Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) are essential operational components, and as such are closely monitored by operator maintenance teams – and particularly by the teams at EPCOR, AFI KLM E&M’s Dutch subsidiary based at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Specialized in maintenance and repair of APUs and pneumatic components, EPCOR has developed a specific solution available as part of AFI KLM E&M’s exclusive maintenance suite: Prognos® for APU, designed to anticipate any and all potential defects in order to avoid delays and unexpected shop visits.
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Prognos for APU
About the Prognos® for APU
Developed by AFI KLM E&M’s APU and pneumatic component specialist subsidiary, EPCOR, the Prognos® for APU predictive maintenance solution has just passed the milestone of four million performance reports collected – a record number accompanied by major new developments.
More information about the Prognos® for APUPrognos® for APU works by collecting APU functional data, which is automatically transmitted once the airplane is maneuvering on the ground: temperatures, pressure, fuel consumption, etc. Its proprietary algorithms and immense database then enable the solution to recommend the replacement of a part that has fulfilled its potential, or to alert operators of any defect that could lead to the aircraft being delayed. “Prognos® for APU was first put into use back in 2017, for aircraft operated by Transavia,” explains Niels van Hofwegen, Business Intelligence Manager at EPCOR, and Head of the APU branch of the Prognos® project. “Since then, four million performance reports have been gathered from 1,200 aircraft belonging to the 43 airlines worldwide connected to Prognos® for APU.” This equates to an average of 2,500 reports per day, a record that opens the door to new prospects.
“Prognos® for APU was first put into use back in 2017, for aircraft operated by Transavia. Since then, four million performance reports have been gathered from 1,200 aircraft belonging to the 43 airlines worldwide connected to Prognos® for APU.” This equates to an average of 2,500 reports per day, a record that opens the door to new prospects.”
Niels Van Hofwegen
Business Intelligence Manager at EPCOR and Head of the APU branch of the Prognos® project
Extension to APU fleet management
“These significant quantities of data enable us to fine-tune Prognos® for APU’s predictions even further. Now we’re capable to identify several APU failures modes, thanks to the immense quantities of data we’ve accumulated and cross-referenced. As a result, EPCOR can schedule much more targeted servicing or repair operations, which enables airlines to streamline their fleet management.”
Niels Van Hofwegen
Business Intelligence Manager at EPCOR and Head of the APU branch of the Prognos® project
Herein lies Prognos® for APU’s key asset: by limiting the risk of AOG incidents, delayed flights and cancellations, the predictive maintenance solution developed by EPCOR enables aircraft operators and lessors to improve their schedule management, make financial savings and boost safety and comfort for passengers.
“Right now we’re working to keep improving our solution in order to increase the on-wing lifespan of APUs even further, while also guaranteeing the same levels of cost reliability and safety. Another strong suit is that the solution is compatible with the most popular commercial aircraft currently in service around the world (Airbus A320, A330, A340; Boeing 737, 777, 787).”
Niels Van Hofwegen
Business Intelligence Manager at EPCOR and Head of the APU branch of the Prognos® project
Predictive maintenance
Based on operational data from the operator combined with historical shop data and experience of EPCOR engineers over the past 16 years, the Fleet Management feature predicts the due date of every single APU. This is recalculated every 24 hours. This combination between historical data and human experience is unique.
These predictions are per each individual APU visualized in the fleet planning overview. By visualizing the APU due dates the operator is better able to set up a removal schedule. The Prognos for APU software helps the operator to improve the removal schedule based on actual maintenance predictions.
Benefit for operators
The greatest benefit for airlines working with Prognos for APU is a significant reduction of operational costs. This can be achieved either by improved scheduled APU removals (Improved Aircraft Reliability), just in time removal (lower Costs Of Ownership) or maintain APU health and thereby extend the Time On Wing (Increase Time Since Repair).
