Evolutions in materials and technology are happening so quickly, one of the big challenges for OEMs is designing a product today that can accommodate unexpected changes tomorrow.
AIM Aviation has begun building a new factory adjacent to its Galleys Div. in Byfleet, England. The new facility will add 31,000 sq. ft. of production and testing capability, bringing total space to 80,000 sq. ft. Completion is targeted for summer 2014.
A scan of recent supply chain- and logistics-related product announcements underscores that aviation is placing a premium on keeping real-time tabs on high-value goods. On the production line, manufacturers are marking parts with tags designed to help everyone from line mechanics to vendors. In the aftermarket, using sophisticated sensors to monitor parts and key shipments—from components sent to bail out a grounded aircraft to the tooling needed to do the job—is becoming bigger business.
As the only all-new engine developed for one of the most ambitious aircraft models built in the jet age, General Electric's GE90 family has more than held its own. Nearly three out of every four Boeing 777s delivered are powered by GE90s, and the percentage will only grow—every undelivered current-generation 777 listed in Boeing's backlog is slated to have GE power as well. Boeing figures show 991 777s delivered through Sept. 30, including 730 powered by GE90s. Another 328 777s—a mix of -200LRs, -300ERs and freighters—remain on order.
Rapid advances in technology and materials, along with intensified competition for passenger loyalty, are driving a wave of innovation and investment in aircraft interiors. The hallmarks of today's newest cabins are improved materials, hardware design and technologies that enable faster, more effective maintenance. In the past few months alone, major carriers have announced these actions:
The global nature of aviation maintenance means technicians from different countries and cultures can suddenly find themselves working side by side. When this occurs, maintenance organizations face an added layer of complexity in the area of human factors.
Like many MRO industry verticals, the mechanical component market has its share of top-tier suppliers entering the aftermarket, either through organic growth or acquisition. Major roles in new aircraft programs give manufacturers such as Moog inside tracks to lucrative aftermarket opportunities. But, as companies like Avtron Aerospace and Heico prove, there is still plenty of room for innovative independent suppliers. 1. Focused On Motion Supplier: Moog
Integrating process management software into an MRO operation is no longer cutting-edge—it is core to an efficient operation's success. MRO providers benefit from a range of choices, from products developed by providers that want to solve their own problems to technology companies that look at aircraft maintenance management challenges and see endless opportunities to help a surging part of the aviation industry. 1. Wings Aloft Supplier: Applied Database Technology
Eliminating unplanned aircraft downtime would be a good thing, right? Imagine how operating assets that do not prematurely fail would optimize your operations. The productivity gains and cost savings would be immense. Perhaps you think I am taking a utopian view of operations, but if your company and employees are not striving for innovation at the highest level, will you ever get there?
Europe The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), concerned about the number of reports of defective fasteners, is developing a certification memorandum that will advise product developers to take steps to ensure the quality of so-called standards nuts and bolts (see photo).
The aviation aftermarket has become more sophisticated about how it repurposes aircraft, engines and material no longer needed in operation. Some aircraft still get parked, but the number that remain inactive in deserts or on tarmacs is dwindling because aircraft financiers, lessors and parts providers employ asset-valuation strategies earlier in the game. Today, many mature aircraft are worth more as parts than as a whole.
Cloud computing is considered to be the next major trend in electronic-documents management, but still to be decided is how much data will be controlled by airlines, and how much by original equipment manufacturers. Best practices devised to keep engines on-wing longer is one of the issues, says Paul Mingler, GE Aviation's chief consulting engineer of product safety.
Merging companies, moving and culling unneeded inventories can be both energizing and stressful. There is the excitement generated from new opportunities and the prospect of creating something superior—but there is also the sheer hard work of overcoming unexpected obstacles to make this happen.
As aircraft increasingly depend on electrical power, sensors need to keep up with overheating-detection capabilities, and repair stations need new certifications. Here is a sampling of some new electrical components and services: 1. Let Me See Supplier: LoPresti Aviation Offering: The BoomBeams lighting system is designed to provide higher landing and taxi light output, and consume less power than stock lighting equipment, to reduce overall lighting and maintenance costs, according to the company.
•We used a program to laser cut foam silhouettes. This has been beneficial for inventory and organization. •We are introducing cutting foam for controlling personal toolboxes and rolling tool boxes—and shadow board for company tools. Tool-shadowing is a very simple and effective tool control. •Most of our tool inventories are done manually, which is error-prone. We would like to know how other MROs manage their tooling.
When the nearest hardware store is 350 mi. straight down, tool control takes on a whole new dimension. Take away gravity, and air, and it gets even harder. Just ask Jill McGuire, a private pilot who was also the engineer in charge of crew aids and tools for the last servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in May 2009. “You have to take everything with you,” she says. “You don't get a chance to run to Home Depot.”
In the aircraft parts world, speed matters. If properly applied, it reduces inventory, saves money and assures components are where they need to be when they are needed. The trick is flowing those parts through the system more quickly. That is the aim of Southwest Airlines' recently initiated “Project Velocity,” an effort that promises a 5-7% reduction in per-aircraft parts inventory, according to Peter Requa, director of supply chain management. “We expect to take our per-aircraft inventory down from $650,000 . . . to $610,000 or $600,000,” he says.
In late December 2011, a U.S. Marine Corps mechanic conducting a routine phase inspection of a UH-1Y Huey discovered that the helicopter's transmission pylon beam and the main beam joint were disintegrating. Left unchecked, the problem would have resulted in disaster. The mechanic's finding led to a Corps-wide inspection and, ultimately, the release of an engineering advisory report.
1. Cold Starter Supplier: AIR BP Lubricants Offering: BPTO 2389 is a low-viscosity, gas-turbine oil, offering exceptional cold-start capability. Many airlines rely on BPTO 2389 in their auxiliary power units (APU) because it gets them started after long cold-soaks at altitude. BPTO 2389 is the only MIL-PRF-7808 Grade 3 qualified oil that is fully approved in all Honeywell and Hamilton Sundstrand APUs. www.airbp.com/lubricants Link 601
