Inflight Warning Systems (IWS) and the IMI Sensors division of PCB Piezotronics have received an order for predictive maintenance vibration monitors from British Airways. According to PCB, this deal completes a long-term effort to incorporate IWS’ monitors into commercial aircraft.
These monitors, which include the use of PCB sensors as a key component, are designed to detect bearing failure in air recirculation fans. Thus far, they have been incorporated into 11 applications aboard major commercial airliners throughout the world.
By installing the product onto fans for cabin air recirculation or electrical equipment cooling exhaust, the vibration monitors can deliver early warnings of wear on fan bearings, thereby detecting and possibly preventing fan failure. While the monitors permit normal fan operation, they also have the ability to automatically terminate the operation of fans when a bearing failure is imminent, for example.
A fan’s onboard-aircraft operation capacity varies widely before catastrophic failure, especially depending on the number of hours in flight, the aircraft type and conditions, among other factors. However, failure of these fans often results in the interruption of normal flight operations for repair.
Prior industry solutions to address fan bearing failure consisted of the establishment of a maximum number of operating hours for the fan, then removal and overhaul, which may be unnecessary. With implementation of the IWS vibration monitor, fan performance can be maximized and the cost of operations minimized.
Inflight Warning Systems President Steve Ehrick notes, “With the help of PCB, we have been able to develop a cost-effective product solution that serves the needs of the aircraft aftermarket, and ultimately helps improve aircraft safety and performance. The issue of fan bearing failure has significantly impacted the industry in the past few years. Having approached PCB after referral from another aerospace aftermarket component supplier, we were pleased to find that their high-quality sensors could so significantly contribute to the success of our vibration monitor.”
Eric Yax, IMI Sensors division manager, adds, “We are pleased to contribute to the success of IWS, as well as to provide a predictive maintenance and vibration monitoring solution for a valued customer in the commercial aviation aftermarket and aerospace industries. What is most interesting is the IWS vibration monitor allows the same technology, most common to industrial applications, to be innovatively applied for benefit of the aerospace industry. It is our hope this will lead to additional new incorporations of PCB industrial product technology into this market segment.”
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