Cost/Benefit Analysis
Conducted at Landing Gear
Repair Facility
Analysis conducted by
Concurrent Technologies Corporation using
Environmental Cost Accounting Methodology
Tasking by
Joint Group on Pollution Prevention
Process Flow for Hard Chrome Plate
P late
R eq ’d
S tr ip
(c h e m ic a l)
M a sk
D e -m a sk
In sp e c t
Shot
P een
R in se
A b r a siv e
B la st
C hrom e
P la te
M a sk
D e -M a sk
C le a n
H ot
R in se
R ew ork as needed
P late N o t
R eq ’d
R epeat as needed
P a rts
D e ta ile d
In sp e c tio n
U n accep tab le
P arts
D ry
B ake
G r in d /
P o lish
In sp e c t
A ccep tab le
P arts
M ask
HVOF
R eq’d
Strip
(electrochem ical)
D e-m ask
Inspect
H V O F N ot
R eq’d
Shot
Peen
A brasive
B last
D e-M ask
G rind/
Polish
M ask
HVOF
Spray
R epeat
as needed
Parts
D etailed
Inspection
R e w o rk a s n e e d e d
Process Flow for HVOF Coating
U nacceptable
Parts
Inspect
A cceptable
Parts
Data Collection
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Site visit conducted to collect data and conduct interviews
with plating engineers, plating supervisors, chemists, and
other relevant employees
Where available, material usage rates and costs, labor hours,
and waste treatment and disposal costs were identified
ESOH costs were also obtained where available, or estimated
Facility overhauls approximately 500 main landing gear (LG)
pistons, 250 nose LG pistons and 250 nose LG cylinders
annually
Determined that average hard chrome plating thickness for
repaired components is 0.010”
Typical Areas on Main Landing Gear
for Transitioning to HVOF Thermal Spray
Main Assumptions Associated With
Transition to HVOF Thermal Spray
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If HVOF implemented, two chrome plating tanks and one
chrome stripping tank could be shut down
HVOF would be applied to same thickness as chrome
WC/17Co powder costs would be $32 per pound
HVOF spraying rate would be 10 pounds per hour with deposit
efficiency of 50%
On average, one HVOF cell could process one LG in 40 minutes
Hourly labor rates per person same for HVOF as for chrome
Approximately 88% of total surface area currently chrome
plated could be transitioned to HVOF
Average turn-around-time for LG components coated with
HVOF would be approximately five days less than the average
for chrome-plated components
CBA does not assume increased lifetime for components
Estimated Annual Operating Cost
Avoidance for LG Facility Changing to HVOF
Labor
Materials
Utilities
Waste Disposal
Reduce TAT
$113,540
$ 75,520
$ 11,390
$ 2,900
$ 32,880
TOTAL
$236,230
TAT = turnaround time
Based on 1250 total components processed per year and 1700
square inches coated
Table 1 Results of 15-year Financial Evaluation for Implementation of
HVOF
Category
Calculated Result
Annual Operating Cost Avoidance
$195,600 - $210,700
Initial Capital Investment
Net Present Valuea
Internal Rate of Returna
Discount Paybacka
a
$700,450
$1,799,700 - $1,977,500
30.5 – 32.8%
3,29 – 3,53 years
This value was calculated with Pollution Prevention Financial Analysis and
Cost Evaluation System (P2/FINANCE) software program. This software
program is proprietary and copyrighted by Tellus Institute of Boston,
Massachusetts. A 15-year analysis and 3.2% discount rate were assumed.