Category: BizJet

JPB Système Witnesses Significant Lead Time Reduction and Weight Saving Benefits From Continued Trials of Additive Manufacturing

JPB Système has reported positive results from its continued research into the benefits and application possibilities of additive manufacturing (AM) technology. In some trials, this has seen the France-based business cut overall lead times by 80% on some parts, and crucially, secure weight-savings of 30% – a fundamental objective for aerospace customers.

The company, which serves the likes of Safran, Pratt & Whitney, GE and Rolls-Royce, has been trialing industrial-grade metal binder jetting (MBJ) AM technology for several months as part of its ongoing objective to ensure greater efficiency and agility across its production operations.

The company says the results of the trials with MBJ technology to potentially produce flight-ready parts, are meeting expectations by delivering robust lighter-weight alternatives quicker, easier and more cost-effectively than traditional manufacturing methods such as machining and casting. Leveraging this AM technology, the company is also able to create highly complex products with new geometries, further streamlining production efficiencies by removing the need for assembly.

Reduced Lead Times Accelerate Time to Market

“As we anticipated, our trials of MBJ technology underscore how its versatility and ability to reduce time and costs offer huge benefits for us as a company and for our customers,” explains Jocelyn Vecchio, Director of Engineering and Innovation at JPB Système.

“Such production efficiencies are evidenced if we compare the technology to the typical method of producing parts via casting in a foundry,” he adds. “As well as having limitations insofar as the geometries achievable, this involves expensive tooling that can entail long lead times of around six months – even longer if geometries change and a new mold is required. In contrast, using MBJ additive manufacturing, we could produce the same part in about four weeks; that’s a decrease in time of more than 80%, which ultimately means we speed up delivery times to customers. The flexibility of this technology also means that, it doesn’t take any longer to produce 100 different parts than it would 100 identical parts.”

Another vital attribute for JPB Système is the technology’s ability to create parts that are much lighter than metal alternatives. Via solid yet hollow bodies and tough lattice structures, test parts developed by JPB Système match the durability of traditional metal variants but use much less material. This has seen the company enjoy weight savings of 30% in some cases.

“This is an important tick-in the-box for OEM customers and those further up the supply chain who are constantly seeking to reduce the overall weight of the aircraft,” adds JPB Système Research Engineer, Benjamin Sangouard. “A lighter aircraft means less fuel, which means less cost and reduced emissions, which is of course important from a sustainability perspective.”

Continues Benjamin, “The sustainability factor is further demonstrated by the on-demand manufacturing principle of AM that enables companies like us to produce what is needed, when it is needed, rather than traditional techniques that obligate long production runs just to ensure cost-effectiveness. This would give us greater flexibility and reduce the need to store large quantities of stock.”

Improved Design Possibilities

JPB Système also benefits from the way in which AM allows the company to leverage greater design freedom to produce complex products much more easily. This includes the consolidation of two parts into one, or products that accommodate one element inside another – something not typically achievable with conventional manufacturing techniques.

In one example, this allowed the team to produce an assembled multi-component functional system that offers multiple advantages by incorporating three components into one. Thanks to a reduced number of parts, the supply chain is simplified and assembly time is removed. Also, from a safety aspect, the eventuality of foreign object damage to the engine, while fundamentally an unlikely eventuality, is all but eliminated.

For Jocelyn Vecchio, this ability to leverage AM to develop more advanced products with fewer parts, could also increases JPB Système’s strategic competitiveness with new patents.

“So far, our exploration into the application possibilities of MBJ have proved very successful and offer significant potential in our quest to innovate our production processes to better meet the needs of our customers,” he concludes.

JPB Système is set to open a new start-of-the art facility in Villaroche, south of Paris in 2023, which is partly government funded through an initiative designed to accelerate industry growth and help manufacturing companies. The eventual integration of additive manufacturing technology, and other disruptive innovations that enable the Industry 4.0 concept, will underpin the new facility’s automated production lines once operational.

Cementex Announces Enhanced New Design of Double-Insulated Wrenches

Safety tool specialist Cementex announced a new design enhancement to its extensive line of industry-leading Double-Insulated Wrenches that they say provide the greatest possible safety of personnel in environments in and around energized equipment. Cementex open-end, box-end and geared wrenches will now feature a continuous outer layer of orange insulation to provide a smooth transition between the dual-layer and single-layer portions of each tool.

Beginning immediately, Cementex will be phasing out the yellow insulation layer on the working ends of the wrenches and will ensure that all kits will have the same style. All part numbers for tools and kits will remain the same.

