Lean Six Sigma Application for Aircraft Maintenance Process

The system of preventive maintenance for various types of equipment is considered. To identify the need for managerial influence on the processes of maintenance and repair of the product, the coefficient of variation of the maintenance (repair) cycle is proposed. This coefficient is formed by the values of operating time or work between stops for maintenance or repair. To determine its numerical value, it is recommended to use such concepts as "maintenance (repair) cycle" and "frequency of maintenance (repair)". The values of the coefficient characterizing the stability of the process of repair and maintenance of the product are determined. These values of the coefficient are proposed to be used to justify the need to analyze the causes of failures or, in other words, the instability of the repair and maintenance process. The main managerial influences on the process of maintenance and repair are determined, which can be taken as a result of the analysis of the causes of failures. These include: the decision to search for a technical service provider, expanding the competencies of employees, updating the material base. Modern industry 4.0 tools allow you to get the required level of quality when working with a large data stream. The use of neural network technology in various technical service management tasks is due to some advantages over classical methods of statistical processing of results. The experiments of various authors are presented in which it is shown that neural network technologies are able to interpret graphic information, justify its use in technical diagnostics at the stage of analyzing diagnostic information in the form of oscillograms, which allows the use of complex diagnostic equipment in the absence of experts. A neural network simulation was carried out to recognize defects in bearing assemblies. As a result, the created neural network recognized the type of defect in accordance with the matrices of input signals and the output matrix of types of defects, which makes it possible to develop a mechanism for improving technical service using neural networks as a tool for analyzing diagnostic information in the absence of experts in this field.

PT. GMF Aeroasia, Tbk is a company engaged in aircraft maintenance services. The aircraft maintenance lead time is regulated according to the agreement set forth in the agreement in the form of a work order, when the maintenance process takes place there is almost always a delay when working on the aircraft, both in terms of physical work or delivery of documents. These problems are several forms of waste, where waste is any activity that does not provide added value. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the type of waste and determine the factors that cause waste in the delivery process of aircraft c-check maintenance documents. The method used in this study used a fishbone chart, cause failure mode effect, failure mode and effects analysis and problem identification and corrective action. Fishbone chart and cause failure mode effect are used to find waste that causes delay in document delivery, then analyzed using failure mode and effects analysis, three causes of the highest delay were found, namely stamps on incomplete documents (RPN 16), waiting for customer approval (RPN 16) and material certificates not available (RPN 12). Corrective Action was prepared as a recommendation to improve the delivery process for aircraft c-check maintenance documents. By knowing the types of waste and the factors causing waste in the delivery process of aircraft c-check maintenance documents at PT. GMF Aeroasia Tbk is expected to reduce waste and fulfill customer satisfaction. Keywords: Lead Time, Waste, Delay Delivery of Documents, Cause Failure Mode Effect Method, Corrective Action

The article deals with the estimation algorithm for functional system reliability influence on the aircraft technical maintenance. The research results which allow to estimate the functional system reliability influence on the aircraft technical maintenance process are provided. The aircraft maintenance process effectiveness implies the maintenance procedures including pre-flight preparation, the flight itself, technical maintenance and storage.The research was aimed at forecasting the aircraft technical maintenance process considering the functional system reliability, with special attention payed to failure-free operation. The term failure-free operation stands for the ability to execute a required function within a given time interval at given conditions.The objects of maintenance -aircraft functional systems and their components have a great degree of failure-free operation, which has been a design requirement and is supported at aircraft maintenance and operation. Failures and malfunctions are seldom events. This fact leads to a limited statistic maintenance surveillance database. Classical methods of statistical analyses do not provide the sufficient fiducial probability for functional system failure-free operation estimation. Thus these methods do not allow to estimate its influence on the aircraft technical maintenance process effectiveness.In order to solve this problem it is suggested to use the method of flow diagrams and random sample statistical method for failure-free operation estimation-statistical modeling (Monte-Carlo Method). Reliability flow diagram method allowed to determine the functional system failure-free operation random sample dependence on the technical maintenance frequency.The initial data were: the functional system flow diagram, the list of the main equipment, functional system equipment failure random sample data. The use of statistical modeling allowed to estimate the dependence of functional system reliability (failure-free operation) on the technical maintenance frequency for expanded statistical database (a number of functional system maintenance and operation procedures).

