Category: PRs

Gulfstream Aerospace has opened a sales and design center at the company’s facility in Dallas. The 9,300-square-foot (864-square-meter) center enhances the customer experience during the sales and design stages of a Gulfstream business jet by allowing them to see and evaluate potential paint schemes, cabin layouts and interior cabin selections.

Gulfstream Dallas encompasses more than 420,000 square feet (39,019 square meters) and comprises a completions center for Gulfstream mid-cabin aircraft — the new super mid-size G280 and the wide-cabin, high-speed G150 — and a service center for all Gulfstream aircraft.

“With the entry-into-service of the G280, we wanted to offer mid-cabin customers cabin-design capability at the same location where their aircraft is being completed,” said Tray Crow, director, Interior Design. “What they will find is a clean and neutral space that is comfortable and conducive to the process of choosing an aircraft and personalizing its interior to suit their needs.”

The centerpiece of the Dallas sales and design center is a material showroom filled with leathers, fabric swatches, carpet samples and veneers as well as examples of cabin amenities. Using a state-of-the-art, mobile visualization application called DesignBook, which Gulfstream first demonstrated to customers at the 2012 NBAA Convention, customers and company personnel can also experiment with various cabin configurations, colors and fabrics.

DesignBook is also available at Gulfstream’s Savannah Sales and Design Center, a similarly equipped 17,900-square-foot (1,663-square-meter) facility that opened in June 2007.

“This technology enables our Interior Design teams to create a highly realistic rendering of a cabin in real time,” Crow said. “With the click of a mouse or touch of a screen, customers can see how different fabrics and colors look together in a particular cabin configuration. We can adjust and refine until the customer gets the desired interior.”

The Gulfstream Dallas Sales and Design Center is staffed by designers, Completion Sales executives and support staff.

STS Aviation Group and its employees say they are immensely honored to be selected as the winner of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the South Florida Services category. The STS Aviation Group looks forward to continued success and growth in the future, and at the National Level Competition. “In the almost thirty years that STS has been in business, this, by far, is our crowning achievement,” states STS CEO PJ Anson.

The finalists and award recipients, selected by an independent panel of judges, were honored at a gala event at the Fountainebleau in Miami Beach on June 13th.

The award recognizes outstanding high-growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their business and communities. Collectively, the Florida award recipients grew employment for their companies by 64 percent and their revenues by 48 percent between 2010 and 2012.

The next step for STS will be the National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year overall award winner which will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 16, 2013. The awards for this event will be given to the nation’s most prestigious of high-growth, market-leading companies.

IKHANA Aircraft Services has received FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) and Parts Manufacturing Approval (PMA) for their RWMI DHC-6 Re-Life Flight Controls. This is the latest addition to an expanding catalog of value-adding Twin Otter modifications. All eleven (11) DHC-6 Flight Controls are re-manufactured, providing NEW 66,000 hours/132,000 cycles of fatigue life with applicability to all DHC-6-100/-200/-300 Series Twin Otter airplanes. “Many operators don’t realize that the flight controls are life limited assemblies that require tracking and expire upon reaching 66,000 hours or 132,000 cycles of use,” says John Zublin, president/CEO of IKHANA. “The RWMI DHC-6 Re-Life Flight Control STC is an ideal fit with our other proprietary STCs for the RWMI DHC-6 Re-Life Wing Box and DHC-6 Re-Life Fuselage.”

The original -100, -200, and -300 Series Twin Otters, produced from 1965 to 1988, have a structural fatigue life limit of 66,000 hours/132,000 cycles for the fuselage and flight controls. IKHANA’s RWMI Re-Life Flight Controls are the FAA PMA equivalent of FACTORY-NEW equipment and complements the RWMI DHC-6 Re-Life Fuselage STC (awarded in November of 2011) and the RWMI DHC-6 Re-Life Wing Box STC (awarded in 1996). With the RWMI DHC-6 Re-Life Flight Controls, IKHANA has the ability to provide a re-life for all of the Twin Otter’s major structural assemblies.

IKHANA (and its predecessor, R.W. Martin, Inc.) has manufactured more than 100 re-lifed Wing Boxes and expects strong demand for the latest STC products. Re-lifed aircraft are customized by IKHANA for operations supporting executive transport, regional/commuter airlines, and special missions. Available options include increased gross weight capability, enhanced air conditioning, glass cockpit avionics, VIP amenities, cargo handling, camera hatches, and integration of surveillance/patrol systems.

For further information, contact Naras “Bo” Alksninis, Director of Marketing Tel:951-600-0009 x218; Mobile:818.554.5906; Email:BAlksninis@IKHANAgroup.com

Spairliners has named Sven-Uve Hueschler as new managing and financial director. He assumed his role on July 1. Hueschler has been with Lufthansa Technik for seven years and was previously in the position of head of Business Development of the Product Division Aircraft Component Services. Hueschler brings strategic and operational leadership experience to the company.

