SWANTON, Ohio - Tech. Sgt. Tom Burden, with the Ohio Air National Guard's 180th Fighter Wing, had a problem. As a weapons mechanic on the F-16 Fighting Falcon, it wasn't a problem specific to him. Most of the mechanics in his unit faced similar challenges: how to keep needed tools nearby and secure while working on the aircraft.
That point was brought home for Burden when he almost fell off an F-16 while retrieving a tool that slid down the curved surface of the jet. Inspiration came later when he was sitting in his mother's car and noticed the non-slip mat she had on the dashboard to hold her cell phone.
The concept stuck with him, he said, but there were other issues that needed to be worked out. For one, it needed to be larger. It also had to hold tools even while on steep angles or curved surfaces. Plus, it had to be non-static for use around sensitive electronics while being resistant to corrosive chemicals used in aircraft maintenance.
With a civilian background as a mechanical engineer, he used those skills to develop a special polymer-silicone mat that is anti-static, chemical resistant and able to hold tools securely at an angle up to 70 degrees.
"I faced a lot of challenges," Burden said, "but the hardest part was figuring out the chemistry."
Initially the mat was form fitted and designed to clip onto the F-16's gun trough, said Burden, adding that limited its use to specific areas of the aircraft. Several redesigns followed as Burden wanted the capability to use the mat wherever mechanics worked on the aircraft.
Burden said one of his biggest breakthroughs came when one of the unit's electricians asked him for a simple mat with a raised border around the edges. Previous versions had borders along one or two edges to conform to the contours of the gun trough, Burden said.
The raised edges requested by the electrician made it more of a universal, box-like tray rather than form fitted to specific locations. That was a design Burden said he hadn't considered making, adding the design was both simpler and made it so it could be used on most areas of the aircraft.
"The form-fitted prototype took me weeks and weeks to get the measurements right," Burden said. "But the one [the electrician] wanted took me about five minutes to create in CADD [computer-aided design and drafting]."
After he had the new design down, Burden asked for feedback from other unit mechanics about their preferences. The simplified version won out, Burden said, because of its versatility.
Burden could make individual mats on his own, but each one was time intensive and slow.
"It takes me 24 hours to make one [mat] because it takes that long for the material to cure," he said, adding that he sought out other manufacturing methods, but it took time to find the right fit of color, cost and gripping ability.
"There was always something wrong," Burden said. "Maybe it was brightly colored [for visibility] or it was anti-static or the price was okay, but the rubber was like the rubber on your boot and wouldn't hold tools at half the angle it needed to."
Eventually, Burden found the right combination. He also found a passion in what he was doing that he began developing the mat on the civilian side as well. That entrepreneurial spirit has turned into a full-time job getting others interested in the mat. It hasn't been an easy journey, Burden said, adding he couldn't imagine doing anything else.
"Trying to pursue your passion while working full-time [at an outside job] is like trying to be a long-jumper and keep one leg on the ground," he said. "You're just not going to go as far. You have to take the leap if you want it."
Burden's tenacity and problem solving ability hasn't gone unnoticed by his chain of command.
"Flexibility and innovation are the bedrock of the Air National Guard and [Tech.] Sgt. Burden embodies these two attributes to his core," said Air Force Col. Kevin V. Doyle, the commander of the 180th FW. "We, as leaders, always talk about wanting our Airmen to enhance the way we do business and to work through obstacles and overcome adversity wherever possible and Tom has done this."
He also found others interested in his mat — including NASA, whose mechanics are testing the mat to see how well it fits into their workflow. Other auto repair outlets have been interested as well, he said.
Even though Burden has made a great deal of progress, he realizes he still has a lot more work left to do.
"You always think the light at the end of the tunnel is way closer than what it really is," Burden said.