Parts Life, Inc. Returns to Tinker and the Primes 2026 Following Tink Tank Recognition for Innovative Obsolescence Solutions
Parts Life, Inc. is returning to Tinker and the Primes August 3–6, 2026, at Booth 33 in Midwest City, Oklahoma. As a Prime Sponsor of the event, we are grateful for the opportunity to connect with Air Force sustainment leaders, supply chain organizations, engineering teams, contracting professionals, prime contractors, and industry partners working to strengthen the long-term operational availability of critical defense systems.
This year’s event theme is “Resilient by Design. Primed for Readiness.” It reflects a challenge Parts Life works to address every day: creating practical pathways forward when legacy requirements are affected by obsolescence, diminishing manufacturing sources, incomplete technical data, aging components, and limited repair or manufacturing capacity.
Returning to Tinker and the Primes also carries special significance for Parts Life following the company’s recognition and prototype contract award at the 2025 Tink Tank event.
Returning to Tinker Following 2025 Tink Tank Prototype Contract Award
During Tinker and the Primes 2025, Vice President of Business Development Jeannie Whitfield and Director of Product Chris Fest briefed Parts Life’s engineering-led approach to a critical valve assembly supporting the B-1 Lancer before a panel of senior Air Force Sustainment Center leaders. The panel included then-AFSC Commander Lt. Gen. Stacey T. Hawkins, Director of Contracting Joseph A. Fountain, and 448th Supply Chain ManagementWing Director Stephen “Steve” Gray.
The opportunity followed the approval of Parts Life’s whitepaper and formal proposal through the Supply Chain Consortium Initiative Other Transaction Authority, or SCCI OTA, process.
During Tink Tank, the team presented the company’s proprietary R.O.P.E.® Rapid Obsolescence Planning and Execution methodology and its application to a complex B-1 requirement involving tolerancing, materials, coatings, and manufacturing processes. Following the presentation, Parts Life received a certificate and an on-site prototype contract to advance the effort.
“We are incredibly grateful that our team and R.O.P.E.® methodology were recognized at Tink Tank and trusted with the opportunity to advance an innovative solution for a real Air Force sustainment challenge,” said Director of Product Chris Fest. “That recognition reflects the work of our engineers, manufacturing teams, quality professionals, and customer partners who came together around a difficult requirement to create a practical path forward. We are excited to return to Tinker, continue learning from the sustainment community, and discuss where innovative engineering, remanufacturing, and manufacturing solutions can make an operational impact.”
Parts Life returns in 2026 with that same collaborative mindset and a continued focus on requirements that lack a clear or sustainable path to supply.
Creating a Path Forward for Difficult Sustainment Requirements
Aging defense systems frequently introduce technical and supply chain challenges that extend beyond sourcing a replacement part.
Technical data may be outdated, incomplete, or unavailable. An original manufacturer may no longer support the requirement. Materials, coatings, or manufacturing processes specified in legacy drawings may have changed or become obsolete. Existing components may remain repairable, but limited depot capacity or an unavailable repair source can create a growing backlog.
In other cases, the requirement itself must be better understood before the right solution can be identified.
Parts Life developed R.O.P.E.® to provide a structured approach to obsolescence management and develop the manufacturable technical data needed to reproduce parts and components. The methodology works alongside the company's 5R Solution, which evaluates reverse engineering, replication, repair, remanufacturing, and recertification pathways based on the technical condition and sustainment needs of the requirement.
The goal is to help customers identify the right solution for the part, component, assembly, and mission.
Proven Pathways for Air Force Sustainment Requirements
Parts Life has applied its engineering-led model to Air Force requirements affected by operational failure, unavailable technical data, obsolete materials, diminishing sources of supply, and limited production options.
Redesigning Requirements Around Operational Use
For the Minuteman III program, Parts Life supported a mission-critical safing wrench affected by repeated operational failures and procurement lead times exceeding 300 days.
Parts Life engineers worked with Hill Air Force Base stakeholders to understand how the existing design performed under field conditions. The team then developed a redesigned, manufacturable solution aligned with maintainer use and program requirements.
Fully operational units were delivered in 60 days, reducing lead time by approximately 80 percent and establishing a repeatable production pathway.
Restoring Access to Obsolete Propulsion Components
For the Air Launched Cruise Missile and F107 engine, Parts Life reverse engineered and manufactured ram fin seals that had been unavailable for years.
The original material and associated production pathway were no longer available. Through material characterization, engineering analysis, prototype development, and manufacturing process definition, Parts Life established a replacement solution and restored access to a mission-critical propulsion component.
Parts Life has also supported B-52 and TF33 engine sustainment through source development and the production of complex tube assemblies associated with legacy propulsion requirements.
Developing Technical Data When Approved Sources Are Unavailable
Within the B-1 and B-2 bomber communities, Parts Life has supported MICAP requirements involving electronic and fluid-control components for which approved manufacturing sources and complete technical data were unavailable.
