What MROs Can Gain from Predictive Maintenance
Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) organisations play a critical role in ensuring the airworthiness of aircraft. With the increasing availability of data and new technologies to analyse that data, Predictive Maintenance has become a top priority for commercial airlines. However, many MROs are now also exploring the potential benefits that Predictive Maintenance can bring to their organisations. In this article, we will look at the key differences and similarities between MROs and commercial airlines and what MROs need to consider when embarking on a Predictive Maintenance project.
Similarities between MROs and commercial airlines
The airworthiness regulations for both commercial airlines and MROs are the same, which provides a wealth of data for Predictive Maintenance purposes. This data includes:
Maintenance programme
Minimum Equipment List
Component Removal & Installation Records
Pilot reported defects
Maintenance reported defects
Base maintenance task card findings
Aircraft utilisation
On-board data such as FDR/QAR data
Key Differences in MROs
However, there are a few key differences in MRO operations that impact the way in which Predictive Maintenance can be performed. These include:
MROs are not involved in regular flight operations, which makes it harder to predict the conditions under which the aircraft will operate in the future.
MROs need to ensure that they have the right resources and inventory to perform maintenance, repair, and overhaul work on aircraft.
What MROs Should Consider for Predictive Maintenance
In order to make the most of Predictive Maintenance, MROs should consider the following:
The range of components to monitor should include not only airworthiness-related components but also resources and inventory.
The accuracy of predictive maintenance for resource and inventory management needs to be high to ensure that MROs have the right resources and inventory available when they need them.
Resource and inventory management require a different modelling technique than for airworthiness components, as usage data for resources and inventory may be limited.
When looking to embark on a Predictive Maintenance project, MROs should also consider the following article: "Are You Ready for Predictive Maintenance?" to gauge their organization's readiness for adopting Predictive Maintenance technologies and processes.
Here are a few key steps that MROs can take to implement predictive maintenance:
Data Collection: One of the key components of predictive maintenance is data collection. MROs need to gather a large amount of data from various sources, such as maintenance logs, aircraft performance data, and component data. This data can be used to create predictive models that can predict when maintenance will be required.
Implement Monitoring Systems: MROs can install monitoring systems such as sensors or data loggers on aircraft to gather real-time data. This data can be analysed in real-time to detect issues and prevent failures before they occur.
Utilise Predictive Analytics: Predictive analytics involves the use of statistical and machine learning techniques to analyse data and make predictions. MROs can use these techniques to analyse the data collected from the monitoring systems to predict when maintenance will be required and what type of maintenance will be needed.
Collaborate with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs): MROs can benefit from collaborating with OEMs to access their technical knowledge and data. This collaboration can help MROs gain access to real-time data from the aircraft, making it easier to predict when maintenance will be required.
Implement a Predictive Maintenance Management System: To effectively manage predictive maintenance, MROs need to implement a comprehensive predictive maintenance management system. This system can help manage maintenance tasks, track component and system performance, and monitor the effectiveness of predictive maintenance.
Develop a Predictive Maintenance Plan: MROs need to develop a comprehensive predictive maintenance plan that outlines the steps they will take to implement predictive maintenance. This plan should outline the data sources that will be used, the monitoring systems that will be installed, the predictive analytics techniques that will be used, and the management systems that will be put in place.
In conclusion, MROs have a great opportunity to make use of predictive maintenance to not only improve the maintenance process, reduce costs, and enhance the reliability of aircraft but also to realise significant benefits such as improved resource and inventory management, better planning and scheduling, and reduced downtime and costs. By following specific steps and considering the key differences and similarities between MROs and commercial airlines, they can successfully implement predictive maintenance, ensuring that they reap the benefits it has to offer and deliver the best possible outcomes for their customers.
Interested in transforming your MRO operations with Predictive Maintenance? Click here to contact our team of experts today for a personalised consultation on how to implement predictive maintenance in your organisation.
