Martin Hindley/LONDON
LUFTHANSA SYSTEMS is testing an airport-based remote diagnostic system designed to provide ground engineers with an incoming aircraft's maintenance history and repair requirements.
The company has teamed with Berlin-based software house Sietec Systemtechnik to develop the tool, as part of a telecommunications-research programme sponsored by the Deutsche Telekom subsidiary, DeTeBerkom.
Called Multi-Link, the system allows ground technicians to build up a complete maintenance "dossier" on an aircraft before it lands. The objective, according to Lufthansa, is to reduce costly aircraft downtime by providing ground mechanics with advance troubleshooting information.
Pilots are required to download encoded information on possible aircraft faults or repair requirements by datalink, around 30min before landing, so alerting the maintenance crew at the destination airport.
As soon as the data are received, the Multi-Link system automatically interrogates the aircraft's main computer for a complete maintenance history. The system provides ground mechanics with access to central maintenance logs, allowing them to build an advance picture of the work required.
Christian Orlowski, Multi-Link project manager, says that the system allows engineers at different airports to discuss problems using video-conferencing and other multi-media techniques.
Lufthansa is conducting the 18-month trial from Frankfurt Airport, using Airbus A340s and Boeing 747s on long-haul commercial flights. Satellite reports arriving at New York are relayed to Frankfurt, where Lufthansa engineers troubleshoot for problems. They then send parts and procedure details back to New York, where the work is carried out.
The company hopes to establish the system at other major airports, including Hamburg, Munich, New York and Tokyo. Boeing has expressed interest in having the system installed at its plant in Seattle, and is working with Lufthansa on the development of data-manipulation methods for Multi-Link.
Source: Flight International
