Published 4/10/2018

Safran launches aircraft lifecycle nacelle solution services

The NacelleLife service offering includes maintenance, technical support, a service bulletin mobile app and a non-desructive evaluation tool for composite structures.

Aerospace

Scott Francis

Editor-In-Chief, Gardner Business Media

During an airframe’s scheduled maintenance check, Safran Nacelle’s onsite intervention teams are able to assess the condition of the aircraft’s nacelles. Specific control points are checked on-wing and a finding review is issued to formalize any items and associated recommended actions. The company’s new NacelleLife service offering builds on this capability, providing complete coverage of its jet engine nacelle systems – including thrust reversers.

Source | Safran Nacelle

Safran Nacelle’s new non-destructive evaluation tool – called Presto – utilizes the latest infrared thermography techniques to assess thermal damage on composite structures. The portable handheld device can be used to perform underwing assessments of overheating effects on inner fixed structures for thrust reversers as part of the new NacelleLife offer for nacelle maintenance.

Source | Safran Nacelle

JetLife is a new mobile application from Safran Nacelles. As part of the company’s NacelleLife offer, the app utilizes service bulletins to keep suscribers informed in real time of what modifications or inspections are required on the nacelles in their fleet. Users of the collaborative platform indicate which modifications they have made, aircraft-by-aircraft, allowing Safran Nacelles to provide specific support, advice and recommendations for maximizing operations.

Source | Safran Nacelles

Safran Nacelles (Le Havre, France) unveiled on April 10 the NacelleLife service offering, providing complete coverage of its jet engine nacelle systems – including thrust reversers. This new offering provides tailorable nacelle services to the requirements of operators, involving any or all steps from preparations for a jetliner’s service entry through its retirement from operation.

NacelleLife is developed for responsive, cost effective and high-quality services that keep airliners in operational condition while minimizing maintenance costs. Focusing on a customer’s fleet, the components of NacelleLife include initial provisioning assistance and hands-on maintenance coaching for an aircraft’s pre-entry phase. This is followed by on-site presence and online access to technical documentation at entry-into-operation; fleet management for operational continuity, along with scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and proactive preparation for scheduled maintenance while in revenue service. Transition support for the phase-out is the last step.

“NacelleLife brings together the expertise of a world-leading nacelle manufacturer with our proactive, optimized services that anticipate and respond to customers’ needs throughout the lifecycle,” explains Olivier Savin, Safran Nacelles’ vice president of Customer Support & Services. “It applies to our full range of nacelles, from legacy products to current production and upcoming nacelle systems – including those on the A380, A320neo and A330neo aircraft.”

In addition, NacelleLife provides innovative service solutions. One solution is JetLife, a mobile application that provides the latest service bulletins (SBs) for an airline’s entire nacelle fleet. A customer subscribing to JetLife is informed in real-time of what modifications are requested, on which material. The customer also can access additional SB information, such as pricing for its application, the time requested for such a modification, and its benefit. This service is part of the scheduled maintenance phase in the NacelleLife offering.

Another innovative solution is Presto, an easy-to-handle non-destructive evaluation tool for composite structures that is proposed as part of the NacelleLife unscheduled maintenance offer. Using a gun-type handheld device, Presto enables “underwing” assessments of overheating effects on such nacelle elements as a thrust reverser’s inner fixed structure (IFS). The tool responds to inspection challenges in assessing and validating a composite structure’s health in cases of discoloration from overheating, but when there is no visual evidence of disbonding or delamination. Relying on the latest infrared thermography techniques, Presto allows for aircraft on ground (AOG) time to be reduced.