Soaring Efficiency: Modernizing Aerospace Paint Hangar Controls

Integrating collision avoidance, process air, crane positioning, and hazardous-area controls to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and maintainability of an aircraft paint hangar.

Painting a commercial aircraft requires precise coordination between painters, movable work platforms, environmental controls, and safety systems. For a major aircraft manufacturer, aging and disconnected controls limited efficiency and created costly delays when aircraft had to be repositioned during the painting process.

Concept Systems was brought in to modernize the paint hangar controls, integrating multiple complex subsystems into a standardized architecture designed for accuracy, reliability, and easier long-term maintenance.

The Problem: Complex Systems in a Demanding Environment

The aircraft paint hangar relied on multiple interconnected systems to position painters around the aircraft, maintain environmental conditions, and safely operate equipment within a hazardous environment.

Painters needed to position cranes and wingstands extremely close to the aircraft without making contact. The existing system also limited flexibility in aircraft parking, creating the potential for costly repositioning and production delays.

At the same time, the process air system required precise control of significant temperature changes during painting and curing. Controls and devices across the facility also needed to be standardized so maintenance personnel could efficiently troubleshoot and support the system.

The manufacturer needed a controls upgrade capable of improving these systems while meeting a tight project schedule and the requirements of an explosive paint-hangar environment.

The Solution: Integrated Aerospace Paint Hangar Controls

Concept Systems engineered a comprehensive controls upgrade spanning collision avoidance, process air, crane and wingstand positioning, drives, operator interfaces, alarm notification, and hazardous-area controls.

Protecting Aircraft with OnGuard Collision Avoidance

Concept Systems developed an advanced collision avoidance system using 3D aircraft models, multiple PCs, PLC integration, and theodolite surveying equipment.

OnGuard continuously monitors the position of movable work platforms relative to the aircraft, allowing painters to work within inches of the surface while helping prevent equipment from making contact. The system also provides greater flexibility in aircraft parking, reducing the need to reposition aircraft before painting can continue.

Improving Process Air Control

A ControlLogix processor manages the hangar’s process air system using function block programming. The controls provide more precise management of the significant temperature changes required during aircraft painting and curing despite differences among the system’s mechanical components.

Increasing Crane and Wingstand Accuracy

Linear and absolute encoders improved the accuracy and repeatability of crane positioning. Absolute encoders also eliminated the need to re-home equipment following power loss or maintenance downtime.

Explosion-proof encoders installed on the wingstands provide precise feedback for platform height and angle, supporting the tight positioning tolerances required around the aircraft.

Standardizing Controls for Easier Maintenance

Engineers working across the hangar’s different subsystems followed consistent programming structures and naming conventions on a common Rockwell Automation controls platform.

Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drives were similarly configured across applications, helping maintenance personnel troubleshoot and support equipment using familiar tools and standardized programming.

The Results

The modernization created a more accurate, flexible, and maintainable aerospace paint hangar control system while improving several critical production processes.

• Enabled precise crane and wingstand positioning with collision avoidance
• Allowed work platforms to operate within inches of the aircraft while protecting against contact
• Increased aircraft parking flexibility and reduced costly repositioning
• Improved process air control for painting and curing
• Increased positioning accuracy and repeatability through upgraded encoder systems
• Standardized programming and device configurations to simplify maintenance
• Improved troubleshooting through complete system documentation
• Integrated plant networking, common user login, and alarm notification
• Achieved a 36-month return on investment

The 24-month project brought multiple specialized systems together under a consistent controls strategy designed to support both production performance and long-term maintainability.

 

Want a closer look at the collision avoidance system?

Explore how OnGuard uses real-time 3D modeling to protect aircraft while giving painters precise access to the work surface.

Explore the OnGuard Collision Avoidance Project →

 

 

Project Details