The Teardown and Recycling Process of an Aircraft

The Teardown and Recycling Process of an Aircraft Over the next two decades, over 10,000 aircraft will reach their end of service. Consequently, thousands of aircraft will become candidates for the dismantling and recycling processes. Generally, companies that have certifications in aircraft disassembly and recycling are involved in the complex process. Qualified professionals have to be involved in the entire process, given its complexity.

The Teardown Process Aircraft dismantling is a very important process, as it also affects effective recycling. In fact, dismantling is defined as a series of activities that facilitate the recycling process. It is important that the process retains the quality of materials obtained. Moreover, some of the components require specialized handling since they may be reused later. Typically, the various components have to cleaned and inspected to ensure an easy and effective recycling process.

The teardown process, also known as the aircraft dismantling process, consists of three main steps.

The first step is decommissioning, whereby the aircraft is cleaned, the fuel tanks are drained, and a variety of safety procedures are carried out on the aircraft to facilitate the subsequent processes.

Secondly, disassembly is carried out. During this step, equipment and parts from the aircraft are separated from the aircraft's body. The last step in the teardown process involves removal of hazardous materials and deconstruction of the aircraft.

The Recycling Process The aircraft recycling process can result in recovery of up to 80% of materials by weight. Waste material from an old aircraft provides plenty of raw materials for creation of new products. This way, the overall environmental impact of the materials from the dismantling process is substantially reduced. In the case of an aircraft, the recycling process involves a number of steps.

Firstly, the materials and components are sorted so that those that can be used for other processes, for instance, manufacture of new aircraft are isolated. Some of these materials are still highly valuable and can be sold for a profit, if they are in good condition. This is especially true for engines, engine parts, landing gear, avionics, and other movable parts and components. Nevertheless, the process is not as simple as you might think. Rigorous testing has to take place to ensure that the components in question are suitable for the roles in which they are to be used. The components are often used as spare parts for operating aircraft.

Even materials such as carbon fiber and metal alloys, which offer no specialized recycling role in the sector, are also recycled. Usually, companies that specialize in recycling processes use these aircraft materials as raw materials for manufacture of new aircraft parts. This is especially helpful as some compounds consume enormous levels of energy to create from scratch, while the recycling process is relatively easier and inexpensive. Materials that cannot be recycled in any way end up as landfills.

The efficiency of the dismantling and recycling process can be easily determined by the looking at the amount of landfill that remains. Basically, the less the non-recyclable materials left, the better.

Conclusion Granted, aircraft dismantling and recycling process is not a simple task. The cost and quantity of materials involved underpins the importance of an efficient dismantling and the recycling process.

More importantly, the process has to take an environmentally responsible route. In general, a large percentage of the aircraft is recycled if the dismantling process is handled properly.