Evaluation of Cold Spray Technology for the Repair of Aerospace Components - StandardAero Ltd

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StandardAero is a leader in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) for the aerospace, marine and industrial markets, with their largest operations in Winnipeg, MB. During MRO, it is often necessary to replace parts of aircraft components. The manufacturing, material and environmental cost of producing these replacement parts is significant. Furthermore, aircraft lifespan often surpasses the commercial availability of replacement components, which makes producing parts increasingly expensive or even impossible to obtain. Therefore, innovative repair methods to reclaim some of these high-value components at a fraction of their replacement cost and keep aircrafts in service are being developed and implemented. As a global leader in the MRO business, StandardAero is traditionally known for developing repair methods that meet the standards and specifications of their original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Cold spray technology, a solid-state materials consolidation process, is a relatively new repair method that has shown potential to restore high-value aerospace components that are hitherto difficult or impossible through traditional repair methods. The advent of this process has made it possible to repair thermal-sensitive aerospace components such as those manufactured from magnesium alloys, which are difficult through other repair methods. StandardAero is collaborating with Red River College Polytechnic's (RRC Polytech's) Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM) to evaluate cold spray deposition technology as a viable method for repairing high-value magnesium alloy aerospace components. This project is anticipated to have both economic and industrial benefits to StandardAero by aiding the development of new repair methods, increasing the company's repair capabilities, minimizing component scrap rate and bringing new business opportunities and revenues for the company. New businesses also translate to the creation of new jobs and the retention of existing personnel. Through this research project, RRC Polytech's TACAM team (students, faculty and research staff) will have a chance to apply their expertise in metal additive manufacturing, materials characterization, design, robotics and non-destructive inspection and expand their knowledge in the area of cold spray repair technology and advanced manufacturing. In addition, the knowledge and experience gained by RRC in this work will be useful in future applied research projects.