German Maintenance, Repair And Overhaul Provider Opens Up New Repair Application Areas

Lufthansa Technik AG is leveraging simulation software from ANSYS to simulate wear and tear of aircraft components, particularly in jet engines, to prolong service intervals and to create new ways to repair used parts. Part of Lufthansa Group, the German company is one of the world's largest providers of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) support services for aircraft.

As an aviation authority-approved development and production organization, Lufthansa Technik performs its own research to investigate blade damage due to bird strike and gradual erosion resulting from particles in the air, for example. By using simulation solutions from ANSYS, the company can gain a profound understanding of these processes, optimize the timing for parts replacement and develop new repair methods. Lufthansa Technik uses structural mechanics and fluid dynamics from ANSYS to perform, among other applications, studies on structural and thermal loads on different engine modules for several engine types.

"By researching wear of turbine blades, we are helping our customers to increase engine service life. Using innovative repair methods that we develop, these same customers can possibly avoid purchasing expensive new parts. For an airline, this is money in the bank," said Christian Werner-Spatz at Lufthansa Technik AG. "Multiphysics simulation software from ANSYS allows us to understand the operating environment of jet engine components and draw conclusions from these results with a high degree of confidence."

"Lufthansa Technik AG uses our software not to develop completely new products, but to increase service life for aircraft turbines. Condition-based maintenance and developing a deeper understanding of asset lifecycles are becoming more important as airlines struggle to control costs," said Rob Harwood, director of aerospace marketing at ANSYS. "Mere experience is not sufficient anymore in today's fast-changing and complex environment. As Lufthansa Technik AG has demonstrated, ANSYS simulation technology is being used at the forefront of this research.  Companies that are leaders in their field, like Lufthansa Technik, are increasing their use of simulation technology to gain deep insight into how components behave under loads and, therefore, a better understanding of processes."

FMI: www.lufthansa-technik.com