On January 5th this year, a cabin panel was torn off mid-flight on an Alaska Airlines plane. The shocking incident heightened the focus on the growing problems of the Boeing 737 MAX jet used by Alaska Airlines. Similarly, at their Kansas factory, Boeing supplier, Spirit AeroSystems has reported a series of production-related problems.
On February 4th this year, Boeing CEO Stan Deal announced his plan to focus on quality improvement, including the inspection of its undelivered planes. Overall, Boeing’s production line problems highlight the importance of quality assurance (QA) and detailed inspection in the aviation sector as well as other production lines. Specifically for the aviation industry, failure to meet the desired quality standards can have serious consequences for both airline companies and passengers. That being said, QA issues in other products can also have serious consequences, even if not so dramatic or dire.
In this blog, we will talk about the importance of quality and inspections in the manufacturing sector by using the aviation sector as an example, and how computer vision (CV) can address this challenge.
Importance of QA and Inspections in the Aviation Sector
The airline industry is widely regarded as the safest mode of modern-day transportation. This is largely because of stringent safety measures and timely inspections of aircraft maintenance processes.
The QA process in the aviation sector involves monitoring the aviation equipment, software programs, and production procedures to meet quality standards set by regulatory bodies. QA is equally crucial to ensure that aircraft maintenance is performed as prescribed by the manufacturer.
Efficient quality assurance and control are also necessary to reduce turnover time, improve operational efficiency, and ensure profitability for the airlines. For any airline brand, a QA program also includes programs and tests to ensure the execution of all necessary procedures without compromising on quality standards and customer requirements.
Here are some of the major challenges faced by aviation industry manufacturers:
- Insufficient human and financial resources
- Lack of a safety culture within the organization
- Undefined quality processes
- Manual supervision
Apart from a QA process, regular inspections form an integral part of aircraft maintenance. Typically, inspections involve maintenance operators examining the aircraft components and systems to identify any critical defect. Timely inspections can provide a variety of benefits like:
- Early detection and remediation of potential issues
- Increased longevity or life of the aircraft
- Reduction in the risk of accidents caused by mechanical problems
- Promoting a safety culture in the aviation company
Challenges of manual inspections in airline maintenance
While on-time inspections are critical for quality purposes, manual (or human) inspections have their share of challenges in the modern aviation industry. Here are some of them:
- Limited resources
As the volume of air travel increases, aviation companies expect to complete their aircraft inspections with limited resources and a strict deadline. The growing shortage of human resources or trained personnel only aggravates this challenge.
- Employee training costs
The aviation industry needs to keep pace with the changing regulations concerning airline safety. This requires aviation companies to conduct regular training sessions for their QA and aviation personnel to keep them updated about regulatory requirements.
- Manual errors
Despite complying with QA requirements, manual inspections are prone to human errors. Depending on their severity, human errors can lead to serious consequences, which could even risk human lives. Besides, during inspection work, manual inspectors are prone to distractions like incoming calls or human personnel not following safety guidelines.
- Complex documentation
Aircraft systems are growing in complexity every year, thus making documentation more difficult to understand. Airline companies must communicate their quality-related documentation and instructions clearly to their QA and maintenance teams. Human operators can easily misinterpret maintenance-related instructions, thus delivering low-quality work.
How CV technology can address challenges in the Aviation industry
The global market size of computer vision technology in the aviation industry is expected to increase to $18.4 billion in 2028 (from $12.9 billion in 2023).
AI-powered computer vision (CV) technology can address some of the quality-related challenges in the aviation sector. Using real-time aircraft images, maintenance operators can detect minute problems undetectable to the human eye. Through automated inspection, airline companies can save a lot of maintenance time and costs as compared to manual inspections.
Additionally, CV-enabled systems can automate aircraft inspection, thus reducing the dependence on human operators and manual processes. Here are some of the common use cases of CV technology in aircraft maintenance:
- Inspection of the aircraft body for any damage or issues.
- Checking for any fluid leaks or internal damages.
- Detection of cracks on the aircraft wings or fuselages.
- Inspection of the aircraft’s landing gear for any wear or tear.
- Inspection of the aircraft’s tires and brakes for any damage.
Along with IoT systems, CV technology can also enable data-powered predictive maintenance in the aviation industry. Airline companies can deploy camera-enabled CV systems to perform real-time monitoring of equipment components and parts. This helps in the early detection of potential defects or issues, thus leading to timely repairs.
How KamerAI’s CV Platform can address Aviation assembly line problems
Across industries, quality control processes rely on visual inspection. With its Computer Vision platform, KamerAI provides the “eyes” necessary for aviation companies to perform quality control and inspection of the aircraft body and components.
Here are some of the benefits of the CV platform from KamerAI for aviation companies:
- Ensures that every aircraft meets quality standards before being delivered to the company.
- Automates the aircraft inspection process, thus eliminating any human errors.
- Performs predictive maintenance of aviation machinery, thus lowering production downtime.
- Maintain the prescribed safety standards in the aviation industry.
Are you looking to automate your production processes using CV technology? We can help you. Speak to our CV experts now.
