Proactive Maintenance of Aircraft Engines - Coursework Example

Proactive Aircraft Maintenance Name Institution Abstract Proactive maintenance of aircrafts is described as the process and procedures that are involved in maintenance of aircraft systems such as the aircraft engines so as to ensure proper functioning of the systems. It involved repair and regular or scheduled replacements of components that may pose risks to the safety of the aircraft. The proactive maintenance ensures that the airline is able to prevent problems that may result to increased costs of maintenance of the aircraft. In addition, it reduces the costs of replacing different components of the aircraft. The reliability centred maintenance program has been suggested as the best program in aircraft maintenance as it is able to detect problems at an early stage. This study aims at evaluating the importance of reliability centred maintenance approach as the best approach in aircraft maintenance programs. The reliability centred maintenance program is able to carry out a reliability analysis and failure analysis in maintenance schedules so as to evaluate the possible failures in aircraft components in order to reduce costs of maintenance. However, the reliability centred maintenance program was found to pose different challenges especially when applied to smaller fleets. Smaller fleets offer less statistical data for the implementation of reliability centred maintenance program. Hence, there is the need to carry out a failure analysis in reliability centred program in order to ensure long terms cost savings. Introduction The safety of aircrafts in the air is dependent ion the proper functionality of the aircraft. An aircraft that is in good condition is able to carry passengers and cargo without any technical difficulties. In order to ensure proper functionality there is the need to ensure that an aircraft is properly maintained. Aircraft maintenance is the process that involves the procedures and process that keep an aircraft fit for flight. It includes all the operations and procedures from the time of purchase to the time when the aircraft is out of service. There is the need to ensure that various parts and components of the aircraft are free from any sort of malfunctions (Wilmeth & Usrey, 2000). Among the aircraft maintenance procedures is the proactive maintenance of the aircraft engine that involves the procedures and operations that are carried out on the aircraft engines to ensure that the engine operates normal so as to avoid failure of the engines that may result to fatal accidents. There are a number of activities that are carried out during aircraft engine maintenance which include the monitoring of the engine system testing of the engine components and replacements of engine components to ensure that they function as required. This is to ensure that the normal functioning of the aircraft is achieved in order to ensure safety in airline transport systems. The aircraft engine maintenance is carried out at specific schedules in order to avoid any late detection of malfunctioning in the aircraft engines (Wiksten & Johansson, 2006). This report focuses on the discussion of importance and reliability of aircraft engine maintenance and the various ways in which engine maintenance can be conducted using different methods and programs in order to reduce costs. This is through a review of different articles on aircraft engine maintenance reliability. According to a study by Wiksten & Johansson (2006) on the importance of aircraft maintenance, the issue of preventive maintenance was discussed and analysed. According to this study, maintenance of aircrafts engine should be done according to schedules. This is because scheduled maintenance ensures that there is a consistent on the problems and issues that are identified in an aircraft. The conducting of scheduled maintenance procedures ensures the prevention of technical failures hence referred as a proactive maintenance schedule. Maintenances that are not scheduled are likely to cause a change in the plans and processes in airline activities, something that may cause more issues. In addition, the reliability of the aircraft is dependent on the way in which proper maintenance of the aircraft engine is carried out. Maintenance is accompanied by high costs hence there is the need to ensure that aircraft maintenance is carefully planned. The study is able to point out that unnecessary maintenance is likely to costs the company high amount of money, hence, before maintenance is done, there is the need to establish which components of the aircraft engine will be serviced and replaced. Hence, Wiksten & Johansson (2006) explained the importance of proactive maintenance and its reliability. This is because the use of the reliability centred program ensures that there are long term benefits in terms of financial costs to the aviation company. In addition, the use of reliability centred software in aircraft maintenance ensures that the aviation industry is able to replace different components of the engines hence saving costs as well as ensure timely detection of technical problems that would have otherwise caused problem and accidents. A study done by Leung et al (2007), the reliability and maintenance in aircraft engine is important to ensure proper functionality of the aircraft engine. The study is able to indicate that the choice of maintenance program determines the reliability of the maintenance and the aircraft engine. The study proposes the reliability centred approach to aircraft engine maintenance in order to offer high improvement in aircraft engine maintenance. The study suggests that when reliability centred approach is used, it is likely to reduce the critical failure in aircraft engines as compared to other maintenance approaches. The study also focuses on the cost and reliability of maintenance methods that are used in maintains aircrafts. Hence this study offers a good analysis on the ways in which experts in aviation industry can use existing record in the aviation sector to improve the reliability of maintenance in aircrafts engine (Wilmeth & Usrey, 2000). Different procedures can be used to ensure a reliable maintenance process, but the study stresses on the importance of using the existing records to ensure proper maintenance of aircraft engines. In order to maximize savings, spare optimization can also be done during aircraft engine maintenance. This is through using maintenance data from previous record. In order to ensure spare provisioning, spare parts are classified and managed in inventories so as to reduce the costs of maintenance in aircraft engines. Hence, spare optimization ensures that there is proper preventive maintenance and minimization of unwanted costs. Marusic et al (2007) study indicates that the use of optimisation reliability program in maintains aircrafts reduces the costs of aircraft maintenance but also has problems when used in small fleets. In a study, the authors states that the use of reliability maintenance approach reduces maintenance costs since it reduces