Atec, Inc.

Atec, Inc.
Public
Traded as ATCN
Industry Aerospace
Defense
Space
Energy
Founded 1953
Headquarters Stafford/SW Houston, TX
Products Engine Test Cells
Hush Houses
Control Cabs
Data Acquisition Systems
Engine Support Equipment
Cryogenic Rocket Valves
Spaceflight Components
Downhole Tools
Surface Equipment
Large Weldments
Number of employees
 151 (2016)
Slogan "Support Solutions for Aerospace and Energy"
Website www.atec.com

Atec, Inc. specializes in the design, manufacture, construction and maintenance of precision components, large fabrications, systems and facilities. Atec provides solutions for low to medium volume requirements involving engine test, aero support equipment, spaceflight components, and energy service products. Over 20,000 Atec products have been used by the United States Armed Forces and others, including the Federal Aviation Administration.[1]

History

Atec was founded in 1953 as Accurate Instrument Co. and was officially incorporated in the state of Texas on July 13, 1956. Accurate Instrument Co. primarily manufactured instrumentation for the aviation industry. Some notable products included a standard day instrument (used to provide automated correlations to standard sea level atmospheric conditions), signal generators, frequency counters, oscillators, and pressure test sets.

In the 1960s, Accurate Instrument Co. was renamed Atec, Inc., in concert with a shift from custom instrumentation to aerospace and energy equipment, such as hush houses, jet engine test stands, spaceflight components, control systems, exploration surface equipment and wireline tools. Atec operates to ISO 9001, AS 9100C and ISO 14001 standards.

Since its founding, Atec has made many notable acquisitions, including Lymco Electronics -oil patch systems (1976), Kestran -energy service manufacturing (1989), Celtech -aeroengine test stands (2013), and Space Corp. -aero support gear(previously owned by Celtech).

Notable programs

Atec has manufactured, assembled, and tested cryogenic flow control valves for the RL10 liquid-fueled rocket engine since 1995. The RL10 is commonly used on the Centaur rocket stage on both the United Launch Alliance Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles. As of February 15, 2016, Atec-manufactured valves have flown on 118 consecutive successful flights.[2] Notable RL10 missions which launched with Atec-manufactured valves include NASA’s New Horizons probe to Pluto, the LCROSS Lunar Impactor, and the Orion Exploration Flight Test 1.

In 2013, the United States Air Force and Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex awarded Atec a 5-year repair and support contract for A/M37T-20 & A/M37T-21 type test stands worldwide.[3] This IDIQ contract includes 24/7 hotline support, procurement, shipment, and on-site repairs in support of the United States Air Force.

Atec has designed and manufactured many modular turbine test cells for APU, turboshaft, and turbojet engines. Notably, Atec designed and fielded 2 modular, regenerative turboshaft test cells for Rolls-Royce.[4] These test cells were developed for the M250 engine and were tailored to Rolls-Royce’s Indianapolis production facility.[4] Typical turboshaft test cells often utilize a water brake or other type of dynamometer to place a load on the engine, absorbing (and wasting) the produced energy.[4] The Atec test cells use 500 hp electric generators to convert the rotational energy of the turboshaft into electrical energy. This allows Rolls-Royce to power the engine facility and sell excess generated power back to the Electric utility.[4] Other electric regen system installations include those for Bell and Bristow.

Atec has designed and constructed multiple large turbine engine test cells. One notable example was contracted by Kalitta Air. This 10-meter Tilt up concrete engine test cell is rated at 100,000 pounds of thrust and is capable of testing all Pratt & Whitney JT9D series, GE Aviation CF6-50 and -80,[5] and CFM-56 engines. This test cell is 240 feet long by 33 feet wide. The inlet height is 45 feet, and the exhaust is expelled at a height of 56 feet.[5]

In 2011, Atec was awarded a contract for the relocation of multiple T-9 noise suppressor test cells from Aviano Air Base and Cannon Air Force Base to Tinker Air Force Base.[6] This effort included design of engine test equipment to accommodate the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine (used in the Joint Strike Fighter Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II) in these upgraded T-9 test cells.

In 2013, Atec began work on 27 lithium-ion smart battery adapter plates to be used on the International Space Station. The electrical system of the International Space Station currently uses 48 nickel–hydrogen (Ni–H2) batteries, which will be replaced with 24 lithium-ion batteries, built by Aerojet Rocketdyne.[7] Atec, from a 2015 contract, began designing and manufacturing an electrical polarity and flow control unit for the next generation Crew Capsule, which will carry astronauts to the ISS and other manned-flight destinations. [8]

Subsidiaries

Celtech Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atec, based in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Atec acquired Celtech from ASE Holdings September 1, 2013.[9] Celtech was founded in 1976 and incorporated in 1983. Celtech is a supplier of A/M37T-20C, A/M37T-21D, FEDS (T-24/T-33) and other jet engine and turboprop test stands for the United States Air Force and Foreign Military Allies.

Celtech acquired the assets of Space Corp. (founded in the 1930s in Garland, Texas) in 1997 and as a result, Atec now owns these assets and data.

Locations

Atec Corporate Headquarters

Celtech Corporate Headquarters

References

  1. ↑ Bretting, Sandra (20 February 2011). "Scientific company in its own rarefied world".
  2. ↑ "GPS IIF-10 Satellite Launch Success" (Press release).
  3. ↑ Atec Awarded Multi-Year Repair Contract by USAF for T-20 and T-21 Test Systems
  4. 1 2 3 4 Kern, Tim (27 January 2012). "The Small Turbine Engine Test Cell".
  5. 1 2 "MRO Facilities". Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  6. ↑ "Contracts". Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Aerojet Rocketdyne Completes Critical Design Review on Lithium Ion Battery Orbital Unit" (Press release).
  8. ↑ Pataki, Emily (11 March 2016). "Atec’s Impressive Tenure in Space Industry".
  9. ↑ "Mirus advises Celtech on sale of business to Atec, Inc" (Press release).

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, March 22, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.