ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – On Wednesday, August 27th, the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center held a ceremony at the Perryman Test Area. The ceremony took place to recognize the resourcefulness, teamwork and dedication of ATC employees who overcame financial challenges and developed solutions to repair the aging wash rack that is used daily in ATC’s testing mission. After vehicles traverse through mud, dirt, dust and silt on Perryman test courses, rinsing them at the wash rack helps keep other test courses and roadways clean.
The previous wash rack at Perryman was over 30 years old with rusted structural components that posed a hazard to infrastructure, test items, and employees. Recognizing this critical need, the partnership between ATC’s Experimental Fabrication Branch and the Automotive Test Support Division turned this challenge into a capability.
“Since this wash rack supports vehicles that are upwards of 130,000 pounds, the upgrades were essential to protect the test item and infrastructure, but most importantly the people who work out here on these tests” said Kevin Pelletier of the Automotive Test Support Division. “If the supports failed or gave way, it would be a catastrophe.”
Members of the Experimental Fabrication Branch, led by Bill Bryan, and Automotive Test Support Division, led by Patrick Gervais, worked together to identify the necessary improvements, required materials and design upgrades.
“Building something from the ground up – seeing the hand sketches become a reality – was satisfying”, said Bill Bryan, Design Engineer in the Experimental Fabrication Branch. “Our branch is naturally a collaborative environment. Designers, machinists and welders all take input and feedback from each other and respect each other’s expertise, so working with a new group was exciting and we were glad to support this upgrade.”
Once the supplies arrived, the experimental fabrication branch removed the old wash rack, then cut, welded and installed the new infrastructure, while the workers at Perryman replumbed water system. The repairs were finished within two months.
“I think the best part was how it all quickly it all came together, and how well”, said Pat Gervais, Engineering Technician at Perryman.
Perryman is ATC’s largest of four main automotive test tracks, covering 2,000 acres with over 20 miles of level cross country and a 3-mile paved straight for performance testing of wheeled and tracked vehicles during their developmental testing phase.
Data from real-world testing helps decision makers understand how the vehicle’s components and the entire vehicle will perform.
The extensive testing at ATC exposes vehicles to 80% of the world’s climates throughout the year – including dry or wet dirt, dust, mud, snow, silt and other grit. Cleaning the vehicles after exposure to test course rigors is important for basic vehicle maintenance, the preventative checks in a vehicle’s mission cycle, as well as keeping Perryman’s paved course, other test courses and roadways clean.
“I am proud of this team. This ribbon cutting not only signifies an upgrade to a support element of our testing mission, but also a testament to the team’s dedication and willingness to work together to get things done” said Col. James Polak, ATC Commander. “Without the people, all of the technology in the world doesn’t matter.”
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