operational problems. The study argues that the use of reliability maintenance approaches ensures that technical problems are easily determined hence ensuring an increase in safety of the aircraft. The study indicates that business airlines can implement reliability maintenance approaches in different forms depending on their level and size of the airline. However, the study suggests that the use of reliability program in small fleets may not achieve desirable results. This is because small fleets do not have enough data that can provide accurate information for the implementation of reliability maintenance programs in maintenance of aircraft engines inn an airline. According to Wu et al., (2004), small fleets are not able to generate enough statistical data to ensure the use of reliability maintenance program in maintenance of aircrafts. In addition parameters such as upper control limits and lower control limits are applicable in reliability programs. These limits include the number of pilots, schedules and unscheduled engines and complaints from pilots. The values from these limits offer good data on the ways in which maintenance can be done since they act as alert values. Leung et al (2007) suggests that innovative reliability algorithms can be helpful when it comes to minimizing costs during maintenance of aircrafts. This is because the reliability algorithms are able to support the technical reliability and make simple analysis to offer effective data for implementation of reliability maintenance or aircrafts. The study argues that improve of the innovative reliability programs ensure early detection of technical problems that would results to accidents or higher costs of maintenance of the aircrafts. Early detection of downtimes ensures that the required precautions are conducted. In addition to this, Miah and Hinton (2007) were able to develop a reliability centred program which was more or less the same as that discussed by Leung (2007). According to Miah and Hinton (2007), the reliability maintenance program was to ensure that parts of the engine were not corrosive. Hence, the idea in Miah and Hinton approach is to ensure that engineers are able to develop preventive measures that ensure engines do not corrode. A study by Kiyak (2012) indicates that different tactics can be applied during the designing of an aircraft that ensures proper maintenance of the aircraft. This means that the aircraft should be fitted with systems that allow the early detection of any forms of malfunctions before the malfunctions becomes worse. In addition, such designs w ensures that the cost incurred in maintaining an aircraft is cheaper when the technical problem is detected at an early stage of is prevented altogether. There is also the need to carry about a reliability analysis during maintenance of aircrafts to ensure that the maintenance programs that are the country’s regulations. The reliability analysis should be carried periodically to ensure that aircrafts engine never fail when they are expected to be working. In addition, the reliability analysis is used by engineers to ensure that maintenance of the aircrafts is done not only to ensure good functionality of the aircrafts but also reduce the costs that accrue as a result of poor aircraft maintenance. According to Bugaj (2012), preforming of a reliability analysis in al maintenance procedures is crucial for aircraft safety and reduction of costs. There is the need to ensure a reliability analysis is done for reliability maintenance programs so as to ensure that the engines and other systems of the aircraft are functioning well. This study indicates that there is the need to ensure scheduled processes and tasks in reliability maintenance schedules. The different steps involved are dependent on the components of the maintained systems. This means that complex components of the engines would require a number of processes during its maintenance schedules (Bugaj, 2012). The components in an engine are reliable to fail especially when failure analysis is not done to establish the probability of success of a reliability centred maintenance program. Hence, there is the need to ensure that failure functions are identifies and evaluated to establish ways in which such failures may be avoided. This means that proper failure analysis of the reliability centred program is required in order to guarantee safety of the aircraft and the passengers or cargo in it. Poor failure analysis means that the problem in the aircraft engines not detected hence may result to accidents of the aircraft. In addition, failure analysis that does not address all issues in the maintenance program implies that poor maintenance programmes implemented resulting to poor performance and negative effects such as increased costs. Critical Reflection and Discussion Aircraft maintenance programs are done in order to ensure that the engines of the aircrafts are functioning properly so as to ensure safety of the passengers. The process of aircraft maintenance involves different procedures that are carried out at different schedules so as to ensure early detection of the problems and issues affecting the aircraft (Wilmeth & Usrey, 2000). Maintenance of aircraft engine needs proper evaluation and assessment of the various components of the engines so as to ensure proper step by step detection of the problems. In addition, maintenance programs should be aligned with the needs of the country and regulations that exists in different countries. This implies that the implementation of a maintenance program is governed by the regulations in the aviation industry. However, most regulation ensures that airline carry out scheduled maintenance procedures that are reliable and ensure the safety in the aviation sector (Wu et al., 2004). Early detection of problems in aircraft engine ensures that the costs of maintenance in aircrafts are reduced. This is because when the technical problems in airline industries are not detected earlier they results in the emergency of more problem that may results to accidents and failure of the aircrafts. In order to ensure reduced costs in aircraft engine maintenance, there is the need to use a method of maintenance which offers reliability in maintenance of the aircrafts (Alper, 2000). The reliability in maintenance is the ability of a maintenance program to have a high chance of ensuring that there is no failure of the aircraft engine. The reliability of a maintenance program is the ability of the program to prevent any risks that may result to failure of the engine system. Reliability centred programs have a reliability assessment of the various components which ensures that all parts of the aircraft engine are analysed and evaluated so as to either replace or enhance their performances (Kiyak, 2012). As noted in the review, there is the need to optimise spare parts and use reliable centred programs so as to ensure safety and reduced costs of the maintenance. Reliability centred programs in aircraft maintenance is seen as the best approach in aircraft maintenance as it reduces the costs and