Renaissance Services Inc., supports Air Force legacy systems, including reverse engineering, offering an integrated solution through a network of sources with the capability to deliver finished component parts. Renaissance and its partners have applied a seven step “Circle of Excellence” process, starting with part identification and moving through production. However, a problem occurs after the sixth step, when the process enters the “DLA Black Hole”.

The process for getting critical parts to the warfighter and establishing production sources for legacy parts is mired in bureaucracy and inter-agency strife—a challenge for the Air Force sustainment community.

The current acquisition process for legacy parts is characterized by non-responsive sources, convoluted source qualification procedures, indifferent OEMs, long lead times, and high cost. Renaissance Services and its partners have focused on parts produced from castings, which are significant problems for the Air Force sustainment community.

Working with Tinker AFB, Renaissance has partnered with foundries to reduce lead times for large gearboxes by 75%, while establishing a complete supply chain of qualified sources for the long haul. This combination of focused application, reverse engineering, and additive manufacturing, coupled with a working business solution, effectively eliminates the DLA Black Hole