(Department of Defense: Orlando, FL) -- On Dec. 13, 2022, the Overall Award winner and the People’s Choice Award winner for the Department of Defense Maintenance Innovation Challenge (MIC) were announced during the DOD Maintenance Symposium in Orlando, Florida.

The Overall Award winner is “E-Drill: A New Way to Remove Aircraft Fasteners,” submitted by Jim Becker from Perfect Point EDM and Jared Wright from Naval Air Systems Command. The People’s Choice Award winner is “Fiber Optic Fusion Splice Repair,” submitted by Brett Jordan from Air Force Research Laboratory and Tech. Sgt. William Kesler from the Aircraft Battle Damage Repair Technical Support Office, Air Force Sustainment Center.

Perfect Point EDM has invented a rapid way to remove aircraft fasteners: the E-Drill, which uses a semi-automated, plunge-cut electrical discharge machining or “EDM” tool to remove a fastener in seconds. Crews use the provided tooling to properly align E-Drill’s copper electrode, pull the trigger, and E-Drill completes the drilling process. The removed fastener is in two pieces: head and pin, with no shavings.

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