We’re sending out something that allows the kids to come home alive,” Stacy said.
Craig said regardless of the size of the job, ensuring that it is done right is why the QC department exists. “It can be everything from a small project such as a weld done on a crack in the frame, to replacing the suspension on an LVSR truck (Logistics Vehicle System Replacement) or rebuilding the engine. The requirements are laid out in a statement of work (SOW). We could check the engine and transmission on the dynamometer. Every vehicle we IROAN goes out for a road test on the tracked vehicle test area where it puts in laps, climbs the hill, checks the brakes, and checks the turning.”
“We have a hand in every line at the Plant. Amphibious Assault Vehicles; Mine Resistant Ambush Protect All-Terrain Vehicles (M-ATV); the MRAP Cougar line, the LVSR, the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement truck; the M88 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift Evacuation System (Hercules); the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (Humvee); dump trucks, Paxman engines; the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV); and the 777 Howitzer line. There are also the back shops that do electric, cable, communications, optical, engine, transmission and powertrain, the canvas body shop, the hydraulic shop, and the machine shop. Each of those shops has their own component shops, all of which have to have their worked check by QC.”
The 18 people working in the Quality Control Department are certified in their particular fields. “Three of them are certified to work in the NDT section as well as the X-ray section. We have electronics system inspectors, a paint inspector, two ordinance inspectors, and nine heavy mobile inspectors.”
Craig pointed out a banner hanging on the wall of building 573 bearing the legend “What you do today could save a Marine’s life.”
“Quality Control means to me that were saving somebody’s life, whether it be a mother or a father, brother or sister. They are somebody’s someone, and we help keep them safe.”
| Date Taken: | 05.25.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 05.25.2017 13:52 |
| Story ID: | 235292 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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