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ENHANCED SPARE PART ENGINEERING SUPPORT - SMART DESIGN OF SPARE PARTS FOR A PART STANDARDISATION

Enhanced spare
part engineering support
Smart spare parts' design for
a part standardisation
The Airbus Material and Logistics Engineering Its approach to engineering solutions for material
team has developed the capability to create and logistics requirements and the services it
efficient engineering solutions for the design of provides to the customers includes the initiation
spare parts, maximizing their standardisation and and drive of standardisation and modular designs
harmonisation. Airbus defines innovative spare of spare parts, for the Airbus spares aftermarket.
part solutions leading to improved part delivery The service also aims to provide new
lead times, based on the combination of standardized part numbers and lead-time
engineering expertise with the material and solutions based on customer requests. This article
logistics business experience. will explain the advantages and future of inter-
changeability between spare parts.

Tanja BUCHHOLZ Andy J. MASON Kay JASCHOB


Manager Material and Logistics Engineering Material and Logistics Engineer Material and Logistics Engineer
Airbus Material Logistics Airbus Material Logistics Airbus Material Logistics
& Suppliers & Suppliers & Suppliers
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ENHANCED SPARE PART ENGINEERING SUPPORT - SMART DESIGN OF SPARE PARTS FOR A PART STANDARDISATION

A typical case
for the Material Figure 1
and Logistics
Engineering
support
When a component fails on an
aircraft, the usual assumption is
that this occurs due to fatigue,
static loading, wear, corrosion or
other influences which aircraft
components are subject to. The
immediate solution to allow the Dado Panel
aircraft to continue its operations is (Lower sidewall panel)
always to replace the part,
particularly when its essentiality
code is 1 or No-Go, meaning
the aircraft is not airworthy without
the part. Airbus has experienced
many cases where the root cause is Some customers use a light grey
not based solely on the part itself, colour, others a sand-colour, information
but on various other external amongst the various other shades
factors such as maintenance available. In this case, we looked Inter-changeability:
handling or on the installation and into the various opportunities to Parts are inter-changeable (INC)
transportation. Once identified, the reduce the replacement lead-time, when they are equal in form, fit
global issues can be solved faster whilst maintaining the integrity of and function. There are three main
and more cost-efficiently, compa- the business, airworthiness and types:
red to the time and cost of a part re- safety to fulfil the customers INC1  One way inter-
design. requirements. changeable: New parts can
A recent customer query regarding The only economically viable replace old; old ones cannot
the lead-time for A340 aircraft solution was to deliver semi- replace new parts.
cabin lower sidewall panels, finished panels, requiring the INC2  Fully inter-changeable:
commonly named Dado Panels, customer to add the coating on-site Old parts can replace the new
highlighted this point (figure 1). but enabling him to operate his parts which can replace old
Due to the fact that cabin lower aircraft quickly. This bypassed the parts
sidewall panels are highly customisation issue and greatly INC3  Not inter-changeable.
customized to the specific improved the lead-time.
requirements of the customers Mixability:
cabin design, the specific The following two prerequisites Parts are mixable when different
production lead times can be are required to be able to add the modification standards can be
relatively high. Lower sidewall lower sidewall panel coatings on- installed at the same time, in
panels are finished by applying a site: different locations, within a given
film rendering the surface with the An autoclave for the curing system.
final colour and pattern for the process,
cabin interior, specific to each The qualification to perform the
customers cabin specifications. curing processes.

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ENHANCED SPARE PART ENGINEERING SUPPORT - SMART DESIGN OF SPARE PARTS FOR A PART STANDARDISATION

There are various maintenance a personal selection of a maintenance


facilities and external providers provider for the customisation work.
which fulfil these requirements
and satisfy external aftermarket In this particular case, the solutions
needs. These are able to apply such resulting from the analysis carried
coatings to internal Airbus out highlighted the additional
proprietary panels. added value provided by the Airbus
Material and Logistics Engineering
Once Airbus had followed up the team's inputs when tackling such
Dado panel case, an internal in-service root cause analysis.
initiative was launched to create a There are many areas where
new official Part Number (P/N) combining experience of
defining a standard procurable engineering processes and
non-coated version of the Dado procedures within Airbus with the
panel. This has been phased-in logistics and spares expertise can
with the respective inter- lead to efficient trouble-shooting
changeability (ICY) links to the and the determination of the real
customised Dado panel variants root causes, particularly when only
displayed in the customer's indirectly design-related. The
Illustrated Parts Catalogue (IPC). Material and Logistics Engineering
Airbus customers can now order a team has been established in 2007
non-customised part, greatly in Airbus to address and solve such
reducing the lead-time, whilst topics.
giving the freedom to drive a
The Airbus Material and Logistics cost/lead-time balance through
Engineering team way forward

