Air New Zealand and Microsoft announce ground-breaking digital collaboration

Air New Zealand has teamed up with components and systems provider Moog, Microsoft and ST Engineering on a world-first experiment which has the potential to transform aerospace supply chains by leveraging 3D printing and Moog's blockchain enabled VeriPart process to create a point of use, time of need digital supply chain.

The proof of concept has seen Air New Zealand order a digital aircraft part file from Singapore-based ST Engineering.

The digital file was immediately sent to an approved printer, operated by Moog in Los Angeles, downloaded and 3D printed before being installed within hours on an Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300 aircraft ahead of its scheduled departure.

The entire transaction, from purchase to installation, was logged in Moog's VeriPart digital supply chain system, which is powered by Microsoft Azure Cloud technology.

The file was for a bumper part, which sits behind the airline's Business Premier monitors and prevents the screen from damaging the seat when it's pushed in.

Air New Zealand Chief Ground Operations Officer Carrie Hurihanganui says being able to 3D print and certify aircraft parts in this way could present significant benefits to commercial airlines.

"Being able to 3D print certain components on the go would be transformative and drive significant efficiencies and sustainability benefits.  Rather than having the cost associated with purchasing, shipping and storing physical parts and potentially having to fly an aircraft with an unavailable seat, this system would allow us to print a part when and where we need it in hours," says Hurihanganui.

VeriPart is used for assuring data, process, and performance integrity of 3D printed parts for aerospace applications.

The VeriPart blockchain platform allows an engineering partner to release its intellectual property in a controlled way. The airline is then only able to 3D print the number of parts it requires on demand. The newly printed part is securely authenticated and traceable via VeriPart, providing the added value of configuration control for the life of the aircraft.

This four-company experiment has made it possible to prove the concept as technically viable and prove its potential value to the aircraft maintenance industry.

The end result of the collaboration opens the door to a future of distributed networks starting with a digital design file and ending with a physical part. This will decrease lead times and result in less downtime for airlines.