AMAC Aerospace is combining digital imaging, expanded eddy-current testing and 3D laser scanning to detect aircraft corrosion earlier, as the Basel-based MRO provider increases its focus on prevention. The methods are intended to complement visual inspections and help identify defects beyond scheduled maintenance tasks. AMAC expects to use robotic inspections more in the future, but has not given a timeline or quantified detection results.
AI-based imaging allows inspectors to compare airframe surface images from current and previous inspections. Eddy-current probe arrays, used alongside standard single-probe tests, can cover larger areas and map potential issues. The company is also using 3D laser scanning to improve the speed and accuracy of corrosion detection.
Preventive work includes primers and topcoats, corrosion inhibitors, improved drainage, surface treatments, sealants and chemical conversion coatings. Corrosion risk cannot be eliminated, particularly where dissimilar materials are close together, making non-destructive testing and visual inspection important for detecting damage that may otherwise remain hidden.
AMAC maintains business aircraft including Boeing Business Jets and Airbus Corporate Jets, as well as Bombardier Global, Gulfstream and Dassault Falcon models. The group’s main MRO facility is in Basel, with additional facilities in Turkey and France. Its corrosion-control approach is aimed at helping owners preserve aircraft condition and asset value; the company has not disclosed fleet-wide adoption figures for the newer inspection methods.