AMPTIAC is a DOD Information Analysis Center Administered by the Defense Information Systems Agency, Defense Technical Information Center

Transcription

1 AMPTIAC is a DOD Information Analysis Center Administered by the Defense Information Systems Agency, Defense Technical Information Center

2 The United States military has recently tackled some tremendous challenges, the most difficult of which being the global war on terrorism. Even while military operations are underway in Iraq and elsewhere, the Department of Defense (DOD) is directing some of their energies against other threats less obvious, but nonetheless harmful and insidious. By the encouragement of the Congress (through an amended federal law), the DOD is now waging war against corrosion. The DOD has embraced both the spirit and intent of the congressional action, and efforts are already underway. Editorial: New DOD Policy Will Reduce the Cost of Corrosion The Deputy Secretary of Defense has appointed a Corrosion Executive to lead this initiative, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has established within its organization the Office of Corrosion Policy and Oversight. A formal policy requiring all programs to develop and implement corrosion prevention and control plans is being written. This policy will apply evenly to weapon systems, support equipment, and infrastructure. OSD has chosen this special issue of the AMPTIAC Quarterly to announce the initiative. Effectively mitigating and controlling corrosion on a Department-wide basis requires a new and innovative process; one that involves all stakeholders. In the past, individual Defense programs have implemented an array of highly effective corrosion prevention and control (CPC) processes. Unfortunately, little has been done to transition the CPC technologies developed in support of a specific program (and their resulting benefits) to other applicable programs, oftentimes leaving program managers to reinvent the wheel. This way of doing business must change. If we can become proactive at transitioning technologies between programs, then the DOD will see much greater returns on their acquisition investments. Making our existing assets more impervious to corrosion s effects can ultimately reduce maintenance costs, extend life (thus reducing reprocurement costs), and increase readiness. The support of all stakeholders is needed to make this strategy a reality. Mitigating corrosion in existing systems is only part of the battle, as it only strives to manage the vulnerabilities inherent in these systems. At the same time we must also endeavor to develop new systems that are corrosion resistant. We can only achieve this through improved diligence on the part of Defense contractors. More rigorous materials selection practices that stress upfront corrosion analyses are needed to make this happen. But the burden is not the contractors alone. The DOD has a responsibility to provide them with the requirements to ensure rigor in their design practices. About ten years ago the Pentagon s Acquisition Reform initiative eliminated many standards, converted some to performance-based specifications and others to commercial equivalents. Today a team is examining various existing and rescinded corrosion-related specifications and standards to identify elements that should be emphasized in future contract requirements. DOD also must provide the tools and information needed by designers so they can employ the best available technology. Fully informed materials selection decisions are needed to ensure adequate corrosion resistance. Achieving this requires the DOD to provide technical information directly to designers so they can quickly and cost effectively select the best available technologies. DOD has already invested untold millions in CPC technologies, but the data addressing these programs are difficult to obtain and use. Providing it directly through on-line expert systems is sure to enable real reform of current design practices. Changing the current culture is a long-term proposition one that will be facilitated if we address the very root of the problem. Designers coming out of our universities do not have a fundamental understanding of corrosion processes and prevention. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) must get involved and implement changes to college curricula that stress a more thorough understanding of materials selection and corrosion prevention and control. Increased sensitivity towards corrosion, coupled with improved access to DOD s corrosion knowledgebase will help ensure future success. The DOD has embraced the need to improve acquisition and sustainment practices by placing a focus on CPC, but truly solving this difficult problem requires all stakeholders to accept the need for change. We must collectively change our culture to reflect this increased CPC emphasis. There certainly are some challenging times ahead, but I have no doubt that as the DOD corrosion prevention and control program evolves, readiness of our warfighting assets will improve. As a consequence, our country will be in a better position to defend against those who would like nothing more than to destroy our way of life. David H. Rose AMPTIAC Director Editor-in-Chief Wade G. Babcock Special Issue Editor Christian E. Grethlein, P.E. Creative Director Cynthia Long Information Processing Judy E. Tallarino Patricia McQuinn Inquiry Services David J. Brumbaugh Product Sales Gina Nash The AMPTIAC Quarterly is published by the Advanced Materials and Processes Technology Information Analysis Center (AMPTIAC). AMPTIAC is a DOD sponsored Information Analysis Center, administratively managed by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). The AMPTIAC Quarterly is distributed to more than 15,000 materials professionals around the world. Inquiries about AMPTIAC capabilities, products and services may be addressed to David H. Rose Director, AMPTIAC amptiac@alionscience.com URL: We welcome your input! To submit your related articles, photos, notices, or ideas for future issues, please contact: AMPTIAC ATTN: WADE G. BABCOCK 201 Mill Street Rome, New York PHONE: FAX: amptiac_news@alionscience.com