This design advancement makes the work end of the wrenches even slimmer so that they are consistent with the insulation process that makes Cementex drivers the slimmest insulated tools available. The smooth transition and reduced overall size of the wrenches enables access into tighter locations and minimizes the likelihood of the outer layer being caught on sharp edges that could damage the tools’ insulation.

Cementex tools are manufactured in Burlington, NJ to the highest quality standards. The insulation is guaranteed to pass a 10,000 VAC proof test in accordance with applicable U.S. and international standards and all tools come with the Cementex Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Jamco America Announces Extensive Testing Service Capabilities for Entire Product Design Cycle

Jamco America announced its extensive testing capabilities for a variety of industries including but not limited to: aerospace, automotive, space, defense, and marine product testing. With test facilities that include mechanical properties, static load, fire properties, ballistic, and environmental testing, as well as a complete, FAA-accepted dynamic test facility, Jamco America experts can help companies evaluate products at almost every stage in the design cycle.

Jamco America’s comprehensive dynamic test facility is one of only a small number of FAA-accepted facilities in the U.S. Equipped with an accelerator-type impact system; the facility is capable of testing products in highly specified acceleration profiles. It also includes extensive sensors and data acquisition technology to maximize information generated and processed from each testing profile.

The materials testing lab is ideal for earlier phases in the design process, when it is necessary to evaluate the mechanical properties of new materials, particularly metals and advanced composites. This test facility can evaluate the tensile strength, compression strength, and other key mechanical properties at room temperature and elevated temperature profiles.

Their extensive testing facilities also include fire properties testing, acoustic testing, static load testing, ballistic testing, and product cycle testing to evaluate the lifecycle of a component or assembly. Regardless of the phase of development a customer’s products are in, Jamco America experts can provide extensive testing data for optimizing product performance. In addition to decades of experience in the aerospace industry, individuals on the Jamco America testing team are experienced in product testing and other applications.

Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings Introduces New Aircraft Color Visualizer Tool

Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings has introduced the Aircraft Color Visualizer, a web-based tool that enables plane owners, paint shops, aircraft designers, OEMs and aviation enthusiasts to digitally experience color combinations on a variety of aircraft types.
The interactive desktop site allows users to choose from six aircraft models – ranging from a kit aircraft to a heavy jet – to customize with any color in the Sherwin-Williams aircraft color library and instantly view on screen. The pre-designed schemes can integrate one base color and up to three accents, in both solids and metallics.
The new visualizer was not created to replace professional aircraft scheme designers; on the contrary, it was created to enhance the color selection experience for designers and plane owners. Rather than selecting colors individually with a fandeck or painted panels, customers can digitally view Sherwin-Williams colors and incorporate them into actual aircraft schemes immediately.
“Offering our customers this highly specialized online tool reflects our commitment to innovation beyond paint and coatings,” said Julie Voisin, Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings Global Marketing Manager. “The Aircraft Color Visualizer tool will not only serve as inspiration for customers and designers, but it will also ease the color selection process for them. We’re excited to see how customers will utilize the full breadth of our color palette in their unique creations.”
The tool features two unique designs for each aircraft, allowing the user to switch between them and even spin the aircraft to see the colors from a variety of angles. The Aircraft Color Visualizer allows users to print, save and share their finished designs. Users can also be referred to a professional aircraft designer to fulfill their vision on their specific aircraft.
Beyond the color exploration capabilities of the tool, Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings assists users in bringing their visions to life by providing recommendations to professional aircraft designers as well as customer support.

JSSI Accelerates Digital Strategy with TRAXXALL Acquisition

Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), provider of maintenance support and financial services to the business aviation industry, has announced the acquisition of TRAXXALL. Founded in 2013, TRAXXALL provides software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for aircraft maintenance tracking, parts inventory management, and cloud-based software to enhance aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) workflow.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, TRAXXALL has offices around the world.TRAXXALL has quickly emerged as a significant player in the maintenance tracking market. Named by the Financial Times as one of the Americas’ fastest growing companies, TRAXXALL delivers software to help customers reduce aircraft downtime, improve data accuracy, and have comprehensive visibility over maintenance costs, parts inventory, and MRO operations.“

JSSI and TRAXXALL have a shared history of challenging the status quo and putting customers first,” said Neil Book, CEO of JSSI. “This business combination presents an exciting opportunity to deliver huge value to our customers and dramatically accelerate the growth trajectory for both companies.”

TRAXXALL’s global team will join JSSI’s growing SaaS division, which comprises previous acquisition SierraTrax, reporting to Ash Reddy, recently promoted to the position of chief operating officer at JSSI. “We take great pride in our reputation in the business aviation market as a thought partner and maintenance advisor to a robust and diverse fleet of aircraft around the world,” said Reddy.

