GE Aerospace uses robots and a 'Lean" approach to solve jet engine repair problems

Suresh Sinaiyan, a GE Aerospace technician, has spent more than a decade repairing compressor blades on jet engines by guiding them with precision across a sanding band.

At the 'new automation lab' of the aerospace giant in Singapore, he teaches a robot the same task.

The switch is a part of GE’s efforts to prepare for the next wave of industrial development, and to ease aviation's most pressing bottleneck: overloaded repair shops and scarce spare parts.

The unexpected wear and tear of the latest generation 'jet engines' across the industry has caused many jets to be idled and led airlines keep older jets in flight longer. Maintenance lines have stretched into months while engines wait in repair queues.

This pressure has now become a public battle. The airlines have complained about engine makers raising prices to take advantage of shortages, while the manufacturers claim they are investing money in expanding support because they have borne huge development costs.

Tony Fernandes is the co-founder and CEO of Malaysian low cost airline AirAsia. He said it bluntly: "They must remember that airlines are their future, so treat us as partners."

SINGAPORE as the Pressure Valve

GE claims that Singapore is a critical part of its solution.

The 2,000-employee GE repair?hub will be upgraded with digital tools, AI and more automation as part of a $300 million investment plan.

The company wants to increase repair volume by 33% in Singapore without increasing the footprint of?the site -- by reorganising, reshaping and automating tasks when it's efficient.

The factory is leading the way in GE's "Flight Deck" recipe for continuous improvement, eliminating waste and reducing costs. This was pioneered by Japanese automakers - and championed Larry Culp.

It's not just about sprinting to the end of a quarter in order to produce a Wall Street Guide. Culp said in an interview that it is about making every minute and day count.

GE, along with rivals like Pratt & Whitney, have been balancing the need to keep existing aircraft flying while supplying new assembly lines with parts and engines.

By repairing more worn parts, you can reduce the pressure on your engine by reducing the need for new components.

GE claims that repairs can halve both the time?needed to complete key processes and the cost for airlines.

Faster turns, tighter floor space

Iain Rodger of GE Aerospace Component Repair Singapore told me during a tour that "repair can improve turnaround times... the shorter the time the engine has to be off the wing the better."

A reorganised area for repair is overhauling CFM56 turbo nozzles that have been scorched by extreme heat in one of the most popular engines on earth.

Workers claim that turnaround times have improved since 2021 when they were 40 days. GE targets 21 days by the year 2028.

The area will lose about a third its floor space in order to be ready for the next challenge, which is to develop repair capabilities for newer LEAP engine models that are entering?overhaul cycle.

If the airline does not approve repairs, it may be forced to replace worn out parts with newer, more expensive, and limited-supply replacements.

Han Hui Min, Nozzles' Business Leader, said of the new layout: "Now we can identify issues and see where they are."

TEACHING ROBOTS the HUMAN TOUCH

Repairs that require a technician’s touch are among the most difficult to automate.

Take these compressor blades out of a CFM56 motor.

The spinning blades create a?pressure' as air rushes in to the core of the motor. After years of use, the blade?tips will deform. This must be repaired by a process known as blending.

It's really difficult to do. Sinnaiyan said that (until now) the process was 100% manual. The blades must be filed down to a few thousandths, using eye, feel and coordination.

GE is betting that if they can capture this skill and turn it into a robotic process that can be repeated, then it will reduce the need for specialised workers while increasing throughput - at a lower cost.

Analysts have noted that engine manufacturers make some of their largest profits by servicing used parts, and licensing certain repairs to shops in exchange for lucrative royalties.

The process of each repair is the secret sauce to an increasingly important part?of business.

Scaling repairs have limits. The work must adhere to approved procedures and strict standards of quality.

Nick Cunningham, an analyst at Agency Partners, said that the slowdown in plane production - which increased demand for older jets and subsequently for repairs – is nearing its end.

If GE's Singapore changes are successful, they can help the industry overcome its bottlenecks. They could also ease fares.

Airlines executives and others have warned that the supply crunch is not likely to disappear quickly.

Culp explained that the goal was to move away from heroic firefighting and towards a more preferred type of performance. Reporting by Tim Hepher and Rajesh K Singh in Singapore; Editing and production by Joe Brock, Matthew Lewis

(source: Reuters)