(AGENPARL) – mar 11 aprile 2023 Akzo Nobel N.V
Media
release
Christian Neefestraat 2
1077 WW Amsterdam
P.O. Box 75730
http://www.akzonobel.com
1070 AS Amsterdam
Netherlands
April
AkzoNobel
takes aircraft
paint
maintenance to new heights of efficiency
(AKZA; AKZOY)
Airlines and operators
have the opportunity to
optimize
paint
maintenance schedules
for their
entire
fleets thanks to a digital management system developed by AkzoNobel’s Aerospace Coatings
business.
Coatings Management
, the
system uses data that’s gathered over several years
help
ensure that
aircraft are only repainted when needed
, not according to a fixed time schedule
alone.
Planes are often repainted while the coating still has life left in it,” explains Patrick Bourguignon,
Director of AkzoNobel’s Automotive and Specialty Coatings business. “Using our service will
help to
uce costs, while increasing
aircraft availability by anything up to a year.”
Currently, aircraft tend to be taken out of service for maintenance every six or seven years, without
really knowing
for certain
both manual and drone
operated inspections
creating a database of every aircraft in a fleet. The
individual histories include details of the coatings used (such as single
or basecoat/clearcoat
coatings),
as well
flight path data
such as weather conditions
which can affect the
ongevity of
the coating applied.
“By analyzing this information and mapping it over several years, it becomes easier and more
accurate t
o determine when an aircraft needs to be repainted, rather than simply using time or flight
hours,”
Tami Swearingin,
Segment
Director of AkzoNobel’s Aerospace and Film Coatings
business.
“Over time, the frequency with which aircraft need to be repaint
ed will fall, which is
significantly better for an airline’s bottom line
. It also means less waste, so it
planet
as well
Ideally suited for fleets in excess of 100 aircraft, the inspection service is provided by experts from
AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings
, using a digital application
tores
the information
collected, such as dry film thickness, color variation, gloss and general appearance. The data is then
fed back to a database
which tracks the fleet’s performanc
e over time.
Manual inspections can be further enhanced by automated inspections conducted by drones. The
drones fly in a set grid over the plane’s surface
taking up to
1,000 high definition photos
and the
built
in software analyzes the images to flag any issues or
wear of the coatings.
This standardizes the
inspection and is less subjective. It’s also faster and more in
depth than a manual inspection
automated drone can scan an entire narrowbody aircraft in less than an hour. Whether digitally
recording data m
anually or via a drone, the objective is to only have an aircraft on the ground when
needs to be.
Aerofleet Coatings Management is being launched as part of a range of support and enhanced
training services
available
through AkzoNobel Aerospace Busine
ss Solutions, a new entity bringing
further
structure to many of the services already provided by the business’ technical support teams.
About AkzoNobel
We supply the sustainable and innovative paints and coatings that our customers,
communities
and the environment
are increasingly relying
Our world class portfolio of brands
including Dulux, International,
Sikkens and Interpon
is trusted by customers around the
globe. We’re
active in more than 150
countries and have set our sights on becoming the global industry leader. It’s what you’d expect
from a pioneering paints
company that’s committed to science
based targets and is taking
genuine action to address globall
y relevant challenges and protect future
generations.
Not for publication
for more information
Media Relations
T +31 (0)88
Contact: Joost Ruempol