Page 24 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCOTBER 2017 Online Magazine

MRO FEATURE XXXXXXXXX XXXX
LANDING GEAR
MRO FEA
TURE

Standing Up

Steady increase in the use of composite materials holds many challenges for MRO
By Jay Menon

in the Age oF inCreAsing use oF innovation slowed down in relative terms. for maintenance, repair and overhaul. The
composites materials, airlines and MROs Nowadays these sectors are even surpassing introduction of composite components in the
are gearing up to meet the composites the aerospace industry in the novel use of A330/340, A380, Boeing 777 and composite
maintenance demands. With Boeing and composite materials, with examples such primary structures in the Boeing 787, A350
Airbus both increasing the production rates of as large composite wind turbines, high value and F35 has not led to a similar growth in the
new aircraft such as the 787, A380 and A350, automotive products and composite bridges use of composites in repairs. Currently the
the demand for composite materials shows in the civil engineering sector. repair of composite parts is limited, leading
no sign of slowing down, and maintenance, to an extensive replacement program, labour
repair, and overhaul (MRO) companies are Certification is Paramount intensive and therefore expensive, time
chalking out new strategies, techniques and One of the factors in this change of focus, consuming or executed with traditional metal
schedules to repair composite parts and is the strict policy in civil aviation regarding materials, such as aluminium or titanium.
identify ways to increase efficiency and lower certification of materials, techniques, Non-destructive testing methods have
costs. In the past three decades composite systems and procedures. However, long been used to examine metal aircraft
materials have gained an increased with certification of new materials and structural components. But in the case of
popularity, especially within the aerospace systems being achieved, this certification structural components made from composite
sector. In this time-frame, rapid innovation requirement can also drive innovation in materials, use of this technology remains
has moved slowly away from the aerospace maintenance, repair and operations. One of highly challenging due to the complexity
industry towards other sectors such as the main technological bottlenecks for the of both the material and the potential
the information technology, photonics use of composite materials in aviation is that failures. As a result, until recently there was
and renewable energy, while aerospace new techniques and procedures are required no efficient way of safely, completely and

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