“As we now combine TRAXXALL with JSSI’s core products and data, we are confident in our ongoing business mission to add tangible value for aircraft owners, operators, and maintenance facilities.”“I am so incredibly proud of what the TRAXXALL team has achieved,” said Scott Henderson, CEO of TRAXXALL. “I could not think of a better long-term partner for our business than the team at JSSI.”“JSSI’s values are firmly aligned with our own and will allow us to further develop and enhance our suite of products,” added Mark Steinbeck, president of TRAXXALL.

“With direct access to JSSI’s data and capabilities, we will rapidly grow the maintenance tracking business alongside the SierraTrax brand and deliver advanced maintenance tracking solutions to a wider cross section of the business aviation community.”In addition to its growing maintenance tracking software business, JSSI provides aircraft parts, engines and APUs to hundreds of operators across all makes and models through its JSSI Parts & Leasing business and offers a range of digital tools through Conklin & de Decker to help customers benchmark and compare aircraft ownership options with the most accurate performance and comparison data available. This move to develop the company’s maintenance tracking offering further establishes JSSI as the go-to source for business aviation intelligence and support for the entire aircraft life cycle.

West Star Aviation Commits To 3-5 Year Facility Expansion At Multiple Locations

West Star announced plans for major facility expansion at their East Alton, IL (ALN), Grand Junction, CO (GJT) and Chattanooga, TN (CHA) locations in order to keep pace with customer demand.

Plans for the East Alton, IL (ALN) facility include a new 40,000 sq. ft. general use hangar and an additional 48,000 sq. ft. dedicated paint shop and hangar that when combined with existing paint facilities, will significantly increase paint capacity at the location. These additions will bring the ALN operational footprint to over 400,000 sq. ft. of office, hangar and shop space, with over 200,000 sq. ft, of ramp space.

Additionally, the Grand Junction, Colorado facility is planning a new 40,000 sq. ft. hangar with an additional 35,000 sq. ft. of shop and office. The shop space will include a larger interior shop, a complete composite shop and tool room. The new facility will be focused on the expansion of large aircraft capability and are slated to be complete in 2023. The expansion would increase the GJT location’s operational footprint from 304,000 sq. ft. of office, shop and hangar space to approximately 379,000 sq. ft.

West Star’s Chattanooga facility has a new hangar planned that will consist of 40,000 sq. ft. of active hangar space and an additional 17,000 sq. ft. of shop and support space. The expansion plans at CHA also includes the lease of an existing 20,000 sq. ft. hangar on the field that will be leased from the airport. The planned expansion at the CHA location will increase the operational footprint from 179,828 sq. ft. to approximately 266,000 sq. ft. effectively.

“West Star has been one of the fastest growing business MROs for past 20 years. This expansion plan is our most aggressive investment in our future to date,” said Jim Rankin West Star Aviation CEO. “We are committed to implementing sustainable growth that benefits both our customers and our employees. I’m very proud of West Star’s 1,500 employees who have continued to provide our unique, industry-leading experience to our customers even during these recent dynamic times. These expansion projects will ensure West Star Aviation will be well positioned to meet customer needs for the next five years and beyond.”  

Pratt & Whitney Canada Receives Transport Canada Type Certification for the PW812D Engine which Powers Dassault’s Falcon 6X

Pratt & Whitney Canada has announced that Transport Canada Civil Aviation has type certified the PW812D turbofan engine that will power the Dassault Falcon 6X business jet.

“We are pleased with the announcement by Transport Canada that the PW812D engine has reached this key certification milestone,” said Maria Della Posta, president of Pratt & Whitney Canada. “We successfully achieved the engine design and program schedule milestones by working closely with Dassault since the launch of this great program.”

“We congratulate Pratt & Whitney Canada on receiving its type certification for the PW812D engine,” said Eric Trappier, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “It’s a major step forward in fuel efficiency, maintainability and performance, helping make the 6X an outstanding new Falcon. With this milestone and the aircraft’s test program progressing smoothly, we are on track for a successful and timely entry into service of the Falcon 6X.”

Eric Trappier and Maria Della Posta

The PW812D engine has shown exceptional performance during testing with more than 4,900 hours of engine testing, including 1,150+ hours of flight testing and 20,000 hours on the engine core. With the total PW800 family, more than 130,000 hours of testing and field experience have been conducted, including close to 40,000+ hours of flight testing. The PW800 engine shares a common core with the Pratt & Whitney GTF engine which has flown 11+ million hours since its launch in 2016. The PW800, which is a clean sheet design, is the most modern, efficient and environmentally responsible engine in its class. Using the most sustainable and high-performance technologies, the engine offers double-digit improvements in fuel burn, emissions and noise as compared to the current generation of engines. The PW800 engine also incorporates the latest generation of technologies, from advanced design features to innovative maintenance functionality.

