Effective Aircraft Maintenance Planning Engineering Essay

Introduction

The data collected through research done globally from aviation industry revealed that air transport sector and its associated activities are paramount to the growth and sustenance of economy throughout the world. Therefore advanced maintenance practices must be enhanced in all areas. This will further facilitate high safety, high security and smooth running of air transport sector. The maintenance criteria of aviation sector entail various programs such as operational programs, technical programs, development programs and even managerial programs. These different programs if effectively implemented and maintained in the aviation sector will facilitate high revenue collection by the government and the sector itself (Kiyak 2011). There will be also low expenses when it comes to maintenance and repair practises. Aviation sector effective maintenance and planning consists of laying down a plan geared towards controlling maintenance, effective running of activities in various aviation departments, formulating an applicable concept of maintenance and enhance identification and monitoring of the maintenance problems . Aviation sector maintenance is an involving task which calls for time dedication, high concentration and great speciality and expertise in performing the task. The outcome of effective maintenance will be portrayed through increase in safety in air transport and effective coordination of all members involved in aviation industry. Maintenance programs are also implemented to enhance good communication means among the crew involved. The maintenance programs include monitoring the working condition of aircraft engines, analysis of data entailing the performance of various aircrafts and quantitative damage analysis. The air transport industry across the world has to follow the stipulated rules by Aviation Transport Authority in maintenance requirements for aviation reliability. The mission of the rules is to maximise reliability, minimise cost on maintenance expenses and increase safety in aviation industry (Kiyak 2011).

Aircraft Maintenance Programs

Maintenance programs contain guidelines to be followed during maintenance of aircraft and aviation associated services. The program has a given time and place of carrying out the practise. The guidelines are mainly formulated by the original manufacturer of the aircraft or equipment who has got expert and manpower in performances and reliability of the equipment. The program main mission is to test for the effectiveness and applicability of various aviation equipments and through compliancy assessment, the programs approves these equipments or the aircraft (Robertson 2007). There are various organisations throughout the world which govern the maintenance practices which have to be follo9wed in aviation industry. These include Global Aviation Safety Plan, Global Aviation Safety Roadmap, Air Transport Industry and Maintenance Steering Group among others. These programs are aimed at implementing effective proactive maintenance, preventive maintenance and unscheduled maintenance. These maintenance practises tries to solve present and future occurrences of problems which might affect the aviation industry. The practises involve critical planning to enhance the reliability level is met as postulated by the world aviation organisations (publication 2010).

Reliability of the maintenance programs facilitates good working condition and functioning of the air transport system at a set period of time. The significance of good maintenance practises as indicated by various aviation industries throughout the world is to enhance development of automation in aviation, decrease of losses and expenses in air transport brought about by malfunctioning problems of the aircrafts, production of good quality products, provision of effective services, minimize energy consumption, to provide good working environment and to curb occurrences of accidents. The implementation of aviation maintenance programs must take in to account the factor of customer’s needs, the company business plan and the size of the project when undertaking sectional or general analysis procedure, system analysis and structural analysis (Aguiang 2007). Research reveals that effective reliability can be achieved through critical analysis of aviation system. The task to be analysed under aviation systems are the operating systems in aircrafts such as control system, braking system and entire aircraft performance systems. In this analysis, the working nature of various parts of the equipment or aircraft is carried out. Then task analysis is performed to rate the effectiveness of the survey. The analysis involves detecting a potential problem of the aircraft and then formulating the befitting maintenance practice to the problem. The survey also entails estimating the possibility of the problem reoccurring so as to implement maintenance practice for a long lasting solution. The survey must also calculate the time and place to undertake the stipulated maintenance practice (Harry Kinnison 2012).

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Structural survey in air transport industry mainly concentrates on the outward and inward structure of the aircraft and associated equipments. The analysis of these structures is either conducted through manual procedures or automation whereby the functionality mode of the machines is examined. The survey then detects if there is any structural failure mode of the aviation equipments and then postulates the effective maintenance practices to be carried out. Aviation reports indicate that structural damages and malfunctioning of aircrafts and its associated equipments may occur as a result of fatigue, poor use, harsh environmental factors or even as a result of accidents (Peng Zhang 2012). Therefore considering these factors, structural aspect of the aircrafts must be manufactured in such a way that they will be resistant and effective. General or sectional analysis entails survey conducted on various aviation departments aimed at detecting the possibility of occurrences of unknown problems. The survey mainly examines failures which may not directly affect the operations of the aircrafts. These inconsequential problems are detected and befitting maintenance procedure undertaken because the problems may add up or become more complicated with time such that it will end up affecting the functionality of the aviation systems or structures. This analysis also entails maintenance practices carried out to control problems of failure which may be caused by unprecedented occurrences such as weather and vandalism (Manoj S. Patankar 2003).

