Momentum Aeronautics, LLC Supports Air Tractor, Inc. With Electrocoat Primer FAA Process Approval
A beautiful day for an open house at Air Tractor, Inc., Olney, TX
Momentum was recently recognized at an open house event in Olney, TX at Air Tractor’s production facility. Momentum Aero received an award from Air Tractor President Jim Hirsch for engineering and FAA approval support of the aircraft industry’s first installation of an electrodeposited (E-coat) primer finishing line.
“Air Tractor’s installation of the PPG Aerochron™ Electrodeposited Primer System is a great step forward for our industry,” said Kyle Taylor, Chief Engineer at Momentum Aeronautics. “We want to recognize the entire PPG and Air Tractor team for their pioneering use of this proven and effective technology on aircraft – it’s rare we that see a change like this in our industry, and we consider Air Tractor’s first application of this technology in the United States to represent a great step forward for aircraft design and production. This important step not only provides improved corrosion protection, but represents a commitment to their workforce to move towards a chrome-free production facility. We are humbled and honored to have played a role in bringing their vision forward.”
Air Tractor’s implementation of the PPG Aerochron ™ system provides considerable weight savings, constant film thickness, greatly improves corrosion protection, reduces labor, improves throughput, and increases workplace safety. Momentum’s engineering department worked closely with the Air Tractor and PPG teams to generate and DER-approve a process specification that meets the FAA’s stringent requirements for performance, compliance and process control, while balancing the practicalities of such a complex coating system. Momentum’s knowledge of both the FAA engineering and production environments was key to completing the assigned work for Air Tractor on a critical timeline for facility startup.
Air Tractor E-Coat Line in action!
“We are proud that our engineering team was able to employ their knowledge of certification, production, airworthiness and business environments to deliver a practical, on-time solution to a very important client for a process that is new to our industry,” said Dan Garrett, Managing Partner at Momentum Aeronautics. “Our ability to serve clients in the aerospace industry is hallmarked by an overall understanding of FAA processes, and our ability to apply practically engineered solutions within the framework of regulatory requirements.”