ensures optimization of components. However, the reliability centred maintenance program should be carried out at schedules. This is because unscheduled maintenance is likely to interrupt the planning of the airline schedule and results in more technical issues in the aircrafts (Kiyak, 2011). In addition, reliability centred program saves costs as it ensures that the engineer have conducted a reliability analysis to establish the reliability of the procedures that are used in the reliability program. There are different reliability maintenance programs which include those that are designed to prevent corrosion of the aircrafts engines and other parts and those that ensure early detection of the technical; problems. In addition, there are reliability centred programs that include the designing of a component in the engine that ensures the prevention of problems in the engines. Hence reliability centred software ensure that there is long term reduction of costs and prevention of downtimes in aircrafts. According to Bugaj (2012), a maintenance program should ensure that proper detection of possible failures and possible technical problem are established at an early states so as to prevent any disaster. This is through the use of different assessments procedures that ensure step by step identification of downtimes in the maintenance program and in the aircrafts engine (Bugaj, 2012). However, the use of reliability centred program in proactive aircraft maintenance is faced with a number of challenges especially when applied in small fleets. This is because the application of reliability centred program requires previous maintenance records of the aircraft so as to obtain crucial information that enhances the reliability of the program. In large fleets, there is a lot of information that gives the required statistical data for the application of reliability centred maintenance programs. In smaller fleets, there is no enough data that offer accurate information on the previous information and inventories that can guarantee the application of reliability centred programs. Hence the application of reliability program in smaller fleet may not give the required statistics for the application of the reliability centred program (Miah & Hinton, 2007). In order to minimize the risks associate with failure of reliability centred software, a failure analysis is conducted to ensure early detection of failures. During failure analysis, the engineers are able to detect the different forms of failure in various components of the engines and the aircrafts. A proper identification of the possible failures ensure proper evaluation of the failures in components that ensures development of mitigations that reduces the chances of failure in the reliability centred program (Wilmeth & Usrey, 2000). The failure analysis is done at every step of reliability assessments as well as each step of reliability centred program. This is because the program is implemented at various levels and steps so as to detect any possible problems that may cause more costs in maintenance. Hence, proactive maintenance of aircraft engines should be done in a scheduled manner so as to ensure the tasks involved in the maintenance process are able to detect and prevent any problems that exists of may occur in the aircraft system. The reliability programs are preferred since they have the ability to ensure that the system work properly and in accordance with the regulations. This ensures low costs of the maintenance process as well as safety in the aviation industry (Wiksten & Johansson, 2006). Summary The increased need to ensure aircraft safety in airline industry has increased the use of different aircraft maintenance programs. Proactive maintenance of aircraft engine is a procedural process that ensures that al systems of the engine are functioning properly. This is through a step by step analysis of the various components of the engines. The preventive maintenance schedules ensure that the various components of the aircraft work accordingly so as to prevent accidents. Based on the reviewed literature, proactive maintenance of aircrafts should adopt a program such as the reliability centred maintenance program that ensures reliability in the maintenance process. The reliability in maintenance procedure ensures that the implemented maintenance program has the ability to determine the possible threats and components that may result to failures in the aircraft engines. Different reliability centred maintenance programs exists such as those that prevent corrosion of design the engines in such a way that it ensures early detection of technical problem of the aircrafts. The reliability centred maintenance program is preferred since it ensures that the long term maintenance costs is reduces and allows the optimisation and provisioning of various components of the aircraft engine. However, the use of reliability centred maintenance approach is not effective in smaller fleet’s airlines. This is because smaller fleet airline lacks adequate data for implementation of reliability centred maintenance programs. In addition, the use of previous inventory data is required in order to make reliability centred maintenance program effective. Lack of previous maintenance information of an aircraft results in poor reliability of the maintenance programs. Moreover, there is the need to carry out a reliability analysis and a failure analysis of all different maintenance programs so as to ensure they function effectively and ensure proper functioning of the aircraft systems. References Alper, M. (2000). Developing Method Aircraft Maintenance Planning Reliability Analysis, Doctoral Thesis, and Anadolu University. Bugaj, M. (2012). Failure analysis – basic step of applying reliability centred maintenance in general aviation. Transport Problems, 7(1), 77-86 Kiyak E. (2012). The effects of aircraft preventive maintenance on reliability” International journal of applied mathematics and informatics 6(1), 9-16. Kiyak, E. (2011). The Importance of Preventive Maintenance in terms of Reliability In Aviation Sector. Leung, T., Carroll, T., Hung, M., Tsang, A., & Chung, W. (2007). The Carroll-Hung Method For Component Reliability Mapping In Aircraft Maintenance, Quality and Reliability Engineering International, 23(1)137–154 Marusic, Z., Galovic, B., & Pita, O. (2007). Optimizing Maintenance Reliability Program for Small Fleets, Transport, 22(3), 174–177. Miah, S., & Hinton, B. (2007). A Corrosion Related Reliability Centred Maintenance Pilot Program For The Royal Australian Air Force C-130 J-30 Hercules Aircraft, Tri-Service Corrosion Conference. Wiksten, J., & Johansson, M. (2006). Maintenance and Reliability with Focus on Aircraft Maintenance and Spares Provisioning, Bachelor Thesis, Lulea University Wilmeth, R. G., & Usrey, M. (2000). Reliability-centred maintenance: A case study, Engineering Management Journal Wu, H., Liu, Y., Ding, Y., & Liu, J. (2004). Methods to Reduce Direct Maintenance Costs for Commercial Aircraft, Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 76(1), 15–18 Read More