Research indicates that there is positive outcome if the above three analysis and maintenance procedures can be carried out as a package at a given convenient time. Research also indicate that maintenance practices of aviation equipments can be effectively and successfully be implemented if various aspects were put in place during designing and manufacturing. The factors which affect reliability and effectiveness of various aviation equipments such as weather should be considered during manufacturing according to the place and mode of operations of the equipments. This is because functionality of aircraft engines and equipments and maintenance level differs from one country to another. Therefore designing aviation equipments which will suit conditions of a place will reduce the cost of maintenances. Researchers such as Kipersztok have indicated that maintenance practices in aviation industry usually combine both engineering and mechanical procedures. Developments in maintenance practices have been implemented in many air transport companies which are aimed at reducing the operation costs of commercial aircrafts through effective designs and surveys of failure modes. A good example of this development has been applied in Boeing 777 aircraft’s whereby the company has greatly reduced the operation and maintenance costs through integrating sensitivity survey of the networks (Harry Kinnison 2012).

Aircraft maintenance practices can be carried out based on the sensitivity order of the problems detected which include catastrophic, accidental, major and minor. The problem sensitivity factor is essential in determining the time interval and frequency of application of maintenance practices. The solution of sensitivity can be mathematically calculated or estimated hypothetically. Integrated logistic support program in aircraft maintenance procedures clearly entails survey of functional areas. The program encompasses planning, management, testing procedures, implementation procedures and survey of development procedures (Harry Kinnison 2012). The program has got great impact whereby it aids in maintenance cost reduction and implementation of the maintenance procedures on time. System support package program in integrated logistic support enhances the resources for maintenance practices are in place and is cost effective. A good example is revealed by US airways whereby they have incorporated the program aimed at maintenance resource management. This incorporation involves training of the aviation experts in all levels starting from the managers, inspectors and workers. The training provides the experts with maintenance and technical skills. The teamwork reflected in the US air transport management facilitates effective maintenance procedures. Report from the aviation sector in US shows that effective communication and coordination of the employees and employers, has got great impact on operations of aircrafts and their maintenance. This in turn is reflected by the high revenue collected in aviation sector (Robertson 2007).

Reliability aspect of many operations of aircrafts is dictated by the quality of implementation of maintenance procedures and time frame. Reliability programs enhance longevity and effectiveness of aircrafts in accordance to its quality. Reliability aspect in aviation can be effective through use of aviation statistical survey and technical analysis of the aircraft. This will deduce the source, cause and solution of the failure of the aircraft. Reliability effectiveness in aviation sector is measured through considering the structure of the company, systems of data collection, method of analysis, operation standards of the aircrafts, implementation of maintenance procedure and time factor (Kiyak 2011). This will ensure aircraft maintenance procedure is efficient and effective at a given period of time. The main maintenance failure modes mainly covered in the reliability assessment program include improper installation of aircraft gadgets, Fitting wrong parts, poor lubrication of parts of the aircraft, electrical wiring problems and malfunctioning of various parts of the aircraft such as gearing section. Reliability will be increased through carrying out the effective maintenance practices which will be geared towards rectifying the problem in time (Pleumpirom 2010).

Impact of quality on the reliability of the maintenance systems

Effective maintenance procedure will facilitate improvement of aircraft security and availability as thorough analysis of the entire aircraft is carried out. Therefore the security of the aircraft will be enhanced whereby the occurrence of malfunction accidents will be controlled. The analysis will also call for proper maintenance practices to be implemented which will then improve the quality of performance of the aircraft. The aircraft worthiness will be felt throughout the stipulated lifespan of the aircraft thus will enhance maximum output of the company while incurring low maintenance expenses. The maintenance procedures such as structural maintenance will facilitate prevention of a serious problem which could not have been detected until the failure of certain structure and thus making the aircraft more reliable (Harry Kinnison 2012). The maintenance also increases the lifespan of the aircraft. Maintenance procedures facilitates high standard of availability of system which in turn results to low cost and high profits to the company practicing the procedure. Therefore maintenance practices imp0lementation are economical in the long run as they prevent of massive losses which could have occurred in case of malfunction-associated accidents. Maintenance procedures will enhance quality customer relations and aircraft operations. There is also negative impact of aircraft maintenance planning whereby some of the procedures are so costly to implement which have insignificant effect in the operations and functionality of the aircraft. Such procedures include the general or systemic analysis which surveys on minor problems affecting the aircraft indirectly (Aguiang 2007).

Conclusion and Recommendations

Different aircraft maintenance practices are mainly geared towards improving the security and effectiveness of air transport industry. The programs implementation is vital as far as customers and aircraft functionality requirements are concerned. There are policies which govern the safety issues in aviation sector and maintenance practices aims to fulfil these rules. Therefore effective aircraft maintenance programs can be enhanced through analysis of the aircraft on daily basis through automated techniques. The aspect of technology ought to be incorporated in analysis of the aircraft malfunctioning parts such as monitors and indicators to alert the relevant personnel in solving the problem in time. It is also proposed that aircraft manufacturing agencies should undertake maintenance procedures as they are well conversed with the aircraft.