News

EFA lab masters problem solving

  • Published
  • By Brian Shreve
  • Robins Public Affairs
What goes on inside any given building at Robins Air Force Base isn't exactly posted on the doors. But behind every bland façade, every secured gate, lie the countless stories of unsung heroes, quietly playing their integral parts in keeping us safe.

The Electronic Failure Analysis Laboratory - a component of the 402nd Electronics Maintenance Group - is no exception.

Here, a staff of two engineers meticulously analyze defective aircraft systems, tracing the precise source of equipment errors thus preventing problems that could cause delay on the lines and even shut down production temporarily.

When any electronic system fails or raises other questions, it's sent here for examination using microscopic analyses, destructive physical tests and material characterization.

Manning the microscopes are electronics engineers Brent Baumgartner and Robert Bird, a duo with a combined EFA lab experience of more than 40 years; Baumgartner has been in the lab for more than 28 years, Bird for 16.

To call having an eye for detail a job requirement would be a vast understatement.

These two are able to pinpoint corrosion, electrical overstress and contamination impossible to detect with the naked eye, examining the composition of parts and tracing their origin - essentially a Crime Scene Investigation for machines. Most failures are discovered to originate with the manufacturers. "It's sometimes frustrating but also good when we're able to successfully help them out," said Bird. "Basically we might be the last hope for these things that they can't figure out how to fix."

The EFA lab has been solving seemingly unfixable electronics problems at Robins since 1990 and remains one of only a few in the entire Air Force.

Having the lab on base also serves to provide greater efficiency and convenience, keeping the shops from having to send work to outside labs for assistance.

"And we're well-equipped for the specifics of our area," said Bird, "whereas an outside lab might do all sorts of different projects."

One growing issue is manufacturers sending the wrong parts or even counterfeit parts, according to Bird.

Though most parts sent to the EFA lab derive from the 402nd maintenance shops, it also receives projects from around the base; at times, projects from other bases are sent here for analysis as well.

If this work sounds complicated, it's because it is. If it sounds dull, considering the consequences of what might happen if this faulty equipment were not analyzed by the lab may change that perception.

Bird recalled the corroded power supply belonging to a missile system located in South Korea, just one example of how an overlooked component - no matter how small - can be disastrous.

"The system had fired unintentionally," said Bird. "When we got the power supply here, we were able to pinpoint the reason for the short circuit and make recommendations on how the system could be modified."

Though this system reached the lab after the misfire, the engineers were able to use the lesson for preventive measures.

"As a result of them identifying such problems, the Air Force can make checks on the rest of our fleet to prevent future mishaps," said Jonathan Davis, 402nd Electronics Maintenance Support Squadron supervisor.

The tools of the trade include a scanning electron microscope capable of magnifying samples up to 100,000 times their size, X-rays, several standard optical microscopes and infrared cameras among other pieces of sophisticated equipment.

The workload varies greatly in complexity; some projects can take weeks or months to analyze while some are turned around in less than a day, according to Bird.

"It just depends on what the project is and how complicated it is," he said. "We stay pretty busy."