Among the aircraft maintenance procedures is the proactive maintenance of the aircraft engine that involves the procedures and operations that are carried out on the aircraft engines to ensure that the engine operates normal so as to avoid failure of the engines that may result to fatal accidents. There are a number of activities that are carried out during aircraft engine maintenance which include the monitoring of the engine system testing of the engine components and replacements of engine components to ensure that they function as required.

This is to ensure that the normal functioning of the aircraft is achieved in order to ensure safety in airline transport systems. The aircraft engine maintenance is carried out at specific schedules in order to avoid any late detection of malfunctioning in the aircraft engines (Wiksten & Johansson, 2006). This report focuses on the discussion of importance and reliability of aircraft engine maintenance and the various ways in which engine maintenance can be conducted using different methods and programs in order to reduce costs.

This is through a review of different articles on aircraft engine maintenance reliability. According to a study by Wiksten & Johansson (2006) on the importance of aircraft maintenance, the issue of preventive maintenance was discussed and analysed. According to this study, maintenance of aircrafts engine should be done according to schedules. This is because scheduled maintenance ensures that there is a consistent on the problems and issues that are identified in an aircraft. The conducting of scheduled maintenance procedures ensures the prevention of technical failures hence referred as a proactive maintenance schedule.

Maintenances that are not scheduled are likely to cause a change in the plans and processes in airline activities, something that may cause more issues. In addition, the reliability of the aircraft is dependent on the way in which proper maintenance of the aircraft engine is carried out. Maintenance is accompanied by high costs hence there is the need to ensure that aircraft maintenance is carefully planned. The study is able to point out that unnecessary maintenance is likely to costs the company high amount of money, hence, before maintenance is done, there is the need to establish which components of the aircraft engine will be serviced and replaced.

Hence, Wiksten & Johansson (2006) explained the importance of proactive maintenance and its reliability. This is because the use of the reliability centred program ensures that there are long term benefits in terms of financial costs to the aviation company. In addition, the use of reliability centred software in aircraft maintenance ensures that the aviation industry is able to replace different components of the engines hence saving costs as well as ensure timely detection of technical problems that would have otherwise caused problem and accidents.

A study done by Leung et al (2007), the reliability and maintenance in aircraft engine is important to ensure proper functionality of the aircraft engine. The study is able to indicate that the choice of maintenance program determines the reliability of the maintenance and the aircraft engine. The study proposes the reliability centred approach to aircraft engine maintenance in order to offer high improvement in aircraft engine maintenance. The study suggests that when reliability centred approach is used, it is likely to reduce the critical failure in aircraft engines as compared to other maintenance approaches.

The study also focuses on the cost and reliability of maintenance methods that are used in maintains aircrafts. Hence this study offers a good analysis on the ways in which experts in aviation industry can use existing record in the aviation sector to improve the reliability of maintenance in aircrafts engine (Wilmeth & Usrey, 2000). Different procedures can be used to ensure a reliable maintenance process, but the study stresses on the importance of using the existing records to ensure proper maintenance of aircraft engines.

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