Thales

Sept 2017 to Apr 2020, and Dec 2020 to Jun 2022
(Followed by house renovation to Feb 2023)

Sector:
Defence Electronics Packaging.
(Aero Radar in a Naval environment.) 

Overview:
Complex Radar Scanner head electro-mechanical upgrades and:
technical mentoring a new vendor for supplying an aircon unit to cool a boxed electronics sub-assembly.
Both aspects were part of a system used on a Navy vessel Helicopter for Project CrowsNest.
Aircraft on deck, & CreoView image.
Artistic Representation (Public Domain image) of Crowsnest equipment
Worked with:
Design substantiation using DOORS s/w.
Environmental qualification test procedures to DEF STAN 00-35.
Technical queries / concessions.
Helicopter ground support eqpt concepts and rapid prototype parts.
Teamcentre PLM, and PTC CREO 3D Cad, and,
A dedicated air conditioner.
New Vendor Management – an air conditioning unit.
Technical support given to air-conditioning equipment vendor for the environmental qualification (vibration tests etc.) and substantiation phases for a Helicopter mounted Radar project – see air-con images below.
Air Conditioner vibration testing
One of a number of air conditioner vibration results plots
New vendor technical management for a dedicated air conditioning package to cool Radar electronics.
The new vendor was based in the middle east, and had an effective and compact air conditioning product for automotive applications. However, not only did it’s performance envelope need to be updated, the organisation had never supplied into the Aero sector before so a significant amount of work to guide the product development – including the extensive documentation aspect – for an Aero setting was needed.
The main elements for attention in order to qualify the item as fit for an Aero purpose were not only the cooling performance and durability for aircraft vibration, but ensuring the correct suite of documentation was in place to verify and substantiate the unit met the performance, reliability, and durability requirements.
Such levels of documentation far exceeded that for a standard automotive application.
Radar Scanner Head.
Supporting the qualification, validation, and substantiation phases for Thales own Scanner and Radar Head Assembly equipment was a second aspect of the work undertaken – see Radar Equipment images below.
It too included not only the performance upgrade to the Scanner head, but ensuring the correct suite of documentation was in place to verify and substantiate the updated unit was compliant with the performance, reliability, and durability requirements.
IBM Rational DOORS was the compliance tool used across the ‘Crowsnest’ project.
Radar Head mounting disk to the right of the steps (Public Domain)
Ancient (public domain) images showing typical mechanical complexity of Radar Console, and Radar Head items
Full details of this role:
Front line technical advisor for an un-proven (new) sub-system air-con equipment vendor. The new supplier needed guidance on the level of engineering & documentation Thales requires. This included advising a document authoring style for suitable evidence based ‘Requirement Matrix’ documents, & tracking their submissions using Dynamic Object Oriented Requirements Software – D.O.O.R.S.
  • Promoted to Major Assembly (LRU) owner for radar scanner to progress its design upgrade, documentation, & DOORs compliances.
  • Design work contributions by me using Pro-E CREO 4 CAD & ‘Team-Centre’ PLM software for Bills of Materials, & supporting documents, such as:- FEA reports, material selection justifications, general calculations, test procedures, & docs submitted by vendors.
  • Other work packs included concept designs submitted for two projects – Firstly, ground support equipment requiring rapid prototype 3D printed parts for air-born radar set-up & maintenance, & secondly, a concept layout for ‘New Bid’ land based comms station.
  • FEA report authored (early on in this contract) on behalf of the FEA analyst from his results output & simulation colour plots.
Security cleared to ‘SC’ level.
Other images associated with this role are as follows:
The Baggers... Three in a row.
Vibration jig with Air-con unit for vibration tests
Up, up, and away...
Public Relations news article
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