The wide application of technology in industry is increasing at a rapid pace and this is especially true for aircraft maintenance. It is a common knowledge that the world industry is now entering an electronic era where more and more processes, operations and decisions are controlled and carried out by computers and advanced technology systems. Nowadays a great share of automation is being currently involved in aircraft maintenance and inspection, but it still remains quite distant from the technicians who perform the actual work on aircraft. It is necessary to mention that information management is the first area that has benefited greatly from application of automation. Almost all sorts of planning and reporting are now accomplished with the help of electronics. Some other activities, such as tool and inventory control, computer-aided design of tools, tracking of service bulletins and airworthiness directives are also done by computers, at least at the maintenance spots of the major air operators.
Most aircraft manufacturers either have or are developing electronic versions of their maintenance manuals. In this case, instead of searching through the paper pages of the manual, a technician can look up to the necessary information using a tape or disc along with computer or video player. A good share of artificial intelligence is incorporated in these systems, so that introducing a few key words, the information system will automatically display the corresponding parts of the maintenance manual demanded by the technician for a particular maintenance assignment. More advanced versions of these systems allow the technician to use a mouse or a pointing device to point to desired information items on a screen-displayed menu and then, with a button click, gain access to the maintenance manual information.
Advanced Job Aid Tools
Other technologies that provide automated information and may find their way into civil aircraft maintenance applications are under development. An expressive example is the Integrated Maintenance Information System or IMIS. This system includes a great number of computer-derived technologies which help technicians to diagnose aircraft and system malfunctions and carry out a maintenance required. The system is highly portable and can be easily brought to the malfunctioning aircraft like any other tool a technician might need. IMIS has a liquid crystal display (LCD) and can provide enlarged views, parts lists, technician specialties required to repair a system, sequenced test and maintenance procedures and a bunch of other information that, in the most part, is placed in printed information such as maintenance manuals and parts catalogue. The system can even be plugged into a specialized maintenance bus on the aircraft and automatically receive information on the status of aircraft systems. This in its turn can be used to provide the technician with the system evaluations and corresponding remedial actions. IMIS is a good example of a job aid that can provide strong support to maintenance technicians. One of its best features is its portability, as it saves a great deal of time that would normally be spent traveling back and forth between the aircraft and information sources such as technical libraries. This time can instead be fruitfully applied to the task the technician is equipped to perform maintaining the aircraft.
New technology computers have become smaller and smaller and include the incorporate features such as handwriting recognition. This latter capability could be particularly useful in filling out the numerous reports and forms that are required in aircraft maintenance. By some estimates, technicians spend about 25 of their time on paperwork, time that could be better spent on aircraft maintenance. If such system had been used and available to the technicians working on the aircraft, many accidents might possibly have been prevented, because work performed and work to be accomplished would have been filed properly and on time, making it clear to the incoming shift what work particularly still needs to be completed. By automation the filing processes are possible by placing the information into larger computer storage facilities, recording errors can be avoided and great savings in clerical manpower can be obtained. Funds that are currently spent on these ancillary maintenance tasks could be devoted to actions that would have more direct safety pay-offs such as providing further training. Furthermore, aircraft maintenance technicians would have more time to perform their tasks, leading to a less hurried, and hence less error-prone, work environment.
Recently developed pen computers seem to be ideally suited for these tasks. The pen is actually a stylus which can be used to write on the computer screen. The stylus can also be used to select items from screen-displayed menus, thus permitting the technician to quickly zero in on stored information required for maintenance. The pen computer, not much larger than this digest, can be used in conjunction with storage media such as compact discs to store and provide access to an enormous volume of information. The entire maintenance manual for an aircraft and additional information such as airworthiness directives, service bulletins, job cards and specialized inspection procedures can be quickly made available to the aircraft maintenance technician next to the aircraft.
When the technician has completed the maintenance job, he can call up the required forms to document his work, filling them out on the screen with the stylus or an integral keyboard on the computer, and can store this information or dump it directly onto a mainframe computer. The automation technology needed to perform these kinds of activities exists today and is currently being tested. There is little question that this type of job-aiding automation, which is neither complex nor expensive, will find its way into the aircraft maintenance workplace in due course. The training, experience and technical talent needed at present to carry out the tasks of an aircraft maintenance technician are more than sufficient to successfully use these automated job aids. It is reasonable therefore to expect this type of automation in aircraft maintenance to be implemented globally.