Since starting his career at Lufthansa Technik he has held several positions in International Sales and Business Development Ventures. “We are pleased to gain someone with such experiences in the MRO industry and moreover on strategic business development for Spairliners. Mr Hueschler’s appointment fits in perfectly with the E-Jet expansion and the upcoming growth of the company,” says Dr. Burkhard Andrich, member of the Supervisory Board of Spairliners. “With its highly skilled personnel and an excellent managing team, namely Olivier Mazzucchelli (CEO) and Sven-Uve Hueschler (CFO), Spairliners is very well positioned to cope with the exciting challenges ahead,” adds Robert Anton, chairman of the Board.

“I am excited to be joining Spairliners and feel honored to take on my new position at this important phase of the company’s growth,” says Hueschler. “To continue the success of a Joint Venture between two well-recommended MROs by entering a new market is a challenging task,” he adds. Former CFO Andre Schulte-Bisping held this position for three and a half years and has now returned to Lufthansa Technik.

Dynamic Systems, Inc. has announced a low cost tool, equipment, and maintenance manager for the aviation industry based on bar code technology.

In business since 1981, DSI provides bar code systems that track tools, maintenance, equipment, documents, work orders, inventory, capital assets, ID badges, and job costing. Bar code data collection has been proven to be the most accurate and efficient method of tracking or counting items.

DSI has announced the immediate launch of “Toolroom,” targeted for airports, MRO’s, and FBO’s that need to reduce the loss of tools and equipment and save time tracking them down. Service Manager tracks maintenance performed in accordance with Aviation Regulations. Job Costing calculates parts & labor used on particular projects. Stockroom Inventory tracks materials used down to the lot number, prints PO’s and has complete cradle to grave lot tracking. Also a complete audit trail reporting function. The program is integrated, user friendly and flexible.

“I’m impressed with the simplicity and adaptability of your Management Systems. It’s affordable for most companies, even those with just a few employees,” stated Bill Allen, process control consultant.

If it requires one minute checking a tool in and out, and if the company’s staff spends even 20 minutes a day searching for tools or servicing equipment, the overhead savings is dramatic. “Loss of tools and malfunctioning equipment is a major overhead cost today,” states Alison Falco, president.

 

KARL STORZ Industrial Group America announced the distribution of the new KARL STORZ TECHNO LED NOVA 150 light source for industrial and scientific remote visual inspection applications.

The KARL STORZ Industrial LED NOVA 150 is the next generation of environmentally friendly LED high-output light sources intended for technical borescope inspection applications. The compact, high-performance cold light projector delivers cold bright white light (6400k) that generates virtually no heat; illumination is transmitted through the borescope using robust fiber optic light guide cables. The LED NOVA 150 is energy-efficient, noiseless and has an industrial grade LED illumination module, making lamp changes virtually unnecessary. An international power supply enables worldwide use.

The KARL STORZ TECHNO LED NOVA 150 is compatible with all KARL STORZ borescopes and provides high-output LED illumination which is necessary to illuminate large voids, ideal for imaging applications that include large castings, engine cylinders, fuel tanks, oxygen tanks and similar components.

New KARL STORZ TECHNO LED NOVA 150 Light Source

Designed and manufactured in Germany in our world-class manufacturing facility and strengthened by world-wide product support, the Techno LED Nova 150 is ready for deployment into your demanding industrial vision application.

 

Comtek has received PDA design approval from Transport Canada on the Embraer 170/190 cabin & baggage floors therefore allowing Comtek to develop aftermarket floors for this aircraft. Under the existing bi-lateral agreements, this PDA approval is accepted under FAA and EASA airworthiness rules.

This approval allows Comtek to leverage its extensive experience in the design and manufacturing of floor panels on other aircraft platforms to sell a cost competitive product directly to Embraer operators with improved lead times over OEM. The floor panels are constructed to be highly wear resistant for maximum durability and are guaranteed by a 24 month warranty that covers materials and workmanship.

“The addition of these floor panels to our product line reinforces our ongoing commitment to optimizing Comtek’s customer experience. By offering high quality floor panels right off the shelf, we can significantly reduce lead times to our customers.” says Dennis Cicci, director; Sales & NPI.

Comtek will continue to expand the list of available part numbers based on customer demand until such time as the 170 and 190 platform portfolios are complete.

 

Eurocopter announced a global partnership with Ramco Systems, an aviation software provider on cloud, mobile and tablets. Both companies will join forces to offer state-of-the-art helicopter maintenance software which will ease the life of operators and maintenance centers.

