When people marvel at the sophistication of modern aircraft, they tend to focus on major technological advances such as carbon fiber fuselages/wings and low-fuel consumption turbojet engines. But in today's aircraft, progress is also being made in less obvious but equally important areas: wheels and brakes.
Continuous improvement
The Wright brothers' aircraft (the earliest successful powerplanes) had neither wheels nor brakes. The plane landed on a slippery basis.
A few years later, wheels for take-off and landing appeared. They soon became standard equipment for World War I biplanes, and over time their size and load-bearing capacity grew.
The same goes for the brakes. They evolved from small brake blocks used on bicycles to larger, more durable drum brakes, followed by disc brakes.
The power to actuate these brakes initially came from pulling the control cable by hand. But this method is only suitable for small aircraft, which use hydraulic braking systems to control using hydraulic power. (Some aircraft also use pneumatic braking systems.) )
In the 21st century, "one of the latest developments in brake drive is electric braking," said Alex Lara, head of AAR's Wheel and Brake Services division, "and recently the B787 has also introduced electric brakes. The electric brakes are powered by the aircraft's electrical system, which is transmitted to the radiator via electromechanical actuators. This new design greatly reduces the possibility of hydraulic oil leakage and facilitates the installation and maintenance of the brakes. ”
Like most MROs, AAR offers cost per landing, repair and overhaul, and tire management programs. The company also provides customers with spare parts for spare wheels and brakes, so users do not have to invest in spare parts themselves.
Isma l Fadili, sales and marketing director of the MRO of Antonavia AMETEK in France, said: "The popularity of electric brake systems in recent aircraft may be a major new trend in this field."
"In terms of wheels, the technology in recent years is basically the same." Antavia has two different wheel and brake plants in France, with about 30 people specializing in the production and maintenance of these products.
Phil Randell, CHIEF executive of World Aero, a British wheel/brake specialist, said the structure of the technology was evolving.
World Aero is a privately owned, stand-alone aircraft with wheels and brakes, headquartered near London Gatwick Airport. Suitable aircraft types range from the Lille Jet 45 to the Boeing 747-8, with ever-changing wheels and brakes at all times.
"As with most other components of the aircraft, a key trend we saw at the World Air Show is the weight reduction of the wheels and brake components," Randall said.
"In the past the wheels were really heavy and almost indestructible, but now they usually look like stuff on a race car!" Everything is being cut, so we're seeing the equipment on the plane getting leaner and more refined. Of course, new materials and a more robust wheel structure ensure that they remain robust in use. ”
Every technological advance comes with some form of trade-off. Taking the wheels and brakes of modern aircraft as an example, making them lighter means that they may have a shorter lifespan than the heavy equipment of the past.
"The efficiency and fuel savings from lighter wheels and brakes often outweigh the additional costs associated with higher scrap rates that may arise during overhauls," Randell said.
Modern carbon brakes and radial tires offer better performance than older technologies and are becoming more commonly used in a wide range of aircraft, from small commuter planes to long-haul aircraft.
Randell said: "At present, Boeing is retrofitting the brakes of models such as the 737NG, replacing the steel brakes with carbon brakes, which also requires the replacement of the main engine wheel."
"The cost of new components is high, while the resale value of old equipment is negligible. But suppliers are still offering huge incentives for airline operators to retrofit their equipment, such as offering free wheels and brakes to entire fleets. ”
Again, every improvement comes at a cost. In this case, the cost of repairing carbon brakes is much higher than that of steel brakes, which can be a barrier to trading for many cash-strapped aircraft operators.
Randall, on the other hand, said the lifespan of carbon brakes is "typically three times that of steel brakes."
The longer life, he says, means significant time and money savings in brake replacement, as well as reducing "logistics arrangements between overhauls, spare parts preservation levels and management."
There's an added benefit: Carbon brakes are lighter than steel brakes, so taking them high into the air can reduce fuel consumption and save airlines even more money.
The last advance in this type of technology was the use of boltless wheels. Boltless wheels rely on a ring locking device that combines the wheel flange with wheelbase. This innovation has resulted in boltless wheels with fewer components and less weight than traditional bolted wheels.
According to Randall of World Aero, the world airline, boltless wheels have made great strides on commercial aircraft, but not before one of their aircraft. "The only recent aircraft to do this is the huge Hercules C-130 transport," he said. Specifically, the U.S. Air Force upgraded all C-130 pairs to bolt-free wheels and carbon brakes in 2013.
Trends in wheel and brake services
In response to advances in aircraft wheel and brake technology, MROs serving them are working to change their procedures.
However, "many of our practices have remained the same over the years because there have been no major breakthroughs in this technology," Fadili said. "That's why we're focused on how to increase productivity with automated tasks like wheel scanning and automated blast machines."
Aljaz Molek, Sales Manager for Special Equipment at FerroCrtalic, said: "The cleaning process for modern paint wheels is the same as for older models."
FerroCrtalic has been keeping pace with the times when it comes to paint removal methods. The company says it offers a state-of-the-art "plastic air blasting" method that uses small plastic particles to remove paint, eliminating the effects of toxic substances associated with chemical processes. And reusing plastic is more environmentally friendly.