Introducing further and advanced automation in aircraft maintenance, it should be noted that automation, unless designed with the capabilities and limitations of the human operators in mind, can be a source of a different set of problems hindering rather than assisting the aircraft maintenance technician. Inevitably, such automation cannot serve the interests of safety or efficiency in aircraft maintenance. For this reason, it is appropriate to recognize that automation devices designed and manufactured to assist a human operator must of necessity be designed in accordance with the principles of human-centered automation. Such a consideration will help ensure that advanced automated aids will serve the purpose they are designed for, without creating an overwhelming set of new and additional problems for the maintenance organization.
Other automated job aids can be found on a modern transport aircraft. These systems have the capability to assess the status of on-board equipment such as engines and electronic systems. When an in-flight equipment malfunction is encountered on these aircraft, the information (problem) is automatically stored and telemetered to the aircraft maintenance base without any input from the flight crew. On landing, aircraft maintenance technicians can be standing by with required spare parts to quickly remedy the problem and get the aircraft back into service. Obviously, not every device or system on the aircraft can be evaluated this way, but a great deal of diagnostic or test time can be saved when major systems malfunction on aircraft which have such built-in test equipment (BITE).
The major safety pay-off of such a system is that maintenance problems are identified and corrected early in their development stage, thus relegating the solving of maintenance problems through trial and error to the history books. One of the big advantages of BITE is that aircraft system malfunctions are identified at a very early stage before they become a threat to the safety of the aircraft and its occupants. Another advantage is that flight crew members may be advised of and consulted on a developing maintenance problem, thus enhancing their decision-making capabilities to ensure the continued safe operation of the aircraft based on actual and timely facts.
The technicians task is complex and varied and is performed at several different physical locations. Actual maintenance activity involves frequent access to confined or difficult-to-reach spaces and a broad range of manipulation of tools, test equipment and other devices. Maintenance work differs from that of pilots or air traffic controllers who perform more predictable activities at a single workstation, either a cockpit or an ATC console. Because of these differences it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to automate much of the work of the aircraft maintenance technician.
Rather, most automation related to maintenance tasks will likely consist of improvements in diagnostic support systems. Closely allied with these job-aiding systems are computer-based training systems which were discussed in Chapter 4.nce means the preservation, inspection, overhaul, and repair of aircraft, including the replacement parts. This program is designed to serve individuals who have completed the required classroom instruction leading to FAA certification. An Associate Degree will be awarded providing the additional general education credit hours are completed. Maintenance requirements vary for different types of aircraft however, most aircrafts require some type of preventive maintenance every 25 hours or less of flying time, and minor maintenance at least every 100 hours.
Ubiquitous Computing bears a high potential in the area of aircraft maintenance. Extensive requirements regarding quality, safety, and documentation as well as high costs for having aircrafts idle during maintenance demand for an efficient execution of the process. Major weaknesses that impact the efficiency of the process are an inadequate tool management, human errors, and labor intensive manual documentation and check procedures.
Most aircraft manufacturers either have or are developing electronic versions of their maintenance manuals. In this case, instead of searching through the paper pages of the manual, a technician can look up to the necessary information using a tape or disc along with computer or video player. A good share of artificial intelligence is incorporated in these systems, so that introducing a few key words, the information system will automatically display the corresponding parts of the maintenance manual demanded by the technician for a particular maintenance assignment. More advanced versions of these systems allow the technician to use a mouse or a pointing device to point to desired information items on a screen-displayed menu and then, with a button click, gain access to the maintenance manual information.
Advanced Job Aid Tools
Other technologies that provide automated information and may find their way into civil aircraft maintenance applications are under development. An expressive example is the Integrated Maintenance Information System or IMIS. This system includes a great number of computer-derived technologies which help technicians to diagnose aircraft and system malfunctions and carry out a maintenance required. The system is highly portable and can be easily brought to the malfunctioning aircraft like any other tool a technician might need. IMIS has a liquid crystal display (LCD) and can provide enlarged views, parts lists, technician specialties required to repair a system, sequenced test and maintenance procedures and a bunch of other information that, in the most part, is placed in printed information such as maintenance manuals and parts catalogue. The system can even be plugged into a specialized maintenance bus on the aircraft and automatically receive information on the status of aircraft systems. This in its turn can be used to provide the technician with the system evaluations and corresponding remedial actions. IMIS is a good example of a job aid that can provide strong support to maintenance technicians. One of its best features is its portability, as it saves a great deal of time that would normally be spent traveling back and forth between the aircraft and information sources such as technical libraries. This time can instead be fruitfully applied to the task the technician is equipped to perform maintaining the aircraft.
