In this project, Delta Sigma produced two rollover systems – one mobile to take the F-22 center fuselage from the assembly building to the paint hanger about one-half mile away and the other a fixed clean-and-deFOD system in the assembly building.
The Rollover Dolly was a Class 1 – Division 1 (explosion-proof) system that allowed the painter to raise, lower and roll the center fuselage to any desired height or angle. This provided very easy access to the many pockets in the aircraft and always allowed the painter to stand on the floor providing a safe and ergonomic work environment. Prior to the delivery of Rollover paint Dolly, accessing many of the interior pockets of this fuselage section was very difficult.
Designing The Fuselage Rollover System
This system had to be designed to ensure that no forces could be induced into the fuselage beyond the planned design parameters. A significant part of the stresses that had to be reacted are two-speed bumps between the assembly building and the paint booth that had to be crossed after the fuselage was clamped in. The picture below was taken during its trial run between the two buildings.
A second system was delivered a few months after the first. Unit 2 was not a dolly, but a fixed system that was used to clean the fuselage and remove foreign object debris (FOD). Both systems could be placed in “rotisserie mode” where the unit would continually rotate in either direction. This prevented the water used in cleaning from pooling by keeping it moving. This causes the water to have the maximum possible surface area which greatly speeds up evaporation.
