Eliminating damage during aircraft paint processes

Citation

(2007), "Eliminating damage during aircraft paint processes", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 79 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2007.12779bad.019

Eliminating damage during aircraft paint processes

Eliminating damage during aircraft paint processes

The British Airways paint shop at Heathrow is one of the most hard- worked aspects of the company's extensive engineering operation. The single facility must operate at maximum efficiency if it is to allow aircraft paint to be kept in tip-top condition. Now a comprehensive system of window masks for stripping and repainting operations on all aircraft types is reported to be saving time and reducing rework in the department.

Working with UK aerospace specialists at global Innovations company 3M, BA has developed a new standardised masking system. The company now uses a single type of aluminium foil mask during stripping and a single type of plastic film mask during repainting. The masks are supplied precisely shaped for the windows of each aircraft and window type on the BA fleet.

Before paint stripping, windows must be masked to prevent damage from the chemicals used in the paint removal process. Likewise, similar masks are used during painting. In the past, BA's original design of paint-stripping masks had caused significant problems. The adhesive holding them to the window surround had a tendency to fail, allowing the stripping chemical to damage the plastic windows beneath.

For the painting masks, the problems were even more severe. Poor shaping meant that the plastic masks had to be augmented with adhesive tape, which greatly increased the time taken to mask an aircraft. Once attached, the masks had a tendency to fall off, or curl during painting, allowing paint to damage the windows below. They could also leach material onto the surrounding paintwork, causing contamination that required time-consuming rework.

The new 3M mask system uses a specially formulated adhesive to deliver an extremely secure bond to the window surface, eliminating edge lifting during paint shop processes. The adhesive is also said to be resistant to leaching and comes off cleanly without leaving residue. “Adhesives and films are absolutely core areas of 3M expertise,” says Anton Chambers, aerospace key account manager at 3M. “For British Airways, we were able to draw on this technical know-how to develop an optimum solution for the aerospace MRO environment. By using our precision conversion services to produce mask kits that fit every aircraft in the BA fleet, we have produced a truly compelling solution.”

In trials, the accurate fit of the new masks is reported to have cut the time taken to mask an aircraft by 60 per cent. So far, damage to windows by paint or stripper ingress behind the masks is said to have been totally eliminated. The labour cost savings for using the masks are estimated at £1,500-2,500 per input, dependant on size of the aircraft. By standardising on a single type of film across the fleet, the purchase of the new shields has been cost neutral.

British Airways has a history of leadership in aircraft engineering. Today, the organisation runs a large and diverse fleet of passenger aircraft. Keeping these aircraft operating in a safe, reliable and comfortable state involves the efforts of several thousand maintenance and operations personnel working around the clock, around the world.

BA Engineering has worked with materials and processes from 3M for the past two decades. During this time, BA engineers have worked with 3M technical specialists to develop and introduce more than 50 solutions. Together they have improved safety, enhanced efficiency and boosted productivity across the full range of aircraft maintenance activities. This document outlines just a few of these success stories.

Details available from: 3M UK Aerospace; Tel: +44 (0) 161 237 6174.