The aviation industry currently faces several challenges in inspecting and diagnosing aircraft structures. Current aircraft inspection methods still need to be fully automated, making early detection and precise sizing of defects difficult. Researchers have expressed concerns about current aircraft inspections, citing safety, maintenance costs, and reliability issues. The next generation of aircraft inspection leverages semi-autonomous and fully autonomous systems integrating robotic technologies with advanced Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods. Active Thermography (AT) is an example of an NDT method widely used for non-invasive aircraft inspection to detect surface and near-surface defects, such as delamination, debonding, corrosion, impact damage, and cracks. It is suitable for both metallic and non-metallic materials and does not require a coupling agent or direct contact with the test piece, minimising contamination. Visual inspection using an RGB camera is another well-known non-contact NDT method capable of detecting surface defects. A newer option for NDT in aircraft maintenance is 3D scanning, which uses laser or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technologies. This method offers several advantages, including non-contact operation, high accuracy, and rapid data collection. It is effective across various materials and shapes, enabling the creation of detailed 3D models. An alternative approach to laser and LiDAR technologies is photogrammetry. Photogrammetry is cost-effective in comparison with laser and LiDAR technologies. It can acquire high-resolution texture and colour information, which is especially important in the field of maintenance inspection. In this proposed approach, an automated vision-based damage evaluation system will be developed capable of detecting and characterising defects in metallic and composite aircraft specimens by analysing 3D data acquired using an RGB camera and a IRT camera through photogrammetry. Such a combined approach is expected to improve defect detection accuracy, reduce aircraft downtime and operational costs, improve reliability and safety and minimise human error.

Based on data from IAMSA in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, thevolume of aircraft maintenance spending from airlines in Indonesia was around US$ 1.2billion. Of the spending volume, only about 35% can be absorbed by MRO Indonesia. MROIndonesia has targeted in the next 5 years it can absorb around 70% of aircraft maintenanceexpenditures in Indonesia. The purpose of this paper is to build a roadmap for the aircraftmaintenance industry in Indonesia. A road map is a guide that is used asdirections/navigation to reach the desired target. The development of a roadmap for theaircraft maintenance industry in Indonesia is carried out by taking into account the currentcondition of Indonesia's MRO and future Indonesia’s MRO targets in absorbing aircraftmaintenance spending in terms of the 4 main pillars of the MRO industry, namely quality,human resources, infrastructure and supply chain. In terms of quality, it is necessary toincrease the level of Indonesian MRO certification to the level of international standards(AS 9110, EASA, FAA). In terms of human resources, it is necessary to increase the numberof licensed technicians by collaborating between MRO and vocational education institutions.In terms of infrastructure and supply chain, it is necessary to build hangars and workshopsthat have an integrated aircraft maintenance center facility 'one stop solution'/aerospacepark. The strengthening of the four pillars is carried out gradually and continuously according to priorities to form a roadmap for the aircraft maintenance industry in Indonesia.

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The first cross-industry guidelines for the implementation of structural health monitoring for aerospace applications have been created as a SAE International Aerospace Recommended Practices document: SAE ARP 6461 ‘Guidelines for Implementation of Structural Health Monitoring on Fixed Wing Aircraft’ [<span class="xref">1</span>]. These guidelines have brought together manufacturers, operators / users, systems integrators, regulators, technology providers and researchers to produce information on the integration of SHM into aircraft maintenance procedures, generic requirements and advice on validation, verification and airworthiness.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The take-up of SHM in the aerospace industry has been slow, in part due to the lack of accepted industry practices surrounding not just the technology itself (sensors and sensor systems) but also the associated issues arising from the introduction of new methods into aircraft maintenance. The SHM community responded by forming an Industry Steering Committee on the topic which then became a Technical Group within the SAE International standards organization (G-11 SHM). The initial task of this group was to produce guidelines to address some of the issues that currently prevent adoption of SHM in commercial and military aircraft operations.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper is a summary of the key content to the guidelines and the rationale behind their development. This is the first document of its type and as such is not concerned with details of the SHM technologies themselves but instead, focuses on the key steps needed to implement the technologies within the current regulatory environment and prevailing aircraft structural design and maintenance practices.</div></div>