The partnership agreement enables Eurocopter and Ramco Systems to offer additional mobility and functionality for the collection and treatment of MRO-related data, thereby providing highly effective and cost-efficient fleet management services that are affordable and user friendly for all operators – including those with smaller numbers of helicopters.

“Ramco’s cloud-based maintenance software solution is an outstanding addition to our service offering,” said Matthieu Louvot, senior vice president of Support and Services. “The partnership will bring us closer to our customers’ maintenance operations, enabling us to offer them the best quality of service.”

“The strength and capability of our Aviation solution gets a global endorsement with Eurocopter, the number one civil and parapublic helicopter manufacturer, choosing Ramco for its functionality, cloud-based solution with mobility, new user interface and role-based WorkSpaces. Ramco Aviation on Cloud is modular which makes it user friendly for small and large operators,”  said P. R. Venketrama Raja, vice chairman and managing director, Ramco Systems.

With tens of thousands of parts in an aircraft, tracking and managing each stage of maintenance work would become unmanageable without a user friendly and comprehensive M&E/ MRO solution. The Ramco-Eurocopter cloud based MRO software addresses the unique needs of smaller Operators, MROs and CAMOs, which until now had to either run on disparate point solutions or operate manually using paper/ excel to track maintenance and manage safety and regulatory compliance.

 

Vibration Solutions North (VSN), a subsidiary of Moscow Mills, Inc., has been awarded US Patent No. 8,429,968 for the application of kinematic locating principles in the design and manufacturing of the critical interface tooling used in mounting jet engine rotors on balancing machines.

VSN’s Kin-Dex System uses this patented methodology to ensure that a rotor’s axis of rotation is precisely and repeatedly defined in the balancing machine, thereby ensuring that unbalance readings accurately indicate rotor unbalance and minimize uncertainty due to positioning variations. Giving the operator the ability to precisely repeat the rotor’s rotational axis in the machine at each step in the process dramatically reduces the time required to meet today’s significantly tighter tolerances and eliminates the risk that an unbalance goes undetected.

After rigorous testing using Gauge R&R statistical analysis principles, the Kin-Dex system has proven to have superior repeatability compared to classic balancing tooling designs.

“The adverse business impact of unbalanced rotors—extra maintenance, repair, and fuel costs—are widely recognized in industries where rotating parts are critical components,” says George Allen, vice president, balancing tooling products and services, Vibration Solutions North. “What’s less recognized is the major business cost of taking excessive time to balance rotors so they perform properly. The patented Kin-Dex technology solves both problems. It makes it possible to balance rotors to extremely precise tolerances so parts last longer, operate more safely, and consume less fuel. Kin-Dex technology can also dramatically reduce the time it takes to balance parts and, as a result, significantly lower operational costs.”

VSN designs, manufactures, tests, and delivers Kin-Dex-based balancing tooling for companies in aviation aerospace, defense, power generation, and other industries requiring the balancing of critical components to tight tolerances. Kin-Dex balancing fixtures are conceived, engineered, and manufactured in house by the Moscow Mills business unit.

 

 

The SAE International EG-1A Balancing Committee is drafting new standards to modernize best practices for the design and use of tooling, fixtures, and accessories that mount and drive gas turbine engine rotors on horizontal and vertical balancing machines.

The committee held its most recent working session in Stowe, VT. in late May to draft wording for the SAE ARP4163 standard that will establish new criteria for testing and validating balancing tooling so organizations in aerospace and other industries can balance rotors with greater ease and confidence. The committee will meet next in Montreal, QC, Canada on September 24 during the SAE 2013 AeroTech Conference & Exhibition.

“The current industry standards for rotor balancing tooling were established long before the introduction of new generation jet engines that feature lighter, faster spinning parts that must be balanced to significantly tighter tolerances,” said George Allen, chairman of the SAE EG-1A Balancing Committee. “Existing standards no longer ensure that new tighter tolerances can be reliably and repeatedly met. Since the new standards will have far reaching impact on any company involved in balancing, we are actively seeking input from companies not currently participating in the EG-1A committee.”

The EG-1A committee is comprised of representatives of several jet engine manufacturers, airlines, and Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) companies.

Representatives of companies interested in participating in developing the new SAE ARP4163 standard should contact Allen at g.allen@vsnorth.com or +1 (802) 253-2036. Ext. 103.

In aerospace and other industries, the introduction of new lighter, more fuel efficient engines is driving the need for far more reliably balanced components than those produced in the past. Once finalized, the new SAE ARP4163 standard will help companies implement new processes that reduce the time it takes to balance rotors to required specifications.

By properly balancing rotors, companies can reduce fuel consumption, vibration, noise, and wear on jet engine components and other equipment.

The meeting was hosted by Vibration Solutions North (VSN), a Stowe, VT, a balancing services provider. Allen is vice president of balancing tooling products and services at VSN.