Pratt & Whitney says the engine has been thoughtfully designed for all the key stakeholders involved: the passenger, pilot and maintenance crews. The engine provides an unmatched experience with an exceptionally quiet and comfortable cabin, making it the quietest engine in its class. The engine also sets the industry standard for maintenance, requiring 40% less scheduled maintenance and 20% fewer inspections than other engines in its class.

From the start of the development program Pratt & Whitney says their service team has been at work building in functionality to ensure best-in-class availability and maximum peace of mind to owners, operators, pilots and passengers alike. All of this is backed by Pratt & Whitney Canada’s ESP program, one of the most comprehensive coverage packages in the industry. Customers can benefit from an exclusive personalized premium service for all their maintenance and support needs, any time of the day, anywhere in the world. The ESP PW800 offers comprehensive coverage for scheduled & unscheduled events for all its customers.

Ontario Aerospace Council Selects Red Dot Digital to Develop Aero+B2BeeMatch Platform

The Ontario Aerospace Council announced today it has selected the B2BeeMatch platform to facilitate networking, intelligence-sharing, benchmarking, and other business development activities for the organization’s members. Under the terms of the agreement, Red Dot Digital is creating a custom platform for the global aerospace industry, called Aero+B2BeeMatch, within its B2BeeMatch ecosystem. The move is expected to accelerate the digital transformation seen across multiple sectors, including aerospace, which has been disproportionately impacted by pandemic-related factors such as record declines in commercial aviation. Aero+B2BeeMatch is scheduled to launch December 2, 2021 and will be complementary for year one to current OAC members.

Canadian aerospace is a global industry leader. Canada is the only country that ranked in the top five across civil flight simulators, civil engines, and civil aircraft sub-segments in 2020, yet global competition continues to become ever fiercer. Moreover, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) often lack the connections to make the most of their advanced manufacturing and other world-class capabilities. Aero+B2BeeMatch will leverage artificial intelligence to match businesses with each other and promote networking across other industrial clusters, thus diversifying revenue streams and facilitating the cross-border offset requirements common to the aerospace and defence industry. SMEs benefiting from increased revenues and exports are expected to be more inclined to reinvest in R&D, leading to intellectual property generation, training and upskilling, job creation, and the adoption of new technologies.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in fundamental changes to how companies communicate and collaborate, especially at a distance. Adoption of digital technology is particularly critical for SMEs looking to grow and diversify through new business and new markets,” said Natasha Gagnon, senior manager at the OAC. “The Aero+B2BeeMatch platform will be a high-tech, low-cost, 24/7 business development tool to help our companies connect with new clients, collaborate with new partners, and cross-pollinate with other sectors across Canada and beyond.”

Canada is home to approximately 580 aerospace companies, and more than 70% of these are SMEs with fewer than 100 employees. In 2020, despite being faced with the pandemic-related shutdown of the travel industry, the Canadian aerospace industry contributed $22.3 billion to the GDP and exported over 75% of its products to 186 countries across six continents. With investments of $934M in research and development in 2020, aerospace boasts a five-times-higher R&D intensity than the Canadian manufacturing average. Significantly more aerospace firms cooperated on innovation activities with academia and government than the manufacturing average.

“We are excited to add the OAC to B2BeeMatch’s roster of international partners, and to welcome the Canadian aerospace sector as well as the international aerospace sector onto the B2BeeMatch platform,” said Karima-Catherine Goundiam, founder and CEO of Red Dot Digital and B2BeeMatch. “Aerospace is one of the world’s largest and most important industries, and we look forward to opening up opportunities for small and medium aerospace businesses to do business development and networking both within and outside their sector, in over 40 countries and in two languages.”

The OAC intends to concentrate its Aero+B2BeeMatch year-one efforts on onboarding a core group of SME members, with industry champions such as Aviya Aerospace Systems, Brotech Precision CNC, Composite Automation and Coordinate Industries helping to test and promote the platform. It is anticipated that all four Canadian aerospace clusters will join, representing the nation’s industry from coast to coast to coast. Years two through five will see expansion to thousands of users in aerospace and other industries located in the rest of North and South America, as well as Europe, the Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East.

Aero+B2BeeMatch is funded in part by Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), the industry-led non-profit organization leading Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster.

