4 minute read
Regional pavilions
High-tech ensures more assured maintenance
This year’s MRO Europe saw national pavilions for France and the show’s host nation, the Netherlands, and the Sunshine State of Florida set out its stake
French, Dutch and Floridabased companies have higher visibility this year with the pavilions for the two countries and one US state. Examples of stalwart services of the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector can be found alongside the latest in MRO technology. From drones to artificial intelligence to three-dimensional (3D) measurements.
Chesneau is the specialist in the fields of polishing, precision adjustment and using 3D measuring to guarantee surface quality and geometric shapes on complex parts. Its 3D measurements have been used, for example, on airfoils, wing chord lengths, win leading and trailing edges and other specific areas. Chesneau sees opportunities in collaboration on the fan, compressor and turbine blades, nozzles, casing, discs, blisks, landing gear and other technical parts.
Compressors, turbines, valves, actuators and pumps are some of the many parts that Equip’Aero Services (French pavilion) provides for in its component MRO services for both commercial and military aircraft programs. Whether it is Boeing, Airbus, ATR, Embraer, Bombardier, Fokker or C-160, C-130 or helicopters, Equip’Aero Services has established a specific organization capable of developing, design and supplying test benches to cover internal MRO and original equipment manufacturer needs.
Paz Aviation in South Florida has been in aviation for more than 30 years. Its experienced staff has a large capability list and new technologies to service any potential needs. Paz specializes in aircraft Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Electromechanicals, CSD’s, Generators, Avionics, Instruments, Batteries, Coffee Makers, and Ovens. Located in Miami,
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Florida, Global Airservices is an FAA, EASA, & DGCA Indonesia certified repair station of 12,000 square feet, which has been serving the aviation industry since 2011 for repair and overhaul of commercial and regional aircraft components.
Maintenance teams, mechanics, pilots, inspectors, and support engineers need solutions that will give them access to technical documentation and structured data. Fingermind’s (French pavilion) MRO Suite is a unique software suite for aircraft manufacturers, airlines and MRO centers. It can give interactive access to technical documentation and structured data on iOS tablets, Windows and Android, whether in local mode (all data are stored on the tablet) or in connected mode (via a network).
Industry 4.0 is the network the industrial world is moving towards, and ISYBOT (French pavilion) designs business-to-business collaborative robots to assist operators in performing their tasks. ISYBOT is at the heart of Industry 4.0, improving the productivity of manual operations. The first applications in production are related to sanding and polishing or surface treatment for Airbus and Safran. ISYBOT is an interactive solution that relieves the operator and increases productivity.
Mainblades inspection offers drone inspection of aircraft with a fully automated solution. Every aircraft type, whether indoor or outdoor, the drone can provide full dent-and-buckle damage reporting. Using key robotics technology for localization, mapping, navigation, planning and the best sensors in the market Mainblades provides an industrial inspection drone with the equivalent of eyes and a brain for fast, safe and easier maintenance.
Different types of robots can use a sensor developed by NEDAERO (Netherlands Pavilion), which created its special sensor with its Fiber Optic Gyro (FOG) Program. The FOG sensor is suitable for flight stabilization and attitude control of aircraft, helicopters, drones and missiles. NEDAERO specializes in MRO and the distribution of components and systems for civil and military aircraft and helicopters. NEDAERO manufactures new parts for Airbus and Lockheed Martin.
Donecle (French pavilion) offers an automated aircraft inspection solution combining a 100 per cent automated drone with advanced image analysis algorithms. The technology enables aircraft inspections to be completed up to 10 times faster than normal. Supporting applications include lightning strikes, GVI, regulatory markings and paint quality checks. This solution helps optimizing maintenance activities, reducing the inspection time to less than an hour. It automatically analyses damages on the aircraft structure and generates inspection reports to improve traceability.
Another type of automation is aiding jet engine inspections. Aiir Innovations (Netherlands pavilion) is an Artificial Intelligence startup that focuses on the automation of jet engine inspections. Over time, jet engines are subject to a loss of performance. This can be due to external factors such as foreign object damage, or internally generated causes such as wear and tear, overheating, erosion, corrosion, etc. In the engine upkeep cycle, visual inspections of the rotors play an important, even critical, role. Aiir has developed an Artificial Intelligence system for visual inspection which can overcome human weaknesses that lead to missed problems.
All the data that can be generated by automated inspections need to be analyzed. The Aviation Academy (Netherlands pavilion) is part of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and its offers in-company master classes and applied research in the field of ‘Data Analytics in MRO Processes’, ‘Advanced Maintenance Technologies’ and ‘Human Factors & Safety’. The Aviation Academy provides the current and next generation of professionals with the skills they need to meet the international aviation challenges of the next 10-15 years.
At the regional pavilions, a mix of MRO excellence can be found, from high tech to dependable processes tried and tested across a wide range of aircraft types. For highlighting a businesses presence in a particular nation or region, the pavilions provide a one stop-shop for that company seeking MRO services and at this year’s MRO Europe, the winners are French, Dutch and Floridian.
