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The announcement comes as more aircraft engine
suppliers tune in to data analytics to increase safety and
reduce costs. In 2012, IBM rival Accenture partnered with GE
Aviation to launch a similar offering that allows airlines to
chart fuel-efficient flight paths and decrease hold times at
landings.
Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp, said
in a statement it has hired IBM to analyze the half terabyte of
data that engines generate on every flight to detect and predict
engine trouble.
"Rather than reacting to some sort of an engine event, we are
leveraging data from various sources for maintenance, for
planning engine diagnostic systems and building predictive
models," Jerry Kurtz, vice president of strategy and analytics
at IBM, said.
A typical engine overhaul can cost between $3 million and $10
million. Using IBM's data analytics, Pratt & Whitney expects to
prolong engine life to up to six years from the current four to
five and reduce maintenance costs by up to 20 percent, said Jim
Pennito, director of service programs at Pratt & Whitney.
Through the partnership, which has been in the works for a year
and half, IBM will analyze the massive amounts of data already
generated from engines on the field and flag those that have the
highest risk of presenting problems in the near future for
proactive maintenance.
"The focus is to be a lot smarter and efficient in how we
overhaul engines. Customers should see that in less disruptions,
and removals, and when the engine is in the shop, targeted
repairs so the engine can come out of the shop quickly," Pennito
said.
(Reporting by Marina Lopes; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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