Automated aircraft repair

Brightsky

The aim of the BrightSky project is to advance the innovative strength and international competitive position of the Dutch aviation sector at and around the airport. Therefore, our focus is to develop technical innovations in the field of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul of existing airplane parts.

Purpose

Nowadays, repair and re-use of components is becoming a major necessity, even more in the aerospace industry. Such components are expensive to manufacture, in terms of resources, costs and materials. Repairs can insure a lower impact, but they are currently too slow and limited due to the fully manual nature. This project will help KLM with the journey towards introducing automated solutions that can help and work alongside operators and boost repair times and costs greatly. The overarching BrightSky project also covers airport security and automation of logistics involving ground handling and airport systems.

Automated repair, blending and inspection

End effector for automated inspection

We are developing the robotic solution for automated inspection, maintenance and repair of metal parts from existing airplane engine parts. This technology aligns with SAM XL’s expertise and involves:

  • Scan-to-path
  • Zero-programming
  • Zero-defects
  • Manufacturing digital thread

Partners

TU Delft, KLM, TNO, NLR, JetSupport, Stage Gate 11, Vanderlande, DT-Solutions, S&T, Schiphol Group, T-Hive, Hogeschool van Amsterdam

Funding

This project has received funding from the “Subsidieregeling R&D Mobiliteitssectoren (RDM)” by the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland.

Duration: January 2022 – October 2025