Page 35 - AAA NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2017 Online Magazine

FEATURE TECHNOLOGY

where the associated dent reporting tool Last year, at the annual Airlines for America is made by scientists for use by scientists
(DRT) software is used to generate a fully (A4A) NDT conference in San Diego, TAP- and serves a large market demand. These
annotated SRM-complaint report in less than M&E publicly shared that it had reduced general-purpose systems require users to
five minutes.” “The permanent digital-record dent-mapping and reporting times by 90 develop significant expertise in programming
from the dentCHECK tool and DRT software percent after introducing dentCHECK.The and post-processing in order to make sense
can be easily shared with colleagues or OEMs list of airlines and MRO companies using of mountains of complex 3D point-cloud
for repair approval. The turnaround time on the tool is growing. In February this year, SIA data. These systems are not tailored to the
the aircraft is significantly reduced. It makes Engineering Company (SIAEC), which is a part needs of aviation.”
maintenance organisations more efficient.” of the Singapore Airlines Group, began using “Even though we make precision optical
dentCHECK in its maintenance operations, 3D scanners, our approach to solving
Endorsement by OEMs after an evaluation period of 18 months. In problems is drastically different than the
At its core, the tool is basically a very high September, easyJet said that it was using the traditional 3D scanner industry approach
accuracy 3D optical scanner. “The product tool to assess up to 80% of the dent damage over the last 25 years,” says Chhabra. “We
was formally introduced to the industry that occurs on its fleet and predicted that are looking at niche markets, compared
about two years ago, but development on its use could potentially reduce assessment to the markets that the traditional guys
it started more than four years ago,” says times significantly. “We were impressed focus on. We solve problems to completion,
Chhabra. “It is purpose-built from scratch for with the speed and relative simplicity of delivering actionable answers, rather than
the aviation maintenance industry. This is not 8tree’s dentCHECK system compared with just point-cloud data. We want to deliver a
a general-purpose 3D scanner that is being other available systems and worked closely ‘zero-learning curve’ experience for the user.
shoe-horned into aviation; dentCHECK was with 8tree to assist with development of To the best of our understanding, there is no
specifically designed and optimized for the the system to better suit our requirements,” other company that is focused on solving the
problem of aviation dent mapping.” says Gary Smith, Head of Engineering at problem for dent mapping in real time the
In February last year, Airbus and the easyJet. “The dentCHECK system and the way we are. Fundamentally, we focus on very
French National Laboratory for Metrology associated IT support are being integrated different markets than those addressed by
& Testing (LNE) certified dentCHECK as well into easyJet’s maintenance operation for traditional 3D scanners.”
as fastCHECK, another of the company’s both routine and AOG events. The system The system has been designed to fit into
products. Airbus then went on to endorse has been used on several AOG events to date the industry workflow, says Chhabra. “We
dentCHECK for dent mapping on metallic and feedback from the engineers involved didn’t try to go in and ask them to change their
aircraft by publishing it in its Tool Equipment has been positive. “The tool’s promise and its workflow to conform to this new technology.
Manuals. Earlier this month, Airbus extended early success caught the attention of JetBlue We knew that wouldn’t work. The tool is
the scope of its approval by also endorsing Technology Ventures (JTV), which “incubates, simple to use and provides accurate results;
dentCHECK for assessment and reporting invests in and partners with early stage that is why it has been widely accepted.”
of dent-size on composite floor panels within startups at the intersection of technology The company has provided players in
existing SRM requirements and limitations. and travel.” At MRO Americas in April this the industry a few different commercial
Boeing recently published a Service Letter year, Jeff Martin, EVP Operations at JetBlue models to choose from. “It is designed to
(SL) recognizing the use of 3D scanners such Airways, mentioned 8tree and Zunum Aero, a be very affordable for the industry,” says
as dentCHECK. The accuracy and resolution company that is currently involved in making Chhabra. “We have an outright purchase
guidelines specified in the Boeing SL are a hybrid-electric aircraft, during his speech. model for customers who want to buy and
consistent with dentCHECK’s performance “This is important because an aircraft with deploy it in their toolkits. For smaller MRO
specifications. Predictably, interest in the a dent can literally sometimes take a day,” outfits that don’t have the volume, we
product has soared among airlines and MRO Martin said, referring to dentCHECK. “We offer a lease model.”
companies. then have a US$50-60 million asset sitting
on the ground waiting to find out if that A Game Changer?
Incorporating Industry Feedback dent is a go/no go situation. That is lost The increasing use of the tool promises to
Eager to tailor the product to the needs revenue. Those are customers that are redefine industry dent mapping standards.
of MRO companies, 8tree took an upset and disrupted.” Even with all the technological advances in
early prototype of dentCHECK to TAP- recent years, manual measurement of dent
Maintenance & Engineering (TAP-M&E). Market Potential map data, with multiple technicians reaching
Realizing that the company was working There is a quiet confidence in Chhabra’s voice consensus on subjective measurements,
on a chronic industry problem, TAP-M&E when he speaks about not being fazed by is still the norm. Apart from the obvious
began providing the feedback that 8tree competition. “There are probably more than risk of human error, the practice also drains
was looking for. One of the earliest users 50 companies that make general-purpose 3d efficiency and costs operators real-money.
of dentCHECK, TAP-M&E introduced the scanners based on the traditional decades- The substantial reduction in dent-
tool to its Brazil MRO operations in 2015. old approach. Such complex equipment mapping and reporting times while using
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