Optimizing Engines Through the Lifecycle

Engine retirements are slowing, and ramp-up in certain engine overhauls is increasing, which puts pressure on serviceable material supplies.

Aviation Week sat down with Jim Daily, VP and chief digital officer for GE Aviation, to discuss how digital is changing the aviation aftermarket.

GE is passionate about the transformative power of advanced manufacturing. A network of teams and sites is advancing additive manufacturing every day.

The General Electric-Safran joint venture is proactively gearing up its MRO capabilities to cater for both predicted and unpredicted events, given the unprecedented speed at which the new fleet will grow over the next four years, as Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737MAX deliveries accelerate.

GE is also completing key endurance tests of lightweight, heat-resistant ceramic matrix composites that are pivotal to the GE9X meeting performance goals.

Airline and MROs exchange many work packages and information via PDFs. GE and Capgemini partner to facilitate data exchange across industry.

As the CFM56 engine program recently marked its 30,000th engine delivery, here are some key facts about the most popular commercial aircraft engine that's really "grown up" over the past five decades.

Teledyne Controls and GE Aviation have signed a strategic partnership that should simplify the flow of flight data off aircraft, and expand its value through GE’s cloud-based platform that can extract greater value.

A CFM56-5C engine powering a Lufthansa operated A340 aircraft has become the first of the engine type to pass the 100,000 flight hour threshold.

With new engines generating about 1 TB of data per flight, the opportunity for predictive maintenance soars, if the right insight is available.

On October 6, GE Aviation opened their digital collaboration center in Austin, Texas with launch customer Qantas Airways.

The TRUEngine program helps identify engines that contain all OEM parts and repairs and that have been maintained to OEM recommendations.

While OEMs and MRO providers eye analytics to gain an edge everywhere in the aftermarket, the engine support landscape is undergoing the biggest changes.

Reduced cost lifecycle management options to assist owners and operators – whatever the ownership horizon or stage in the engine’s life

Take a time-lapse look at the combustor repair process.

If new generation entrants alter the MRO market as expected and lead to less shop visits, this could see providers alter their strategies.

Paper accounts for about 90% of all commercial airliner maintenance records globally, which increases the risk of incomplete information.

The relationship between airlines and engine-leasing companies is changing as lessors seek to diversify to meet increasing competition.

The impact on facility naming, certifications, operations and procedures

Unless an engine exhibits gross damage or erosion, you may want to hire a qualified inspector from an approved service provider to pull an engine.

During the Olympic games, GE Aviation is celebrating two decades of impact in Brazil.

Although still being tested, improved aircraft-monitoring sensors show promise for reducing the need for hands-on maintenance, as well as MRO costs.

GE Aviation has developed four apps that are taking its TrueChoice services offerings and related maintenance to the next level of efficiency.

Icelandair and Thomas Cook Group Airlines became the first carriers to sign TrueChoice Transitions agreements in deals announced at the Farnborough Airshow.

Boeing releases more details on future plans, including some hints of how its Middle-of-the-Market aircraft will play out.