A basic optimized transporter fleet.
PARTNERING ON AUTOMATED EQUIPMENT & TOOLING
Control Technology of Redmond, Washington, are experts in precise motion control of aerospace equipment and tooling, in addition to being a woman-owned, small business.
By Jennifer Ferrero
IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST’ S AEROSPACE INDUSTRY, MASSIVE AIRPLANE PARTS ARE BUILT AND MOVED AMONG BOEING- OWNED FACILITIES. To move those parts in and out, control systems open the doors of the world’ s largest facility and its counterpart locations— some 90 feet wide, 60 feet tall, and all motorized. These systems also support the wings during construction. Control Technology, with the tagline“ Turning your automation concepts into reality,” develops engineered systems for factory automation, facilities, infrastructure, test equipment, and build-to-print projects.
Started by Vern Braly in 1990, the business is small by design. Braly said they take on high-tech, interesting projects with their 10 employees, comprising engineers and technicians.“ While the team is small, we work on large technical projects that are critical to our customers ' success. The majority of our engineers have master ' s degrees in electrical or mechanical engineering, 15-30 years of aerospace engineering experience, and deep domain expertise in machine motion control." Braly himself holds two master’ s degrees, one in electrical engineering and one in business management.
Some important projects have included automation systems at the Target Center in Minneapolis that lift and retract a five-million-pound floor that can shift between ice hockey and basketball applications. They also recently worked on a seismic reinforcement project at Boeing to ensure that the“ lifts” that hold the wings in place remain secure during an active earthquake.
Most of their systems include a Human-Machine Interface( HMI) and a customer-designed software system that allows the customer to control the systems with the touch
8 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS