A Mechanic involved with building up and packing MD-80 Tailcone Evacuation slides; reports he was not provided with a packing tool required to the pack slide assemblies; per their Engineering Order and Component Maintenance Manual.

Narrative

This is applicable to an MD80 Tailcone Evacuation Slide. Was not provided packing tool as appropriate to pack slide assembly as per Engineering Order and related packing procedure. Was pressured by supervision/leadership to produce part in a timely manner based on their schedule. Suggestion: Provide slide shop appropriate tool as per packing procedure. Callback conversation with Reporter revealed the following information: Reporter stated the packing tool covers and protects the aspirator inflation hose at the elbow to the inflation bottle. The tool is required to properly fold and pack the MD-80 tailcone slide assemblies; during the slide folding procedure; as the slide pack is compressed. The inflation hose is a flexible type; but has a hard connection at the coupling and swivel elbow to the bottle. That is the weakest point during the slide buildup and they have since found some of the tailcone slides with broken hose couplings. Any tailcone slide with a broken hose coupling could not inflate. Reporter stated this was caused by not having the proper packing tool; which his Supervisor said was not necessary; to perform the slide packing.