Collins Aerospace wins Air Europa nacelle maintenance

Air Europa has selected Collins Aerospace Systems, a United Technologies Corp. unit, to provide a decade of exclusive nacelle maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services support for the Boeing 787, including lease/exchange services. The agreement extends an existing 10-year service contract for Collins Aerospace support of Airbus A330, Boeing 737, ATR 72, and Embraer E-195 aircraft operated by Air Europa and Air Europa Express.

Air Europa, the third largest airline in Spain with a fleet of 26 aircraft, is expected to expand its current fleet with additional Boeing 787s, which will be covered by this agreement.

The Collins Aerospace service centers in Prestwick, Scotland; and Toulouse, France, will have approximately 300,000ft² of combined shop floor and full lifecycle nacelle support. Collins Aerospace is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of all nacelles on Air Europa’s fleet, so can leverage its technical expertise in providing MRO services. 

Ultra-low-temperature fluoroelastomer

Greene Tweed developed Fusion 665 to overcome existing limitations of comparable materials, such as those found in FKM, NBR, or FVMQ/fluorosilicone elastomers.

Operating from -70°F to 450°F (-57°C to 232°C), Fusion 665 offers low-temperature sealing performance without compromising high-temperature operating range, chemical compatibility, or dynamic sealing performance.

Chemical-resistant Fusion FKM 665 meets or exceeds Aerospace Material Specification (AMS) 7379 and AMS-P-83461 requirements.

Rotary, angular inspection systems

Rotary Precision Instruments (RPI) UK, a specialist in precision positioning devices for high-accuracy rotary and angular inspection systems, offers integrated measurement and assembly platforms (iMAP) and Quadrant systems for gas turbine inspection and assembly in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) market. The Quadrant rotary table range provides an additional axis for high-precision CMM inspection.

With more than 750 coordinate measuring machine (CMM) rotary table installations worldwide, RPI has reduced inspection times by 90% and improved gage repeatability and reproducibility by up to 10x. iMAP is typically used in this application once engines are dismantled to inspect individual engine sections for cracks, wear, and distortion. Once the components have been approved, repaired, or replaced, iMAP’s Rotor Stacking software optimizes each component’s assembly relative to its neighbor to minimize runout or unbalance in the finished rotor.

RPI products are distributed in North America by Wyvern Industrial Technology LLC, Atlanta, Georgia.