A Step Ahead: Keeping Fleets Flying With Electronic Overhauls

In the commercial airline industry, data-driven solutions are no longer a luxury. They are essential.

Maintenance, repair, and overhaul work needs to be timely to keep fleet downtime low and in-service time high. For an airline, this means taking advantage of proactive solutions - getting out ahead of the failure trends to fix problems before there is an issue. In other words, maintaining smooth, efficient, and uninterrupted operation.

Overhauls represent an extensive level of proactive maintenance. Common among mechanical parts of aircraft, an overhaul aims to restore components to a "like-new" condition, extending operational life and ensuring continued reliability.

BAE Systems applies the overhaul concept to flight-critical electronics.

Implementing a proactive overhaul backed by data-driven analysis has proved to be an effective strategy to prolong the lifespan of aircraft electronics. This approach not only reduces future maintenance costs but also minimizes disruptions to the fleet.

Reliability reviews create solutions

At BAE Systems, we leverage reliability analysis to orchestrate proactive aftermarket support for our flight-critical products. The best data-driven solutions often involve feedback directly from the customer, or better yet, working side by side with the customer to understand their challenges and needs.

While we use this approach across our family of electronics, a prime example is our FADEC overhaul offering for engine controls. A FADEC, or full authority digital engine control, is the brains behind the brawn of an aircraft engine. Mounted directly on the outside of an engine, the high-tech computer monitors and manages engine performance – reducing cost, driving efficiency, and improving safety of flight.

Unlike avionics located inside the body of the aircraft, the FADEC is directly exposed to multiple harsh environments, including intense vibrations and rapidly changing temperatures. In a single flight, the electronic could start on a humid tarmac and then ascend for hours in frigid altitude. The fluctuating hot and cold cycles naturally affects the solder joints on circuit boards, which, over the course of a long product life, can increase failure rates in electronics.

For MRO suppliers and airline operators, how do we continue to deliver simple solutions for products that are increasingly becoming more complex? The answer is in the data.

For decades, BAE Systems has conducted self-imposed customer reliability reviews for commercial engine controls. The comprehensive reviews include collecting field removal data, which are used to shape troubleshooting processes and develop and release new service offerings.

The data collected from the reviews helps forecast trends to improve the reliability of current and future products. Then, we use this information to develop the overhaul process, giving our customers the competitive edge in predictive maintenance – maximizing an upcoming scheduled downtime to keep their wings in the air longer while avoiding unscheduled removals, delays, and cancellations.

A smart return on investment

Influenced by extensive reliability analysis, FADEC overhaul is more than simply fixing parts at a convenient time. It is a total makeover for predictability and dependability. The technical work scope includes:

• Disassembling the unit and performing detailed inspection for wear and damage.
• Replacing critical seals and mechanical hardware.
• Performing service bulletin updates.
• Upgrading circuit board to current generation.
• Replacing high failure rate components to reduce unscheduled removals.

Unlike mechanical components, which show noticeable wear and tear during overhauls, electronic components such as FADECs primarily experience temperature-related weathering rather than physical degradation. 

This makes the process more complex, and the expertise of the maintenance provider even more important.

We inspect each circuit board to evaluate the integrity of the solder joints that experience the most impact. This process revitalizes the product by replacing at-risk parts and implementing necessary upgrades for improved efficiency and reliability. It ensures optimal performance throughout the unit’s lifespan to maintain the same smooth operation moving forward.

Built for success

A FADEC overhaul is structured with the end user in mind.

For airlines and their passengers, timing is crucial. We strategically recommend overhauls based on intervals supported by our field data analysis, allowing flexibility for services during scheduled aircraft downtime or other planned maintenance to minimize delays and cancellations.

Additionally, as the OEM of the product, our company can leverage its extensive knowledge of severe environments, design attributes, and repair history to renew the life of a component and increase its reliability.

As a supplier to more than 600 airlines around the world, BAE Systems is no stranger to proactive solutions. Our customer support and services team continues to leverage best practices to advance our product offerings, improve reliability, and maximize the investment for the customer.

This feature was first published in MRO Management – March 2024.