The article deals with the quality management of interactive electronic technical manuals on the operation and repair of aircraft. It has been established that the quality management tools for interactive electronic maintenance and repair documentation for aircraft do not fully satisfy the existing set of specific requirements for the technological process of their design and development, as well as the implementation of proactive quality management procedures in it. This suggests a lack of scientific, methodological and technological security of quality systems in the design and development of interactive electronic maintenance and repair documentation for aircraft. The quality management of interactive electronic technical manuals for the operation and repair of aviation equipment is a sequential process of iterative procedures for evaluating and improving the quality of the specified information and software tools for logistics support.

Preplanning all routine work is universally accepted as essential for smooth execution. This fact is well-proven and equally valid throughout all industries but more precisely in the operations and maintenance domain. An emphasis is placed on production planning and aircraft maintenance work-packaging in this research paper. Almost all sorts of maintenance work performed on any aircraft are transcribed as maintenance procedures by the manufacturer. It makes production planning work smooth and easygoing while preparing the aircraft maintenance work packages. However, significant challenges during package preparation are unavoidable and may surprise planners at the last minute. An extensive understanding of the process, stakeholders, and consequences is imperative to minimize surprises. This paper will highlight all these areas to provide detailed insights about work packaging.

Several industries are looking for smart methods to increase their production throughput and operational efficiency at the lowest cost, reduced risk, and reduced spending of resources considering demands from stakeholders, governments, and competitors. To achieve this, industries are looking for possible solutions to the above problems by adopting emerging technologies. A foremost concept that is setting the pace and direction for many sectors and services is Industry 4.0. The focus is on augmenting machines and infrastructure with wireless connectivity, sensors, and intelligent systems to monitor, visualize, and communicate incidences between different entities for decision making. An aspect of physical asset management that has been enormously influenced by the new industrial set-up is the maintenance process. This chapter highlights the issues and challenges of Industry 4.0 from maintenance process viewpoint according to EN 60300-3-14. Further, a conceptual model on how maintenance process can be integrated into Industrial 4.0 architecture is proposed to enhance its value.

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Enhancing the comfort for passengers, airlines are constantly increasing the number of services within the aircraft cabin such as meal ordering directly from passenger seats. The payment and menu selection can be completely processed by means of a passenger-individual airline user account also considering the remaining inventory of the galley. The implementation of such type of services is supported by digitalization of cabin business processes. For these new services the airline requires a high availability of the process-related system functions to ensure airline’s revenue and customer satisfaction.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">A possible approach to reach the target of high availability of these functions is to use the trend of digitalization for improving function-relevant maintenance processes within the aircraft cabin. This requires an introduction of flexible communication architectures to enhance the existing maintenance process by establishing an automated fault detection, root cause analysis, and/or even fault prediction. For implementation it is necessary to provide system data and parameters digitally, e.g. by sensor measurements or an online evaluation of already existing system data logs. An example is the working light within the aircraft galley used to create an appropriate working environment for the cabin crew to prepare ordered meals for the passengers. Currently, fault detection is only possible by identifying its failure effect, i.e. a not illuminating lighting unit. However, by measuring the current consumption of the light source via a digital sensor, it would be possible to detect a changing trend in the current consumption and, in turn, triggering a maintenance task to replace the light before it actually fails. The evaluation of such current measurement with the resulting fault prediction would expand the maintenance system by a new function.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper describes how digitally supportable maintenance processes for any cabin system can be systematically identified and which system modifications are necessary for realization. Further-more, a methodology for cost and benefit assessment is introduced to find the right level of digitization for the cabin system under analysis.</div></div>

