Abilene Cold Spray Development Center

Cold Spray Repair Development Center

ES3 Abilene is a 6,000 square foot cold spray and additive manufacturing facility.  The primary focus of work at this facility is developing, qualifying, and conducting cold spray repair services for the US Air Force on such aircraft as the B-1 and C-130 stationed at Dyess Air Force Base as well as other bases. 

 

Cold Spray is an advanced thermal spray coating or additive manufacturing technique that applies a very dense and highly bonded metal coating to a surface without any melting or weakening of the substrate metal. ES3 Abilene has multiple low- and high-pressure cold spray repair systems with which we provide dimensional restoration for a wide array of aircraft components and ground support equipment that has been damaged by corrosion, wear, or accident.  

This facility includes office space, a material testing lab,  sheet metal and machine tools for fabrication of custom fixtures, along with state-of the-art cold spray equipment.  Most notable, is that ES3 has qualified cold spray processes that use a nitrogen gas rather than a helium gas environment.  Thus, the ES3 qualified cold spray technology eliminated the problems associated with the high cost and scarce availability of helium.  

 

The ES3 cold spray repairs have passed:

  • ASTM adhesion > 8,000 psi
  • Porosity < 5%
  • Microhardness > 70 Vickers
  • Inclusions <3%
  • Linears <0.020 inches
  • No spallation after impact
  • Microscopy of hole repairs passing the same Porosity, Harness, and Linears as ASTM C633 samples.

This facility is secure and requires advance arrangement for any site visit. Contact us at 385-247-3630 to schedule an appointment.

 

By Air:

ES3’s Abilene office is located 5 miles from the Abilene Regional Airport (ABI).

 

By Car: 

From the State Highway 322 Loop, take the Cisco College exit onto East Industrial Boulevard for 0.5 miles. Turn left (south) onto Maple Street. Proceed 600 feet to ES3.

 

ES3
4311 Maple Street
Abilene Texas

LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS:

Several hotels within a 5 mile drive include:

Fairfield Inn & Suites

3902 Turner Plaza Drive
Abilene, TX 79606
325-695-2448
www.marriott.com

Townplace Suites

3526 West Lake Road
Abilene, TX 79601
855-605-0317
www.hilton.com

Holiday Inn

3625 West Lake Road
Abilene, TX 79601
866-941-0999
www.ihg.com

Advancing Aerospace Technologies for More Than 20 Years