Smart MRO - The way forward

In June 2021 we introduced our Digital Smart MRO program that is part of the digital transformation of our Aerospace Customer Services.

Today, we can share with you the first achievements and our roadmap to develop a data-driven MRO shop leveraging information to simplify maintenance operations.

The backbone of our digital transformation is our Manufacturing Execution System (MES), called eLIROM. It is now implemented in all our service centers worldwide, and it guides the users through the entire commercial and technical MRO process. The use of this remote application generates many opportunities with various benefits for our expanding MRO industrialization. And now is the time to further scale the use of data.

Our roadmap focuses on developing a data-driven MRO shop leveraging information to simplify maintenance operations.

The roadmap includes following features to create value from data:

• Visualization of the complete process from dock to dock thanks to various IoT solutions (indoor localization combined with robotics and automated guided vehicles adding to the events recorded in eLirom during the repair process).
• Using valuable data that has been collected over the years to develop a prediction algorithm based on machine learning technology to anticipate and adapt to future process efficiencies.
• Digital assisting enabling mechanics to focus on the products and complex tasks during the incoming and final inspection.

Sven Dicke, Vice President MRO Operation & Strategic Investments at Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS, points out that “our own data-labs in combination with a culture to work closely with institutes and experts are the enablers for the digitization and integration of new technologies to the MRO shop environment.

While experiments and sprints are planned and conducted involving our entire Service Center network, the industrial implementation takes place at one Service Center followed by a global scaling, from which our Service Center network will profit. This set-up invites a wide range of employees to validate technology and gives a better grasp of how futuristic technology can work. What we want is to capitalize on the data in such a way that it reduces inefficiencies and increase the reliability and sustainably of processes while improving the service offered to our customers”.