When we see or hear the word ‘engineering’ used in the context of the airline industry around the world we often think of manufacturing design engineering. While it is true Sonico is involved with designing tools and components for its own use in providing maintenance services we don’t think of ourselves as providing design engineering for spares. We think of ourselves as providing application engineering services. We see the results of engineering design after the experience of in service use and adapt what we learn to the application of product improvement. More often than not the adaptation is a matter of degrees not radical changes and certainly not product redesign. Sonico currently holds no Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) or Parts Manufacturing Approvals (PMA), but we hold numerous OEM and FAA unique repair approvals to reduce the meantime between failures of components while in service.
Technical Services
For decades Sonico has worked closely with Original Equipment Manufactures (OEM) to write and or improve the technical information found in their Component Maintenance Manuals, Overhaul Manuals and other technical documents. If you are in need of someone to write such manuals for you please click on sales@sonicoinc.com and advise what your needs are and someone will call you to assist.
More often than not our service comes into play through product examination to see if improvements can be obtained by narrowing the acceptable tolerance range. As more and more experience is gained with failure patterns it sometimes becomes obvious to improve a product all that is necessary is to tighten the tolerance for acceptable replacement parts. Frequently this does not mean a change to the replacement part number, but simply selective use of approved parts that are not at the extremes of the manfacturing tolerance range. It should also be noted that sometimes the original design has too tight of a tolerance and testing will show performance and reliability can be greatly improved by opening the tolerance slightly.
Assisting the Non-Technician
A service we provide to our customers is part identification. So many that are not technically oriented may buy and sell a component part for many years without ever seeing it in Shipping, Receiving, Inventory or in service. We at least want such people to have a concept of what it is they are dealing with. It is for that reason we have established on our website a place where visitors can call up either a photo of the part or and illustration of the parts we repair and sell. If we are having a discussion with a supplier or a customer frequently they will ask us to post a photo or an illustration on our website for them to be sure that both parties are thinking of the same part.
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Component Modification
The art and knowledge of knowing what can be modified from one part configuration to make another configuration can frequently be an important asset. As you might expect in maintenance we are often called upon to study such possibilities and frequently called upon to perform such modifications. Often the knowledge of what can be modified comes from the Production Authorization Holders (PAH) in the form of Service Letters and Service Bulletins. However, these documents do not complete the story of what can be modified. There is hidden in technical data all sorts of modifications that can only be determined by years of experience and physical handling of the product. If you are in need of a rotatable or repairable part and have exhausted your sources of supply you may wish to seek our help to modify something you have to what you need.
Interchangeability
Components are identified by specification numbers, manufacturing numbers, material numbers, manufacturing design part numbers and owner identification numbers. Many manufactures have identified design part numbers as material numbers while some airline owners assign their own number to the design part numbers. Knowing which is which and what is interchangeable can save a lot of work. Even within design part numbers there are interchangeability approved by the Production Authorization Holder (PAH) and the regulatory authority. It is our job at Sonico to record interchangeability when found to aid in performing maintenance service for our customers. It is why turn times are often less at Sonico than from other maintenance sources. Even within the expendable parts there are vast interchangeability options that can reduce turn times for repair from weeks to days.
Optional Part Numbers
Many owners/operators frequently select one of many alternatives of an optional component to stock and use in their inventory system; such as one manufacturer's, engines, brakes, landing gear, seats, etc. Beyond these obvious selective options there are others that owners/operators lose track of. Knowing the optional part numbers will often add sources of supply never considered by most supply chain managers. Sonico tracks optional part numbers to broaden its options. Once we find optional numbers we make a record for our use and for use in assisting customers to shorten turn times.
Sonico is not in the business of selling Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) components, but we use such parts to assist customers when requested and provide a link on our website to search for such parts. Many PAH and OEM profess that PMA parts are inferior yet they often sell such parts from their own inventory disguised by their proprietary part number, specification number or material number often at a very inflated price. It pays to know what optional numbers are and what is approved for use. Airlines with customized illustrated parts list are often blind to the availability of optional parts.
Use the Contact Us link to your left to place your inquiry, Sonico is always pleased to assist you with availability of optional parts for prompt TAT.
