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the top 10 commercial airlines combined. The annual cost of main- maintenance. Leading multi-technology tier 1
tenance of the fleet touches US$75 billion. Military planners and aerospace supplier GKN Aerospace’s partner-
technology leaders are unanimous in their view that using digi- ship with the Centre for Modelling & Simulation
tal twins could dramatically improve maintenance regimens, thus (CFMS) to advance aircraft manufacturing tech-
bringing costs significantly. nologies will include the development of digital
twins. CFMS will act as a strategic research
GE Aviation has opened an Accelerator in Washington DC, providing partner to GKN Aerospace, and will focus on
a place for the military and its contractors to collaborate with GE the modelling and simulation of design, engi-
expert on new technological solutions. “Even a 1 percent improve- neering and manufacturing processes in the
ment in maintenance efficiency would give the military resources it newly-announced Global Technology Centre
needs to modernize,” says Todd Stiefler, general manager of military (GTC) in Bristol. “CFMS has significant expe-
digital solutions at GE Aviation. “Everyone knows there is room to rience and a proven track record in modelling
improve.”The US Air Force is also interested in using the technology and simulation for the aerospace industry,” said
to keep its fleet healthy longer. NASA has, for more than a decade, Paul Perera, Vice President of Technology, at
used digital twins to monitor its space stations and spacecraft. GKN Aerospace. “We are looking forward to
collaborating with the team at the new GTC to
help produce the next generation of fuel-effi-
cient aircraft.”

Asset for Independent MROs
Nadine Etong, director of the MRO product line
at the aerospace and defense business unit
for IFS, believes independent MROs stand to
benefit from the intelligent use of digital twins.
Companies can use the technology to increase
aircraft safety, evolve from repair shop to pow-
er-by-the-hour service provider, extend asset
life and improve the business supply chain, she
says. As an example of carriers using digital
twins to increase aircraft safety, Etong cites the
example of Dutch carrier KLM, which reduced
MROs Take Note its minimum equipment list defects and delays
With word traveling around the industry that OEMs are pleased by and cancellations by 50% since introducing AI
the returns on investment in digital twins, carriers and MROs have to manage predictive maintenance.
stated showing a willingness to incorporate the concept in their
operations. Mark Martin, director of commercial aviation at IFS, Companies can put an effective digital twin
believes digital twins will increasingly play a major role in aircraft strategy in place with the support of agile and
health monitoring by MROs. MROs will look to take advantage of flexible enterprise software geared toward
digital twin information gained from original equipment manufac- data-driven decision-making, says Etong.
turers (OEMs) to capture much of the reliability data, he says. “Independent MROs who are regularly cap-
Much before digital twins became a trend, MRO major Lufthansa turing key data streams in their enterprise
Technik had started using the technology. The company’s Aviatar software can start to quickly take advantage
platform offers digital twins for propulsion engines. The company of digital twinning to differentiate their service
has a comprehensive digital record of each engine that come in for offerings against other independent MRO com-
service, initially collecting data and then developing its digital twin petitors, and also against large inflexible OEMs
version of the engine. Full-flight data from flights helps the company that have a number of disparate systems in
perfect the digital twin and compare it with the real engine as part place.”
of its predictive maintenance activities. The use of the technology Among IFS customers that have a dedicated
by the MRO has helped its customers improve fleet planning, better digital twin program is Test-Fuchs, a leading
predict maintenance costs, and to prevent aircraft-on-ground inci- manufacturer of test systems and components
dents. The company has also extended digital twin technology to for aerospace and defense organizations. The
air-cycle machines and brake steering-control units. company, which has a dedicated digital twin
According to IT consultancy IDC, companies that invest in digital approach for ground support assets and test
twin technology will see a 30 percent improvement in cycle times of equipment, has the engineering & design and
critical processes, including maintenance. The company forecasts procurement data of the asset it is selling, and
that 60% of manufacturers in different sectors will monitor prod- also has full control of the IoT-enabled test
ucts or asset performance using digital twins. With the introduction facility to provide maintenance data in real-
of digital twins, companies are able to cut maintenance costs by time, and then execute that maintenance in its
depending on predictive maintenance rather than on unscheduled repair shop.

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