3 Robert S. Kidwell, VP/Sr. Technical Director Enterprise Integration Center, ManTech Advanced Systems International, Inc. Hinton, WV INTRODUCTION The DOD Corrosion Exchange is the heart of a state-of-theart corrosion prevention and control (CPAC) information management and distribution e-portal. The e-portal is sponsored by the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Maintenance Policy and has been designated as one of the cornerstones in the DOD s long-term strategy for corrosion prevention and mitigation detailed in 10 U.S.C The website (at see Figure 1) is life-cycle oriented and serves as a leader in corrosion research, industry coordination, and information dissemination to all individuals and organizations in the DOD, academia, and industry who have an interest in corrosion related to DOD weapon systems, equipment, and commercial assets. The website provides a forum for communication and cutting edge collaboration and information sharing tools, combined with a content-rich environment for technical information exchange among all sectors of the CPAC community from basic research through application. The virtual library is organized around a taxonomy with two distinct branches one application-based, geared toward the war-fighter and organized by service and weapon system, and the other research-based and populated mainly with abstracts from published papers in the corrosion field. The e-portal includes a research component that is led by a team of five multi-disciplinary doctorate-level scientists and engineers. Using state-of-the-art collaboration and information sharing tools (such as text conferencing, voting, exploder lists, special interest groups, calendars, FTP, and assorted corrosion references) members can freely collaborate and share corrosion information in an open forum or secured environment tailored to their specific needs across the CPAC community. Collaboration and information sharing are the first steps toward reducing the cost of corrosion and its impact on the readiness of DOD assets. As the primary corrosion resource for the CPAC community, the Corrosion Exchange brings together disparate websites, repositories, information sharing and collaboration tools, corrosion-related content, and users from research to field operations from both the public and private sectors who have an interest in converting corrosion problems and issues into solutions. To this end, the goals of the exchange are to 1) support and improve communication, collaboration, and coordination within the CPAC community, 2) increase the effectiveness of CPAC research and operations, 3) develop, maintain, and expand the web-based information aggregation and sharing capabilities of the website, and 4) maintain a content-rich, collaborative-enabled online environment for all members. THE MEMBERSHIP AND USER LEVELS To facilitate collaboration and help organize the website, the exchange groups members into three general areas: DOD/Government, Research, and Industry. All website functionality is available to each group; however, each group may use the website in different ways or tailor it to fit their specific needs. Membership and use is free to all, and the uses and potential benefits of the exchange broken down by group are listed in Table 1. The User Levels Besides the group affiliation, each user is assigned one of the following four user levels (as seen in Table 2). Public/Non- Member, Registered Member, Special Interest Group (SIG), and Administrator. Figure 1. The DOD Corrosion Exchange Website. THE TAXONOMY All users have access to the DOD Corrosion Exchange library and unrestricted content, as seen in Figure 2. To logically organize the website and make it easier to locate information, the The AMPTIAC Quarterly, Volume 7, Number 4 23

4 Table 1. User Groups and Potential Benefits. DOD/Government This group includes military services such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and related organizations such as the Coast Guard and NATO. Through the e-portal, all members can access a variety of corrosion information such as policy, procedures, specifications, publications, training materials, forms, corrosion images, corrosion information on weapon systems, equipment, infrastructure, and a wealth of other information on corrosion, particularly as it relates to the DOD. All information can be shared within or between services and organizations, with members in other groups, or organized in a secure environment to limit access. Research Both public and private sector members who are actively engaged in corrosion-related research or teaching comprise the Research group. Using the website collaboration and information services and tools, researchers can identify potential corrosion research topics, or pursue research topics that piggyback or build on previous research. Other potential benefits for this group include reduced research duplication, reduced time for testing and fielding new corrosion technologies, insight into corrosion problems affecting the membership, and the ability to circulate research to the CPAC community in a timely manner. Researchers can also pose questions to the general membership, post their abstracts and papers on the website for review, or simply publicize their research. Industry The Industry group consists of companies, individuals, or organizations that provide manufactured products and/or services used in the fight against corrosion. The exchange provides industry experts a forum to not only market their products and services to the CPAC community, but also to participate in collaborative activities and share their corrosion expertise with other groups or members. library was organized around a taxonomy and document repository system currently consisting of nine top-level folders: Military Applications (Figure 3), Infrastructure, Specifications and Standards, Laws and Regulations, Policy, Training, Research and Development, and Suppliers. The Military Applications folder represents the core of the taxonomy and is geared toward the warfighter and organized by service and weapon system. Note that the existing taxonomy provides a foundation upon which folders may be added or existing content is deleted/rearranged. The library contains documents, publications, abstracts, manuals, a dictionary of corrosion terms, and a variety of other corrosion references. To add content to the library, members the file(s) to the system administrator, who in turn processes and uploads the file to the website. Once uploaded, not all documents are viewable by all users. User access to a document or resource depends on the access permission level(s) they have been granted. THE TOOLS Unlike the DOD Corrosion Exchange library, the web-centric collaboration and information sharing tools are not available Figure 2. Top-Level Page of Library Interface. Table 2. Member User Levels. Public/Non-Member This user level is available to the public and does not require a username or password for access. This level provides access to general site information, the library, and an assortment of administrative and technical support features. Registered Member This user level is username/password protected and requires the member to successfully complete the self-registration process. A registered member has all the privileges of a non-member plus access to all the tools and services the site has to offer. Special Interest The SIG level is username/password protected and is available to groups and organizations that wish to restrict access to a subset of registered members. Only members of the SIG can access the information stored and organized by the group. This functionality requires at least one member of the SIG to be designated as the administrator for the group. The SIG administrator can add/remove members, organize the SIG s information, and monitor the group s activity using SIG metrics. Administrator This service level is username/password protected and provides access to features and functions required to maintain the site and services. 24 The AMPTIAC Quarterly, Volume 7, Number 4

