Past event: Aircraft Composite Repair Managemant Forum

Tuesday, October 9th, 2012

8:00 am

Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 am

Welcome and Opening Remarks

§  Juliet Trew, Events Editorial Director, Aviation Week

8:45 am

Forecasting MRO Trends in Composite Repair – Past Experiences and Future Challenges

§  David Marcontell, President & COO, TeamSAI

As fleets develop and more composite intensive aircraft come into service, what will be the impact on MRO demand and practices? What future maintenance strategies should be employed and will there be a difference in the division of maintenance tasks? Here we examine the impact of these new aircraft programs on the MRO industry and look how this may change over the next 10 years. What will be the size, quantity and volume of composite repairs and how can MROs ensure they have the correct infrastructure in place? Will it become impossible to develop in-house facilities due to the skills, equipment, investment and training required?

9:20 am

Preparing your MRO for Next Generation Aircraft

§  Graham Dann, CMC Operational Manager, Monarch Aircraft Engineering

With the first 787 in service and the A350 XWB closer to production readiness, we look at what is needed for maintenance organizations to tool up and prepare their infrastructure for repairing these new aircraft. Will the variability in the types of repairs and inspections create planning challenges? What investment will be required in new capabilities and processes? What will be the impact of the tighter controls on alternative providers and licensing on maintenance costs? A review of how maintenance providers can prepare for the challenges of new aircraft programs.

9:55 am

New Advances in Repair Technology

§  Roland Chemama, President, GMI Aero

§  George Kanderakis, Senior Researcher, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)

§  Jan Popp, Project Manager New Technologies & Innovation, Lufthansa Technik

With more composite intensive aircraft coming into service, airlines and maintenance providers are looking for new technologies that can improve process control when repairing advanced materials. What new technologies are in development or emerging in the marketplace to improve composite repair capabilities? We examine what solutions are available to assist in the automation and speed of repair. How are new technologies being utilized to enhance the ability of the industry to monitor fatigue and reduce maintenance activities? An update on what is going on in this constantly developing field of knowledge.

11:05 am

Networking Break

11:30 am

Detection and Inspection – Testing Times for Quality Control and Assurance

§  Gurkan Akin, Senior Engineer – Structures, Turkish Airlines Technic

§  Raphael Schön, International Sales Manager Shearography-NDT, Steinbichler Optotechnik

One of the major challenges of composite materials is the ability to detect and inspect damage. Inspectors must have the relevant knowledge and training to recognize the particular reactions of composites to impact and there must be an open and honest culture of reporting incidents. In this session, we look at the industry can address this challenge and enable their workforce to obtain the required expertise to perform these tasks. We also examine the potential of NDT technologies to assist in the inspection process. Exploring how NDT systems can be developed to provide reliable information for aircraft structures and what needs to be put in place for the effective use of this technology.

12:15 pm

Best Practices for Repair Methods and Techniques – The Quest for Quality

§  John M. Welch, Tech Fellow, Composite Structures, Propulsion Systems and Structures, Spirit AeroSystems

The debate over the pros and cons of bolted and bonded repairs is ongoing in maintenance community. The ideal repair method would match the original properties of the material but typically there are trade offs. What needs to be taken into consideration when deciding on a repair method? Should the industry be working towards a consensus on an optimum repair technique? One of the prime concerns of operators is a quick turn around, what innovative repair solutions are available to enable on wing repair and minimize downtime? Examining where the industry is in relation to developing best practice and considering what can be learnt from the performance of repairs currently in operation.

12:50 pm

Lunch

2:00 pm

Supply Chain Challenges - Material Investment and Acquisition

§  Brian Schlegel, VP Supply Chain Management, The NORDAM Group

One of the planning challenges when performing composite repairs is ensuring that acquisition of repair materials is a smooth and streamlined process. How can you ensure necessary materials are available in the correct quantities at the right times? With composite intensive aircraft just coming on-line, the investment in materials may be currently quite large for a relatively small fleet. How do you manage to secure materials at reasonable prices and ensure you have enough spares capability? In this session, we explore best practices for managing your supply chain and investigate the impact of materials delays on TATs and logistics.

2:40 pm

Panel Discussion: Impact of Composite Structures on the MRO/OEM Relationship

§  Panel to include:

§  Frédéric Gaible, Customer Services Engineering and Maintenance – A350XWB Structure Engineer, Airbus

§  James Kornberg, Customer Support, Products and Business Development General Manager, Aerostructures Business Unit, Air France Industries

§  John M. Welch, Tech Fellow, Composite Structures, Propulsion Systems and Structures, Spirit AeroSystems

§  A speaker from The Boeing Company

Over recent years, OEM interest and actions in the MRO market has gained intensity and manufacturers have increased their safeguarding of intellectual property. What effect has this had on the OEM/MRO relationships? Will this mean that OEMs will have a monopoly on composite repairs? Should OEMs support the provision of repair manuals and date to enable MROs to compete for composite repair capability and develop repairs outside the SRM? Here we bring together all the players in the value chain to discuss where the industry is now, what impact this will have on the MRO business and the customers it services and how relationships will evolve going forward.

3:25 pm

Networking Break

3:45 pm

Bonded and Bolted Repairs in Composite Structures

§  Michael D. Borgman, Composites Structures – Senior Advisor, Spirit AeroSystems

Historically, composite structures are known for ease of repair with bonding techniques and therefore industry has grown accustomed to, and relatively proficient at, performing these repairs. This “historic” use of bonded repair was established when composite applications were limited to “less critical” aircraft structural elements. In contrast, today’s emerging fleet will include highly critical composite structures. However, current bonding technology limitations do not support significant bonded repair of critical structure and the historic composites/bonding paradigm must change. Bolted repairs will be dominant in tomorrow’s composite fleet. What regulations are currently in work to govern bonded repair of primary structure? How does this affect aircraft design? What latitudes are available to maximize repair size? What role might bolting play in bonded repairs? What role might bonding play in bolted repairs?

4:20 pm

Technical Training – Evolving your Workforce

§  Ignas Avizonis, Manager Engineering and Planning Department, FL Technics

At present there is a wide variety of composite repair training and a lack of guidance on the correct approach to ensure a skilled workforce. How can the industry and training academies work together to develop a formal certification for repair technicians? Analyzing what is required to create a standard accreditation for students and teaching academies. Composite repair techniques will require a greater knowledge and specific training, how will the industry cope with more labor intensive maintenance processes in view of the industry shortage of qualified engineers? Exploring the impact of composite technology on the workforce and training requirements.

5:00 pm

Panel Discussion: Composite Repair - Searching for Standardization and Establishing Common Ground

§  Panel to include:

§  Colin Hanna, Senior Engineer, Bombardier Aerospace

§  Michael Hoke, President, Abaris Training Resources

§  Simon Waite, Structures Expert, EASA

The increase in the utilization of composite materials has intensified calls by operators for an industry consensus on composite training certification, techniques and materials. Is standardization a realistic goal and what steps can be taken to make it a closer reality? What barriers are preventing implementation of standards? What role should regulators be playing in setting benchmarks and certification requirements? Here we bring together all the key industry players to discuss why standardization is important and evaluate ideas to try and harmonize the industry.

5:45 pm

Close of Forum