Idea pays Airman thousands

  • Published
  • By Katie Boles
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  A Moody Airman recently received a monetary award for his innovative thinking.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Ortega, 23rd Equipment Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance craftsman, was awarded $6,694 through the Air Force's Innovative Development through Employee Awareness for his invention of a Personal Hydraulic Press.

The new press allows the fabrication flight to manufacture much needed aircraft parts that are too time consuming to form by hand or are no longer available.

"I came across an item that basically alleviates some of the problems we are having with hand forming and fabricating metal aircraft structures," said Sergeant Ortega. "Currently, we are hand forming the needed part over a locally manufactured block, bending the aluminum to manufacture a new piece."

The current process is taxing, laboring and sometimes inaccurate, he said. The quality of the aluminum can actually diminish if the part is overworked.

"This press basically eliminates the tedious process," said Sergeant Ortega. "A precision manufactured die from our local machine shop which will press the part out for you. So what use to take eight hours to produce, the press now does in a matter of minutes."

The press fabricates the parts by forming the metal over a die under a urethane-forming box that utilizes 198 tons of pressure. This forces the metal over the block in order to manufacture the part with precision in a shorter time frame.

"With the arrival of the A-10's came an increasing need for parts that had to be manufactured, due to the unavailability of parts for the A-10," said Master Sgt. Michael Jasinski, 23rd Equipment Maintenance Squadron structural maintenance section chief.

The press will be funded through the removal of manpower slots, which in time will be returned to the fabrication flight. Essentially, the press will be of no cost to the shop.

According to Sergeant Jasinski, the machine is quickly proving its usefulness and effectiveness. The efficiency of this machine is its highest selling point, he said.

"Sergeant Ortega is constantly thinking of ways to make the shop better and more efficient," Sergeant Jasinski added. "I'm glad to see him rewarded for his efforts."

For more information or to make a submission to Moody's IDEA program, contact 257-4725.