Objectives Approach

React in case of Aircraft-On-Ground (AOG) with more Existing parts


flexibility based on intelligent spares solutions. Initiation of design changes to
Improve the part usability by ensuring specific market existing parts, creating spares which
spare parts' inter-changeability (ICY), are far more flexible, covering
- Production ICY - Defining which systems are installed multiple applications and complete
on the production aircraft. P/N families.
- Spares ICY - Connecting parts indirectly inter- Reorientation of ICY codes to
changeable through chains of modifications. expand the usability of parts and to
- Specific spares ICY - Allowing the customer to choose optimize the effectivity scope of
whether to use new systems installed in production. P/Ns, as for spares a P/N can be
Increase operational flexibility allowing increased effective through an ICY link.
regional parts availability:
- Reduce Part Number (P/N) variance in storage New parts
warehouses, whilst covering the fleet requirements. Ensure that design changes are
- Same P/Ns serve more customers. carried out allowing the new parts to
- Increased regional availability due to increased scope be inter-changeable where possible
per Part Number. and initiating the creation of a
Reduce lead times: separate, fully interchangeable
- Standardized designs and parts. spares solution.
- Highly structured product lines and streamlined
processes.
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ENHANCED SPARE PART ENGINEERING SUPPORT - SMART DESIGN OF SPARE PARTS FOR A PART STANDARDISATION

Current work and The Geared Rotary Actuator


inter-changeability on an A340 wing
principles
Figure 2
The aircraft configuration in
service today is the product of
trade-offs between various
specialists and innovative design
solutions. To give an example, the
aerodynamic design of the wing
must be adapted to accommodate
the structural requirements, and the
structural design must be adapted
to allow the required aerodynamic
wing shape. Another important
trade-off in aerospace design is the
one between the in-service
performance of particular aircraft
parts and the spares logistics
requirements, such as mixability,
inter-changeability and transporta-
bility. One standardized part
performing the same task in two
different locations is clearly more
cost effective than designing two
different parts to perform two only
very slightly different tasks.
An efficient design must meet the
operation's philosophy enabling The design philosophy that Airbus Harmonisation
the standardisation of parts, is developing has been incor- and standardisation:
ensuring the highest degree of porated already for parts to other Part B harmonized
standardisation and its inter- Airbus family aircraft. For the first the functions of 5055CV,
changeability. The wing of an time, it is also being incorporated 5044CV and 5009CV
as the same part
A340 aircraft, is already an into the A350XWB programme can be used in all
existing example of standardi- and will benefit all future three locations.
sation to explain this principle. The programmes.
Geared Rotary Actuator (shown as
part B in figure 2) can be used in
two separate locations. The benefit
Initial and
of this is that one spare part covers long term
both applications, allowing a
greater flexibility and leaner
importance of
warehouse stocks. inter-changeability
Airbus Material and Logistics Design evolutions are important
Engineering team is working to for continued airworthiness, safety
identify all areas where different and the technical advancement of
parts are similar in form, fit and Airbus aircraft programmes which
function, to standardize parts and keeps us at the forefront of
thus, to increase flexibility. The technology. Whilst it is important
incorporation of service require- to ensure the maturity of aircraft
ments throughout the life cycle, through continuous improvements,
issues into the design process and the inter-changeability is
the ongoing product development paramount, as for large expensive
decisions for several parts in the components it can have a huge
A380 aircraft proves the validity of positive impact on lead times.
the concept.

