19 June 2019, Amsterdam – KLM Engineering & Maintenance and Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) have launched a joint venture, NUVEON, for the development of new Augmented Reality (AR) products for MRO (maintenance, repair & overhaul). NUVEON will integrate AR throughout the MRO chain to improve everyday performance in maintenance. The new partnership was signed at the Paris Airshow by Olaf Hoftijzer, Director Training E&M KLM, and Marja Eijkman, Division Manager Aerospace Operations, Royal NLR.
After a successful pilot, AFI-KLM E&M and NLR are now developing several maintenance training applications using Hololens AR goggles. The advantages have proven numerous, it makes training more attractive, more effective and more efficient. Trainees are actively involved in the instruction session, get a better insight into how the system works and are better able to put what they have learned into practice. And a virtual aircraft is available any place, any time. In addition to the development of further training applications, applications using combinations of different AR/VR devices are studied, as well as remote access through Maintenance Control Centres (MCC), visualization of complex 3D data and more.
In NUVEON, NLR is developing Augmented Reality applications and didactic concepts, and AFI-KLM E&M is delivering the subject matter experts and the commercial activities for the augmented reality technology for MRO aircraft maintenance applications. NUVEON aims to address MRO related companies that seek to improve and make their aircraft and aircraft components more efficient and more effective.
Olaf Hoftijzer, KLM: “Augmented Reality enables us to train on the aircraft while it is not actually there. This gives us a huge advantage especially for aircraft configurations not easily available. It is time to start developing new applications not only for training, but also to assist maintenance staff in their day-to-day work.”
Marja Eijkman, Division Manager Aerospace Operations, Royal NLR: “NLR is a frontrunner when it comes to aviation training, simulation, and the application of AR. Together with KLM, we wanted to create an innovative training solution that outperforms existing training in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. We recommended using HoloLens, in a collaborative way. NLR is able to model all complex mechanical systems in the aircraft, including systems that normally cannot be demonstrated in an aircraft on the ground. A key element in achieving excellent training effectiveness is to organise the training differently and to make it more interactive, because that is the only way to leverage the full added value of Augmented Reality. It’s not enough simply to use a new technology and leave everything else as it was.”
Current NUVEON solutions in MRO training
- EASA part 147, B777 ATA’s Fuel System, Equipment Cooling and Air-conditioning
- EASA part 147, B787GE to B787RR engine difference practical in full ( July 2019)
- EASA part 147, B777GE to B777RR and PW engine difference in full ( November 2019)
NLR Division Manager Aerospace Operations Marja Eijkman and Director Training E&M KLM Olaf Hoftijzer shake hands on the new partnership, accompanied by NLR Business Manager Michel Piers and Wanda Manoth-Niemoller, Commercial Development Manager of Training E&M KLM.
Also visit our augmented and virtual reality and MRO pages.