Four Corners Aviation Forms Senior Leadership Team

Four Corners Aviation President and COO Cameron Gowans has announced initial appointments to the company’s senior leadership team. The team will provide leadership to the new organization dedicated to enabling customers to have all the benefits of their own scalable aviation department.

“We are proud of this newly formed team of skilled industry professionals, which will take the Corporate Jet as a Service (CJaaS), a fully integrated lift solution offered through ‘Freedom by Four Corners Aviation,’ to clients across the country,” said Gowans. “This powerful group is charged with ensuring that we execute well and deliver the best product to our clientele.” Freedom by Four Corners Aviation is a way for clients to enjoy the multiple benefits of private jet travel, without worrying about ownership, financing, operations, insurance, crew management, maintenance, or any of the additional aggravations associated with private jet travel.
Diana Schneider
Phil Leone
Ray Bennett
Mike Jefcoat
This approach to business jet access protects and preserves shareholder and client capital.

Here are the new people and positions:

Client Services: Diana Schneider, vice president, Client Services, joined the organization now known as Four Corners Aviation in 2019. She began her career in aviation as an accountant / controller in 2007, and acquired her unique understanding of the industry through the changing needs of operators with which she was affiliated. This allowed her to learn many different aspects of aviation.   Schneider possesses extensive financial, managerial and organizational experience in a variety of other industries as well. She gained valuable knowledge as part of a start-up and consulted for organizations that were in the process of restructuring. She holds a bachelor’s, as well as a post-graduate certificate, from Montclair State University.  

Sales: Ray Bennett Vice President, Sales, brings 30 years of aviation sales experience to Four Corners Aviation. He has been in sales and sales management roles for avionics, fractional aircraft, aircraft manufacturers, aircraft parts distribution, and aircraft management organizations.   Bennett grew up in an aviation-based family in Omaha, Neb., and is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University. He is a multi-engine commercial pilot and certified drone pilot.  

Operations: Mike Jefcoat, vice president, Operations, has been in aviation for over 25 years. He began his professional career as a pilot for Delta Connection, flying both domestic and international routes. During his 18 years as an airline pilot, Jefcoat amassed more than 11,000 flight hours, the majority as a captain on Bombardier’s series of regional jets.   In addition to his time in the cockpit, he served as a consultant with ATP Flight School to assist and implement an industry leading jet transition course for aspiring professional pilots. He also spent several years as a volunteer in aviation security with the Air Line Pilots Association at local and national levels. In 2017, Jefcoat made the transition to business aviation as the chief pilot for FlightWorks, Inc., where he rose to director of operations.   He also served as an FAA approved check airman on the Hawker 800 and Challenger 300 series of aircraft. In his time with FlightWorks, he was awarded a business aviation leadership scholarship through Georgia State University and the Georgia Business Aviation Association. He graduated cum laude from Utah Valley University, with a bachelor’s in aviation science.  

Safety and Security: Phil Leone, vice president, Safety and Security, brings 27 years of aviation experience to Four Corners Aviation. He served 26 years in the New York Air National Guard as an aircraft commander, instructor and evaluator in the C-5A Galaxy, as well as an aircraft commander in the C-17 Globemaster, flying missions in theaters throughout the world.   Leone is an Air Force trained safety professional having served as the chief of safety for the 105th Airlift Wing in Newburgh, N.Y., with over a billion dollars of aircraft and 1,200 personnel. He is type rated in the Boeing 757, 767 and serves as a 777 first officer for a major 121 carrier. He is a general aviation enthusiast who has logged hundreds of hours flying cross country with his family in a Mooney 231 and an Aerostar 600A.

Cementex Announces Belt Pouch Combinations

Cementex announces the availability of Cementex Belt Pouch Tool Combinations, featuring all tools designed for safe use in Arc Flash environments. With 13 different combinations to choose from, the company says there is an ideal Cementex Belt Pouch Combo for any technician.

All tools in the Cementex Belt Pouch Combos feature innovative Cementex double insulation technology. The double insulated tools feature a yellow warning layer underneath the outer orange layer; if the outside insulation is damaged, posing a safety risk, the yellow layer begins to show, and technicians can know that they must replace the tools.

The 13 different configurations of belt pouch and tool kits feature a wide range of tools, including Linesman’s universal crimping, needle nose, and diagonal cutting pliers, various sizes of Phillips, Robertson, and Cabinet screwdrivers, nut drivers, and various task-specialized tools. In addition, customized configurations are also available.

Cementex double insulated tools are tested to 10,000 VAC and rated for 1,000 VAC when working on or around live parts. The pliers comply with ASTM F1505 and IEC 60900 standards, and help meet the requirements of OSHA 1910.331-335, MFPA 70E, and CSA-Z462.