Engineering teams evaluated available samples and legacy information, developed manufacturable technical data, produced prototype hardware, and supported validation activities required to progress components toward approved production.
The B-1 valve assembly presented during the 2025 Tink Tank event represents a continuation of this work. R.O.P.E.® provides a structured methodology for identifying the technical, material, manufacturing, qualification, and acquisition actions required to convert an obsolete requirement into an executable sustainment plan.
Expanding Sustainment Capacity Through Remanufacturing and Depot Overflow Support
Some requirements call for a newly manufactured replacement. Others can be addressed through repair, remanufacturing, recertification, or a combination of technical pathways.
Parts Life provides precision remanufacturing support for mechanical, electrical, and electro-mechanical components that can be restored to zero-time condition. Engineering-led inspection, technical data analysis, testing, tooling development, replacement of worn or obsolete elements, and documented quality processes provide an alternative to extended procurement delays or complete replacement.
This capability can also support organic depot overflow and backlogged workloads by providing qualified capacity for high-mix, low-volume requirements. When technical data is incomplete, Parts Life can integrate reverse engineering and technical data development into the remanufacturing process to create a documented, repeatable baseline for future sustainment.
Together, these programs demonstrate how Parts Life’s R.O.P.E.® methodology and 5R Solution can help customers evaluate the requirement, identify the appropriate technical pathway, and move from an unresolved sustainment constraint toward an actionable solution.
Engineering, Prototype Integration, Manufacturing, and Remanufacturing Under One Sustainment Model
Parts Life's Prototype Integration Facility connects reverse engineering, technical data development, prototype manufacturing, testing, and short-run production within an integrated development environment.
Engineering teams use dimensional inspection, 3D scanning, material analysis, modeling, and technical data review to evaluate legacy requirements and develop manufacturable technical data packages. Prototype hardware can then be produced and evaluated for form, fit, and function before a solution progresses toward qualification, source approval, or production.
This engineering foundation also supports repair and remanufacturing programs. By understanding the technical baseline of a component, identifying wear and failure points, and documenting repeatable processes, Parts Life helps establish sustainable pathways for requirements that may move between repair, remanufacture, replication, and new production throughout the asset lifecycle.
This connected approach is especially important for high-mix, low-volume defense requirements where traditional commercial manufacturing models may be poorly aligned with program quantities or long-term sustainment needs.
Supporting Innovation at Tinker Air Force Base Through Flexible Acquisition Pathways
Moving an innovative sustainment solution from the technical concept to prototype and first article also requires an acquisition pathway aligned with the requirement.
Parts Life has experience supporting DLA-managed procurements, SBIR Phase I–III programs, and Other Transaction Authority-funded efforts, including the SCCI OTA pathway associated with the company's 2025 Tink Tank selection.
These contracting options can create opportunities for program offices, sustainment organizations, and technical stakeholders to evaluate emerging solutions, develop prototypes, and address requirements that may be difficult to resolve through traditional procurement processes alone.
Parts Life's contracts and business development teams work alongside engineering and program personnel to help align technical execution with an available acquisition pathway.
Meet the Parts Life Team at Tinker and the Primes Booth33
Director of Product Chris Fest, Director of Business Development Chris Small, Strategic Account Managers Andrew Klitchko and Dan Fisher, and Contracts Manager Rachel Kaluhiokalani will be available at Booth 33 throughout Tinker and the Primes 2026.
Connect with the team to discuss:
- Obsolete, hard-to-source, and no-bid requirements
- Remanufacturing and depot overflow support
- Reverse engineering and manufacturable technical data development
- R.O.P.E.® obsolescence planning and 5R sustainment pathways
- Prototype development, first article testing, and source approval support
- High-mix, low-volume manufacturing and alternate-source production
- SBIR, SCCI OTA, and other acquisition pathways for advancing solutions
Visit Booth 33 to meet with our team!
To schedule a meeting with Director of Business Development Chris Small, click here.
To schedule a meeting with Strategic Account Manager Andrew Klitchko, click here.
To schedule a meeting with Strategic Account Manager Dan Fisher, click here.
To schedule a meeting with Contracts Manager Rachel Kaluhiokalani, click here.
About Parts Life, Inc.
Parts Life, Inc. is a certified AS9100D engineering service provider, manufacturer, and alternate source supplier for DMSMS and obsolete replacement components on military systems and subsystems. Our value-added reverse engineering processes address missing or incomplete technical data needed prior to manufacturing. Services, such as R.O.P.E.® (Rapid Obsolescence Planning and Execution) and 5R® (Reverse Engineering, Remanufacturing, Recertify, Repair, Replicate) deliver manufacturable technical data with source approval to manufacture replacement parts. In our Prototype Integration Facility, parts and components are manufactured and tested for form, fit, and function to ensure each piece meets and surpasses OEM requirements.