5 Military Applications ARMY AIR FORCE NAVY MARINES COAST GUARD Air Land Sea Munitions F-18 C-130 H-60 HEMTT HMMWV DDG CV TUG 5 in Proj Harpoon PM PE S&T Maint Purchasing Spec Wording CPAC Plan Cost Mgmt Cost Info Stnds History Current New O-Level I-Level D-Level Product/Process Costs Materials db Corrosion db Manuals Forms Instruct Prod Lists Figure 3. Partially Expanded Military Applications Folder. Processes Table 3. Collaboration and Information Exchange. Text Conferencing This web-centric tool is basically an electronic message board used to share information organized by topic (or thread). Text conferencing may be used by the general membership for discussing issues, sharing meeting agendas, minutes, and action items, or sharing information by topic. Members can also post questions and receive responses from the membership using this tool. Exploder List This service provides a list of contact information for members such as name, , phone number, organization, and expertise. Members may use the exploder list to contact any and all members. Document Manager This service allows users to view, download, and (as a SIG Administrator) administer documents stored on the website. Document and folder details and attributes are visible and editable at each level of the taxonomy. Comment Annotation Tool Using this web-centric collaboration tool, members can review and post comments on documents such as presentations, specifications, budget documents, and handbooks. Members must send a request to the System Administrator to add or remove a document for comment and can only review and add comments to documents they have access to. Voting Tool This tool allows members and administrators to post or delete a document for vote, craft a vote, cast votes on ballots, and display voting results in graphic or text form. Members may only vote on ballots they have access to. Calendar The calendar tool is accessible by all user levels and displays information such as upcoming events, meetings, travel schedule, and milestones. Calendars within SIGs are accessible only by members of that SIG. FTP The FTP tool allows users to upload large files to the website in lieu of . Search The search tool searches and indexes the website content and displays the results in an easy-to-understand format. Advanced search capabilities such as Boolean operators and wildcards are also available on the website. to the Public/Non-Member user. Only registered members, SIG members, and Administrators can use the state-of-the-art tools to freely collaborate and share corrosion information across the CPAC community in an open forum or secured environment tailored to their specific needs. Note that SIG members have access to these tools in their SIG as well as with the general membership. The collaboration and information sharing tools in Table 3 form the core of the website s functionality. CONCLUSION The aging of military systems poses a unique challenge to develop corrosion maintenance programs that will carry the various aging systems well into the 21st century. Sharing corrosion information and group collaboration will be key to this endeavor. The Exchange fulfills this requirement by providing web-based access and links to corrosion information, combined with a common collaboration suite of tools to readily share information among all members of the CPAC community. Mr. Robert S. Kidwell serves as the Vice President/Senior Technical Director of ManTech Inc. s Enterprise Integration Center (e-ic). Mr. Kidwell also serves as Technical Chair of the NATO Integrated Technical Data (ITD) task force on IETM interoperability. Mr. Kidwell s career spans some 30 years as a senior program manager with emphasis on enterprise-wide system integration, technical and cost issues, live test demonstrations, business process engineering, computer hardware evaluations, software engineering, and computer system performance and modeling. He attended American University, the University of Hawaii, and is a graduate of the senior executive program, Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. The AMPTIAC Quarterly, Volume 7, Number 4 25