This master thesis aims to analyze and evaluate innovative technologies and tools through new aircraft maintenance. Through a series of extensive theoretical studies and data obtained during real-life cases, this work will aim to identify the latest trends behind this process and evaluate the impact they have on production, safety, maintenance costs. The most complex theoretical section of the work will be related to such an area as a current state of aircraft maintenance, which in turn will have to integrate dependent trends, such as predictive maintenance, digitization, and state-dependent methods. This part of the work will present the latest technological trends of the industry, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, 3D printing, augmented reality and virtual reality .The main part of the work will examine the advantages and disadvantages of these technologies, forms of use of AMO technologies, and proposals for improving technologies, such as improving the current use of electronic tablets in the maintenance process, as well as a proposal for the use of AI within the anti-collision system for movement and manipulation of flight on the ground.

One of the supporting tools for Socata TBM 700 aircraft maintenance is the trestle, this tool is responsible for helping various aircraft checking processes such as jacking, leveling, and lifting. As a supporting tool, the hangar of the Politeknik Penerbangan Surabaya already has these tools. More specifically, the tool available is a hydraulic jack. This tool has the primary function of supporting the jacking process. However, the jacking tool owned by the Politeknik Penerbangan Surabaya is considered less effective and efficient in operation and safety, so creating a new tool with a more qualified level of efficiency and effectiveness is necessary. The new variant of the supporting tool is called the C17 trestle. The method used in this work is an experimental method that starts by designing a tool from a bottle Jack made from high-carbon steel. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the efficiency of the C17 trestle time working and safety during the maintenance process and practice by cadets. The results of this study show that the C17 trestle can be operated manually by a minimum of two people with an average time of 2 minutes 32 seconds and increases the percentage of work security and safety when the tool is used. This shows that the C17 trestle design is more suitable for use during the jacking process on the Socata TBM 700 aircraft

The policies of the maintenance organization, techniques used, types of changes attempted, times when they are attempted, and nature of the product all shape the maintenance process. The authors suggest that no single fixed maintenance process can meet all these needs, but that all views should be consolidated in a single framework. This is done by using the notions of process programming and process environments to provide a structure within which users can alter tools and processes to support all maintenance needs and approaches in a user-tailorable, dynamically adaptable, and incrementally implementable way. Consideration of the demands and ramifications of process programming leads to the discovery of the importance of process maintenance, dynamic maintenance, process execution history maintenance, and product-related process maintenance. These notions, which broaden and complicate the understanding of maintenance, also suggest a software life-cycle model that unifies development and maintenance. >

Maintenance is indispensable for ensuring that multi-component systems successfully complete the next mission. Maintenance activities require an enormous amount of energy consumption in engineering problems. For selective maintenance, many studies focus on the trade-off between system reliability and other resources, such as time and cost. The enormous energy consumption of maintenance processes has been ignored in previous research. In this work, a novel energy consumption model considering the actual maintenance process is proposed. Moreover, system reliability is added to the optimization model as a crucial constraint, which makes the optimization process of energy consumption meaningful. The selective maintenance process is a complex combinatorial optimization problem. Hence, a hybrid differential evolution and gravitational search algorithm (DGSA) is proposed to solve the selective maintenance problem considering energy consumption. In addition, several experiments with DGSA, particle swarm optimization and differential evolution are designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

The impacts on the Operation and Maintenance Process of virtual resources have not been considered in the ITIL processes. Based on the characteristics of the virtual resource management and the process automation method, this paper improves and designs the new IT Operation and Maintenance Processes for virtual resources, includes adding the activities of new event monitoring, event handling, security management, performance and capacity management, and on-line management etc, and also proposed the establishment of the unified IT Operations and Maintenance management team to better support this process. The improved processes have been carried out in the IT Operation and Maintenance management practices of the joint ventures, and greatly improved the efficiency of their IT operations and maintenance works.