Integrated Logistic Support Approach of Wear-Related Problems

摘要

Integrated logistic support aims at anticipating wear and erosion damages during operational use of the aircraft through a concurrent engineering process. Throughout the aircraft's life cycle, a close interaction between engineering studies and in-service experience leads to a better understanding of wear-related problems. The result is a fully integrated approach that increases aircraft operational availability and reduces maintenance costs. This paper shows typical examples of mechanical and environmental wear that can be found on aircraft structures and presents the solutions that have been developed to overcome these phenomena. These solutions involve routine maintenance procedures that should be performed on a regular basis to prevent potential wear damage, and specific maintenance procedures to correct existing problems. The document also describes the control methodology designed to detect and predict the onset and growth of surface damage introduced by abrasion, wear, and erosion. The paper discusses preventive maintenance operations, including visual inspections, dimensional checks, wear maintenance procedures (e.g., lubrication), and sampling operations; corrective maintenance operations, which include skin repairs, fretting repairs, and installation repairs; and optimization with in-service experience and technical progress. The aircraft/airframe components that are used as illustrations in this discussion are bores, pins, shafts, hinges, bushings, bearings, ball joints, elastomers, and damaged surfaces of external skins. The information is based on the maintenance of Rafale, Alphajet, and Mirage 2000 aircraft.