The Role of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Knowledge in Facilitating Service Led Design: A Nozzle Guide Vane Case Study

摘要

In order to improve the availability and cost effectiveness of products over their service life there is a need to improve levels of service knowledge and provide better linkages between that knowledge, the engineering designers, and those providing 'through-life' engineering services and maintenance support. This paper considers what is meant by both design knowledge and service knowledge before offering definitions which are grounded in the literature that will underpin the development of the research in this area. How service knowledge obtained during maintenance, repair and overhaul might be used to increase a product's availability for use in service is considered using a Gas Turbine High Pressure Nozzle Guide Vane as an example case study. It is chosen as it is a complex product using state of the art materials and offers design and manufacturing challenges that are informed by service performance. A greater understanding of the required content, drivers, and inhibitors relative to service knowledge informed design is established together with how service driven design knowledge might be better informed. The paper proposes that existing service knowledge can be used to inform the design of selected complex manufactured components such as those found in aero-engines. A system architecture or framework for a 'design for service' programme which would facilitate greater whole-life component availability, reduced costs due to downtime and potentially much leaner logistics is proposed.