Cranfield University’s Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) has chosen Intoware’s WorkfloPlus platform to automate workflows and processes in aircraft and airfield operations.
The WorkfloPlus programme guides users at DARTeC through step-by-step digital processes for everything from pre-flight aircraft checks to aircraft operations and maintenance tasks such as valve replacements.
Users are taken through each step on a wearable device from RealWear, meaning processes are standardised and instructions followed accurately, while both hands are freed up to do the work.
Dr Ip-Shing Fan, Senior Lecturer in Enterprise Systems at DARTeC, said: “In aviation, a lot of operational and maintenance tasks rely on paper documentation. This is not sustainable for the future and so we need to be harnessing digital technology and automation tools to support the maintenance and operations of aircraft.
“Finding efficiencies while maintaining and improving quality and sustainability across all areas of aviation is at the heart of what we do at DARTeC, and the WorkfloPlus technology enables us to achieve this.
“We can use the platform to automate the orchestration of work in workflows, dispatching jobs to people and also capturing the inspection and work reports to better inform how we do things.
“It’s also a great way to coordinate teams of people and manage how they’re working alongside teams of robots within the same workspace.”
Cranfield University is unique, operating its own airport, air traffic control and a fleet of aircraft. DARTeC is part of the Cranfield University Global Research Airport and is the home to the passenger terminal and maintenance hangar laboratories develop digital technologies.
Keith Tilley, CEO at Intoware, said: “The maintenance, repair and overhaul sector within aviation is lagging behind when it comes to digitalisation and the automation of systems and processes.
“Paper is all to often used to carry out checklists and ensure compliance. Digital automation takes away all of that and allows processes to be carried out far more efficiently, with added accountability and the ability to gather data back fromwork being carried out.
“It’s great to see DARTeC at Cranfield University embracing our technology in this way and we’re proud to be playing a part in creating a more sustainable, efficient aviation sector for the future.”
Earlier this year Intoware Ltd released an industry eBook titled ‘Digitalisation: The Future of MRO’, examining the impact digitalisation can have on the MRO sector, and how digital systems and processes can be applied across areas such as preventative, condition-based and corrective maintenance, talent retention and employee training and development programmes.