Aircraft Part Repairs

3 Painful Reasons To Re-Evaluate Your Aircraft Component Repair Strategy

3 Painful Reasons To Re-Evaluate Your Aircraft Component Repair Strategy

We've all been there when the dreaded phone begins to ring. You anxiously wait as you look at the caller id.

A brief thought comes to mind, should I pick it up? Or should I let it go to voice-mail?

You ponder the thought of ignoring it.

Instead, you cautiously pick up the phone.

“Hello."

It’s your boss, the VP of Maintenance and Engineering, and he’s unhappy about the current spending.

He’s beginning to feel the pressure from your CFO.

Repair costs have doubled and they're now taking more time to process, meaning more people must get involved.

Why You Need A Pre-draw Kit With Your Next Aircraft Maintenance Project

Why You Need A Pre-draw Kit With Your Next Aircraft Maintenance Project

I’ve been fortunate to be a part of hundreds, if not thousands of maintenance check projects.

Over the years, I’ve noticed a trend. During the maintenance project, there’s always panicked emails and phone calls. Half of the calls are for material that should have been pre-planned.

It’s guaranteed. It’ll happen. Maybe even today.

Maintenance teams wait too long to purchase the material they need. So when they do purchase, they’re in a frantic rush.

29 Ways To Prepare For An Aircraft on Ground

29 Ways To Prepare For An Aircraft on Ground

When you hear the 3 letters, A-O-G, it makes you cringe

Your heart rate starts to race, your palms begin to sweat and you frantically think I-have-to-fix-this-now

AOG are stressful. But if you're prepared before the AOG, it’ll make your aviation life much easier.

The Undeniable Truth Of The QA Manual: It's Boring & Ineffective Alone

The Undeniable Truth Of The QA Manual:  It's Boring & Ineffective Alone

Quality Assurance manuals are boring. 

Most people skim or skip and don’t read it. And if they’re not reading it…it’s ineffective. 

The 100-page document is a snoozefest. A sleeper. A book that’ll knock you out from boredom in 5 seconds.

Care to dare this hypothesis? Test someone. See for yourself. 

It’s the cold hard truth. Yell and scream if you’d like. But the document itself isn’t engaging. It’s a sleeper. 

It needs help. It requires engaging training and coaching. We’ll dig into this in a minute. 

But right now…

5 Step Trace & Certification Process To Use On Every Purchase

5 Step Trace & Certification Process To Use On Every Purchase

Trace and certifications. 

Both topics are confusing.

What do you need, with what type of material, and when? 

Questions like these flood your brain. And you’re not alone. Many have the same misunderstandings of what is needed and when. 

Whether you were born as a Quality Assurance inspector, trained, or were just thrown into purchasing to “figure it out.”

Aircraft Part Certification Defined

Aircraft Part Certification Defined

Just like aircraft part trace, knowing what type of certifications you need is downright maddening. 

Every operation is different, making QA standards difficult to apply to everyone, in every country, in every operation. 

You spend hours sourcing and processing material orders to find out the certifications you received were wrong. 

It’s frustrating. And a big contributor to your material processing costs.

To help combat this, let’s define what the various certifications are and some quick tips to use with your trusted material advisor. 

Traceability 101: Decoding What It Is And Why It Matters

Traceability 101:  Decoding What It Is And Why It Matters

What is aircraft part trace? Why do you need it? 

Trace ensures that quality, trustworthiness, and professionalism follows aircraft material through its various supply chains. 

It is not a form of airworthiness. It’s a record of who had what and when.

How To Overcome Your Asset Repair Issues & Kickstart A Better Repair Strategy

How To Overcome Your Asset Repair Issues & Kickstart A Better Repair Strategy

Do you feel overwhelmed having to manage your aircraft component repair process? 

You deal with hundreds of assets, dozens of MROs and the logistics that has to happen to and from your MRO partners. 

And that’s just the beginning. You then have to approve, deny, or cry over the work order quotes you receive. Hoping. Pleading, that nothing was overlooked. 

It’s a complicated process. You have to notice all the small details, ask questions, and trust the partners you’re working with. 

And maybe this situation sounds all too familiar to you...

5 Painful Repair Time Issues & Fail-Proof Ways To Fix It

5 Painful Repair Time Issues & Fail-Proof Ways To Fix It

Are your repair turn-around-times (TAT) a mess?
They’re a headache.

Believe it or not. You’re not alone. The problem remains the same for everyone. Whether you’re a large airline or a small aircraft MRO. You feel the pain. 

We recently spoke with The VP of Maintenance at Japan Airlines and he mentioned the same issue. He’s frustrated. Even with the contracts that he has in place, working with the largest OEMs and MROs, repair lead times and quality are a constant frustration.

How does that make you feel? He pays premium prices and still has the same problems as you. See. It could be worse.

 

Additive Manufacturing For Aircraft Parts Is Taking Off

It is no secret that additive manufacturing is the hot topic, especially in our fast paced aviation world. Many companies are exploring this new frontier of technology because of its unbelievable benefits. Pratt and Whitney are a perfect example of the new exploration in this uncharted world with manufacturing engine brackets using 3D printing. They have embraced two of many additive manufacturing techniques to make engine components, engine brackets specifically. Instead of using expensive slabs of steel to shape aircraft parts, the process of additive manufacturing enables Pratt and Whitney to layer materials together using absolutely no waste.

Not only does Pratt and Whitney expend no waste, they also are manufacturing parts that are lighter and cheaper.

Additive Manufacturing Aircraft Parts Is Taking OffThis trifecta of efficiency is what the aviation industry is raving about and why companies like Pratt and Whitney and even GE Aviation has adopted this new technique in manufacturing.

GE has adopted laser-powered 3-D printers and inking machines to make aircraft parts that seemed like science fiction long ago. GE likes to call this next chapter in manufacturing the next step in our Industrial Revolution.

The Industrial Revolution was a transition from new manufacturing processes in the period that started in 1760.

Today, additive manufacturing starts a new chapter in the aviation industry.

The additive manufacturing process can increase the tempo of production, reduce waste, and produce designs that seems almost impossible with last generation manufacturing processes. Unusual brackets, new age propellers, and even new engine designs are now open door ideas with this new technology.

However, this new revolution for the industry is growing at a crawl. Additive manufacturing techniques will need to be improved before the entire market adopts the technique with open arms. Glitches and muddy precision is still very common unless a finer and more expensive 3-D printer is purchased.

It makes sense why our industry is an early adopter of this new technology in manufacturing.

Aviation costs are high and even the most minuscule reduction in any costs would be a substantial benefit to any aircraft part manufacturer.

This process is taking off with no emergency brake and is beginning to grow exponentially.

In 2016, GE Aviation will unveil 19 3-D printed fuel nozzles in a combustion system that can only be made using this method. They will lead the aviation industry with the first solid models of these unique parts. This exciting time is being called the new or 3rd industrial revolution and companies like GE and Pratt and Whitney are paving the way for others to lead.

Are you looking to streamline your supply chain? Fill out the form below and we'll be more than happy to help you out.