4 Benefits of Routine MRO For Aerospace Plating

Regular aerospace MRO for plating on flight-critical parts is important for both flight safety and your company’s bottom line. And yet, it’s tougher than ever to perform maintenance efficiently and effectively. 

Between rising material costs, digital data overload, and increasingly siloed business processes, coordinating repairs or maintenance has become more complex with less margin for error. However, according to Deloitte, selecting the right provider of MRO services can make a huge difference and open up real benefits of diligent attention to MRO. Leading aviation and aerospace companies are reducing total costs by 8-15%, attaining competitive advantages, and seeing continuous improvement. 

That’s no small margin. So, how can a dedicated and routine approach to MRO aerospace plating change the math? Here are a few of the core benefits of locating a provider of streamlined, optimized MRO services.

1. Well-Maintained Parts Improve Safety and Performance

The hidden costs of a last-minute or as-needed approach to MRO processes can spiral out of control with little warning. Delays happen, and these can keep aircraft out of commission, costing your operation important uptime. Schedule routine MRO check-ups and cleanings or degreasings well in advance, with great attention to detailed inspections and proactive maintenance. This helps you to avoid the incremental costs of reduced performance from suboptimal equipment in addition to the more catastrophic costs of in-flight failures, which can cost human lives.

2. Restored Aerospace Plating Saves on Costs vs. New Parts

If you’re procuring a stock of brand-new inventory to deploy whenever a part falls out of the manufacturer’s spec or becomes too fouled to meet safety parameters, the costs will quickly add up. The inflation and supply chain problems of the past few years have been no help in this regard. According to the December 2022 Part Price and Lead Time Index from SkySelect, prices in Q3 of 2022 for the aviation and aerospace parts averaged 13-15% above what they were in Q4 of 2020. Trading Economics projects another 2.3% increase by the end of 2023 and another 2.1% in 2024.

A churning pipeline of MRO spare and replacement parts keeps your aircraft running in optimal condition without the high costs associated with purchasing all-new parts at inflated prices.  Keeping those existing parts in good repair to prevent costly replacements.

3. Regulatory Compliance Is Not Worth the Risk

A preventative and proactive approach to MRO services is the best way to avoid red flags during inspections and penalties for non-compliance with regulations that govern equipment conditions. Compliance is an enormous risk that’s not worth putting at stake — the potential consequences for your business can be far greater than the cost of scheduling more routine MRO work.

These consequences can be to your business’s reputation, to your standing with the FAA, and to your organization’s financial health. The FAA regularly proposes fines in excess of $1 million for the operation of aircraft that are not compliant with regulatory standards and judged to be in airworthy condition.

4. You’re Keeping the Wheels Up and Operations Running

Consider the total time savings you could have achieved through proactive refurbishment and repair in this scenario: Your aircraft is grounded in an inconvenient, out-of-the-way location at a critical time (peak hours, peak season, important event, etc.), and inspections reveal that the issues are actually more serious than first believed. New parts are needed, but your regular supplier has a shortage or is otherwise grappling with a snag in the supply chain. This unpredicted disaster could have been avoided. Keep your aerospace operation in service with regular attention to aerospace plating conditions and the need for stripping or re-application.

Connect With the Aerospace Plating & MRO Experts

Fast turnaround times are of the utmost importance in regularly scheduled MRO work. If you’re looking for the best turnaround times in the industry for aerospace plating and MRO, the experienced team at Metal Finishing Technologies is ready to help. We’re standing by and prepared to deliver a quote in 24 hours or less. Get in touch today to reap the benefits of quality, performance, and efficiency in aerospace MRO.