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ENHANCED SPARE PART ENGINEERING SUPPORT - SMART DESIGN OF SPARE PARTS FOR A PART STANDARDISATION

Airbus Material and Logistics throughout the aircraft lifecycle as


information Engineering team is not just the pre-mod spares must continue
looking at the technical perfor- to be produced and stocked by
Benets for Airbus mance of the part, but is applying a customers, suppliers and Airbus
customers particular focus on the inter- (figure 3).
Flexibility for high priority changeability (ICY) and main-
demands: tainability of the part. This is to
- Parts can be used secure lead times and the future
Material and
for numerous applications AOG (Aircraft-On-Ground) per- Logistics
- Reduced Part Number variance formances and will allow Airbus to
in warehouses whilst fully apply the lessons learnt from
Engineering
covering fleet requirements current projects to all future solution
Shorter lead times and less programmes. The long term impact
complexity: of non inter-changeability (when
We initiate and facilitate the
- Modular design and spare part design changes are carried out and
creation of new engineering
flexibility allows a lower the new solution is not interchan-
solutions by working together with
inventory to cover the same geable with the old solution) is that
system specialists, allowing
fleet size, reducing complexity the pre-mod fleet cannot be
product developments to be inter-
for Airbus operators fleets provisioned with post-mod spares.
changeable, without compromising
and maintenance customers This can lead to challenges
their technical excellence.
- The resulting budget savings
allow re-investment in greater
regional availability worldwide
Inventory reduction due to Spare parts engineering
without inter-changeability
reduced number of standards:
- Focussing on full inter-
Figure 3
changeability will allow Airbus
Current design
to ensure the optimum and configuration
progression of its product
developments, whilst retaining Old fleet not covered
simplicity and clarity of required by new part-more
spares required
spare parts thus driving
operational efficiency and New Design change:
spare part New design solution
excellence. not inter-changeable
Larger warehouse stock
required to ensure
the dispatch reliability

Future flying fleet

Spare parts engineering Current design


with inter-changeability and configuration

New Design change:


spare part New design solution
is inter-changeable
for spares

Maximized
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inter-changeability
throughout full aircraft cycle

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ENHANCED SPARE PART ENGINEERING SUPPORT - SMART DESIGN OF SPARE PARTS FOR A PART STANDARDISATION

Future activities: How to access


Technical stock the support?
optimisation
Airbus Material and Logistics
services Engineering teams principle
objective is to ensure that efforts are
The processes Airbus is currently
focussed on the parts which affect
developing to optimize its
its customers the most, in terms of
warehouses, will show benefits in
technical warehouse optimisation,
terms of tailoring service goals,
inter-changeability and material
enhanced regional availability and
planning. Airbus is available to cater
operational flexibility. Airbus
to your material and logistics
intends to allow applications also
aftermarket requirements.
to customers spares warehouses.
Looking towards the future, Airbus
will be able to provide a technically
orientated warehouse optimisation
service, based on in-depth analysis notes
with an initial focus on large,
In the frame of Airbus consulting services,
complex and high value parts.
Airbus offers two services addressing mate-
These are analysed based on
rial and logistics optimisation:
consumption (essentiality),
Inventory review:
depreciation and risk, allowing a
- Optimisation of inventory levels,
rigorous and firm decision process
- Analysis of distribution of spares
to identify candidates for
within the flight network
elimination.
- Support of preparation for fleet increase.
This will extend the scope of
Process efficiency review based on lean
Airbus current inventory consul-
principles:
ting services, moving it to the next
- Increase of process efficiency
level of service excellence and will
and output
include the following:
- Identification and elimination
Inventory optimisation
of waste.
recommendations
Special offers
How to attract buyers CONTACT DETAILS Andy J. MASON
When to scrap parts Material and Logistics Engineer
When does it make sense to Tanja BUCHHOLZ Airbus Material,
Manager Material and Logistics Logistics and Suppliers
modify/upgrade parts. Engineering Tel: +49 (0)40 50 76 24 34
Airbus Material, Fax: +49 (0)40 50 76 28 29
Logistics and Suppliers andrew.j.mason@airbus.com
Tel: +49 (0)40 50 76 24 31
Kay JASCHOB
Fax: +49 (0)40 50 76 28 29
Material and Logistics Engineer
tanja.buchholz@airbus.com
Airbus Material,
Logistics and Suppliers
Tel: +49 (0)40 50 76 24 32
Fax: +49 (0)40 50 76 28 29
kay.jaschob@airbus.com
Conclusion
The Material and Logistics Engineering The Material and Logistics Engineering
team is building up knowledge and team is the focal point within Airbus for
experience to support its customers in the issues relating to the design of spare
resolution of material and logistics issues parts, specifically for logistics, aftermarket
relating to the design of spare parts. efficiency, mixability and inter-
Airbus is aiming to build closer links with changeability which includes spare part
its customers to focus on the parts which definition and spare part design.
have the greatest cost impacts on its

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