New technology computers have become smaller and smaller and include the incorporate features such as handwriting recognition. This latter capability could be particularly useful in filling out the numerous reports and forms that are required in aircraft maintenance. By some estimates, technicians spend about 25 of their time on paperwork, time that could be better spent on aircraft maintenance. If such system had been used and available to the technicians working on the aircraft, many accidents might possibly have been prevented, because work performed and work to be accomplished would have been filed properly and on time, making it clear to the incoming shift what work particularly still needs to be completed. By automation the filing processes are possible by placing the information into larger computer storage facilities, recording errors can be avoided and great savings in clerical manpower can be obtained. Funds that are currently spent on these ancillary maintenance tasks could be devoted to actions that would have more direct safety pay-offs such as providing further training. Furthermore, aircraft maintenance technicians would have more time to perform their tasks, leading to a less hurried, and hence less error-prone, work environment.
Recently developed pen computers seem to be ideally suited for these tasks. The pen is actually a stylus which can be used to write on the computer screen. The stylus can also be used to select items from screen-displayed menus, thus permitting the technician to quickly zero in on stored information required for maintenance. The pen computer, not much larger than this digest, can be used in conjunction with storage media such as compact discs to store and provide access to an enormous volume of information. The entire maintenance manual for an aircraft and additional information such as airworthiness directives, service bulletins, job cards and specialized inspection procedures can be quickly made available to the aircraft maintenance technician next to the aircraft.
When the technician has completed the maintenance job, he can call up the required forms to document his work, filling them out on the screen with the stylus or an integral keyboard on the computer, and can store this information or dump it directly onto a mainframe computer. The automation technology needed to perform these kinds of activities exists today and is currently being tested. There is little question that this type of job-aiding automation, which is neither complex nor expensive, will find its way into the aircraft maintenance workplace in due course. The training, experience and technical talent needed at present to carry out the tasks of an aircraft maintenance technician are more than sufficient to successfully use these automated job aids. It is reasonable therefore to expect this type of automation in aircraft maintenance to be implemented globally.
Introducing further and advanced automation in aircraft maintenance, it should be noted that automation, unless designed with the capabilities and limitations of the human operators in mind, can be a source of a different set of problems hindering rather than assisting the aircraft maintenance technician. Inevitably, such automation cannot serve the interests of safety or efficiency in aircraft maintenance. For this reason, it is appropriate to recognize that automation devices designed and manufactured to assist a human operator must of necessity be designed in accordance with the principles of human-centered automation. Such a consideration will help ensure that advanced automated aids will serve the purpose they are designed for, without creating an overwhelming set of new and additional problems for the maintenance organization.
Other automated job aids can be found on a modern transport aircraft. These systems have the capability to assess the status of on-board equipment such as engines and electronic systems. When an in-flight equipment malfunction is encountered on these aircraft, the information (problem) is automatically stored and telemetered to the aircraft maintenance base without any input from the flight crew. On landing, aircraft maintenance technicians can be standing by with required spare parts to quickly remedy the problem and get the aircraft back into service. Obviously, not every device or system on the aircraft can be evaluated this way, but a great deal of diagnostic or test time can be saved when major systems malfunction on aircraft which have such built-in test equipment (BITE).
The major safety pay-off of such a system is that maintenance problems are identified and corrected early in their development stage, thus relegating the solving of maintenance problems through trial and error to the history books. One of the big advantages of BITE is that aircraft system malfunctions are identified at a very early stage before they become a threat to the safety of the aircraft and its occupants. Another advantage is that flight crew members may be advised of and consulted on a developing maintenance problem, thus enhancing their decision-making capabilities to ensure the continued safe operation of the aircraft based on actual and timely facts.
The technicians task is complex and varied and is performed at several different physical locations. Actual maintenance activity involves frequent access to confined or difficult-to-reach spaces and a broad range of manipulation of tools, test equipment and other devices. Maintenance work differs from that of pilots or air traffic controllers who perform more predictable activities at a single workstation, either a cockpit or an ATC console. Because of these differences it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to automate much of the work of the aircraft maintenance technician.
Rather, most automation related to maintenance tasks will likely consist of improvements in diagnostic support systems. Closely allied with these job-aiding systems are computer-based training systems which were discussed in Chapter 4.nce means the preservation, inspection, overhaul, and repair of aircraft, including the replacement parts. This program is designed to serve individuals who have completed the required classroom instruction leading to FAA certification. An Associate Degree will be awarded providing the additional general education credit hours are completed. Maintenance requirements vary for different types of aircraft however, most aircrafts require some type of preventive maintenance every 25 hours or less of flying time, and minor maintenance at least every 100 hours.
Ubiquitous Computing bears a high potential in the area of aircraft maintenance. Extensive requirements regarding quality, safety, and documentation as well as high costs for having aircrafts idle during maintenance demand for an efficient execution of the process. Major weaknesses that impact the efficiency of the process are an inadequate tool management, human errors, and labor intensive manual documentation and check procedures.
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