Pratt & Whitney Canada is combining artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning with its oil analysis technology to further increase the solution's precision, predictive and preventive maintenance capabilities for helicopter engines. The use of AI and machine learning is another example of how the company continues to innovate its aftermarket solutions to help customers move to 100 per cent planned maintenance environments, avoiding unplanned events and reducing costs.

“Through AI we are further enhancing our capabilities to see patterns and preventive maintenance insights in the massive data set our oil analysis technology provides,” says vice president, customer service Irene Makris. “With this deeper understanding of what's going on inside the oil-wetted components of the engine, we are able create a 'know early, respond early' environment for the customer that helps manage risk and prevents disruptions in service.”

This kind of preventative maintenance allows customers to avoid unscheduled engine removals and other maintenance events by providing visibility on potential issues as much as 1,000 hours in advance. The oil analysis technology is available on a majority of Pratt & Whitney Canada engine models, including the PW210, and has analysed over 55,000 oil samples from customer engines. Based on the guidance provided by the oil analysis technology, dozens of events across the fleet have transformed into scheduled interventions, dispatch availability has increased and the solution has saved PW210 customers over $1 million in averted secondary damage.

“Our oil analysis technology was launched in 2017 and enables proactive and predictive maintenance by identifying potential issues before they occur without intrusive inspection,” adds vice president, marketing, helicopters Nicolas Chabée. “AI makes the task of comparing oil samples with past data simpler, more efficient and easily scalable.”