In addition to this, the company also offers high-pressure water jet paint removal, which is basically paint stripping under high pressure with pure water. Water can be recycled multiple times.
"In addition, we are now using 'laser cleaning' technology," Morek said. During this process, the laser beam is irradiated with pulses at high frequencies (50 kHz to 1500 kHz). Short pulses produce enough energy on the surface of the wheels to evaporate rust and paint into plasma and burn off.
"Laser cleaning is a very expensive new technology," Morek said. But over time, its price will drop, allowing more airlines to take advantage of it. ”
World airline World Aero is also working to improve the repair process for the wheels and brakes. In line with Fadili's view, Randell argues: "The MRO field for wheels and brakes is already very mature, and the key components are actually very simple, so we tend not to see a lot of new practices and innovations." Strength, reliability and ultimate safety have always been at the heart of what we do, so we're more focused on improving and refining practices than on big changes. ”
Like Antavia, World Aero is "constantly streamlining processes for greater efficiency and faster turnaround times,"
He said. "In order to meet customer deadlines, it's usually with little or no notice that we do whatever needs to be done. It is this flexible, high-quality service that keeps our customers loyal and sets us apart from our competitors. ”
One change that the wheel and brake MRO is seeing is the management of the maintenance process by their customers.
"More and more airlines are no longer doing repairs and are focusing on flying," Laura said.
Therefore, airlines want to provide a one-stop shop for wheels and brakes. They are looking for a company that can manage all the repairs and logistics associated with these components, including tires. ”
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
More than two years of the pandemic have had a major impact on the wheel and brake industry, dating back to early 2020, when the world was in trouble. But the impact on business varies from sector to sector.
"In terms of the commercial and regional sectors, the volume of business in Antavia has declined with the percentage of aircraft flown," he said. "Except for the first two or three months of the outbreak, activities in the military and business jet sectors remain at pre-pandemic levels." ”
"AAR did see a decline in commercial business, but at the same time, we saw growth in the freight industry," Lara said. "Some customers have postponed overhauls because they have excess spare parts from their partially parked fleet.
Recently, we experienced comprehensive logistics delays due to supply chain issues around the world. OEMs have extended the lead time for orders from 30 days to 60 or even 90 days. Freight forwarders have also reduced their services and increased surcharges. ”
The reduction of customer business and supply chain challenges have affected MRO cash flow across the aviation industry. Uncertain when the outbreak will eventually subside and return aircraft usage to pre-pandemic levels, these MROs are cautiously conserving their financial resources and shelving expansion plans.
A case in point: "Like many other organizations, many of World Aviation World Aero's business development plans have been put on hold during the pandemic," Randall said. Our focus has always been on protecting our team, supporting our customers and getting through them. Flexibility, readiness and the right skills are key factors we have been focusing on to ensure that World Airlines World Aero is in the best position to move us forward, reacting accordingly to the needs of our customers. ”
FerroCrtalic's Morek said: "Some of our customers have not survived the pandemic." But we have a feeling that business is starting to turn around and the future of the aviation industry is getting better for all of us. ”
Looking to the future
Whether or not THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS INFECTION (COVID-19) IS A THING OF THE PAST, the wheels and brake industry is looking to the future and developing plans to profit from it.
At Antonavia AMETEK MRO, they believe that "staying the course" is their best business strategy.
"Since there are no major new aircraft plans in the coming years, there will be no major new technologies," Fadili said. "Still, we can see some improvements related to addressing environmental issues, such as new paints or finishes."
FerroCrtalic is looking for a similar approach. "We've been working during the pandemic to prepare for the industry's recovery," Molek said. "When that happens, we want to be fully prepared."
AAR and World Aero have a longer-term vision for the future.
AAR's Lara expects: "As orders for new aircraft increase, the wheel and brake industry will continue to grow: airline World Aero is phasing out old wide-body aircraft in favor of newer, more efficient narrow-body aircraft."
"With the introduction of lighter, stronger materials, electric braking technology will continue to be a trend. In addition, as OEMs compete and continuously improve their products, carbon will become more efficient and reliable. In terms of wheels, in addition to lighter and stronger materials, I believe that the wheels of the two-piece lock ring design will continue to evolve into the next generation of aircraft wheels. This design eliminates the need to tighten bolts, reducing costs and maintenance. ”
World Aero's Randell agrees with Lara's optimistic assessment. He also wants to see "more focus on IT, simplifying the processing of units through workshops, leveraging barcodes, scanners and other technologies." ”
But there's a dark cloud on the horizon of the wheels and brakes industry: "The challenges facing the MRO industry as a whole will increase further, which is the reason for the lack of new talent to enter the market," Randell said.
"We're seeing fewer and fewer young people interested in joining the industry, which in turn will lead to a skills shortage as the older workforce already retires," he explains.
"At World Aviation Aero, we strive to promote employment opportunities, career development and on-the-job training to attract the next generation of engineers. But finding the right candidate is still not easy, and the pandemic has made the issue even more difficult. This is the industry's real concern – and it's something we all need to address now. ”
conclusion:
The aviation hub and brake industry is constantly evolving to keep pace with new technologies while maintaining proven processes that are as effective in this century as they were in the last century.
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