MRO Excellence: Streamlining Maintenance with Automation

The Role of Cleaning in MRO Operations

The ability to move components efficiently through the maintenance cycle is a key driver of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) performance. Whether servicing aircraft components, rail equipment, or military vehicles, maintenance teams face constant pressure to return critical assets to service while maintaining strict quality and safety requirements.

Parts cleaning plays an essential role in this process. Before technicians can inspect, repair, test, or reassemble a component, they must remove accumulated contamination to expose its surfaces and assess its condition.

The cleaning in MRO can become a major bottleneck when operations rely on labor-intensive methods, inconsistent processes, or equipment that cannot accommodate different component types.

As MRO facilities look to improve turnaround times and operational efficiency, automated parts cleaning offers an opportunity to make maintenance workflows more predictable, consistent, and efficient

Common Cleaning Challenges in MRO Operation

Unlike manufacturing environments, where newly produced components typically arrive with relatively predictable contamination, MRO facilities handle equipment exposed to varying operating conditions and service histories. Components may arrive covered in oil, grease, carbon deposits, dirt, and other service-related residues. The type and severity of contamination can vary considerably, even between identical components.

Several challenges complicate the cleaning process:

• Component size and complexity: large assemblies, heavy components, and intricate geometries require appropriate handling and effective cleaning coverage.

• Hard-to-reach areas: Internal passages, recessed surfaces, and complex geometries can trap contamination that conventional cleaning methods struggle to remove.

• Manual cleaning requirements: Scrubbing, repositioning, and repeated washing increase labor demands and extend maintenance cycles.

• Inconsistent results: Manual processes depend heavily on operator technique, making cleaning quality difficult to reproduce.

• Safety considerations: Handling heavy components and working around hot cleaning solutions, caustic chemicals, and contaminated surfaces introduce operational risks.

• Different cleaning requirements: Components made from different materials or intended for different maintenance operations may require distinct cleaning parameters.

These challenges affect more than the cleaning station itself. When technicians must repeat cleaning operations or wait for components to become ready for inspection, delays can extend throughout the maintenance workflow.

How Process Control Improves MRO Cleaning

Automating a cleaning process does more than replace manual labor. It introduces a level of control and consistency that helps MRO facilities manage variable workloads without compromising cleaning requirements.

Automated industrial parts washers use programmed cycles to control critical process parameters, including cleaning time, solution temperature, spray pressure, and chemical concentration, where supported by the system's instrumentation and controls. Once technicians establish and validate the appropriate process, the equipment can execute the same cleaning sequence consistently.

Modern programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and human-machine interfaces (HMIs) allow operators to select cleaning recipes, monitor operating conditions, and identify system alarms. For facilities servicing multiple component families, programmed recipes allow operators to select cleaning parameters according to specific maintenance requirements. Recipe selection does not eliminate any changes to fixtures, loading arrangements, or equipment setup required by a different component.

Automation also reduces repetitive handling and direct operator involvement during washing. Depending on the equipment configuration, automated loading, part rotation, spray positioning, and controlled rinsing can further reduce manual intervention.

Importantly, repeatable cleaning does not automatically guarantee cleanliness. Facilities must establish appropriate process parameters and verify results against the requirements of the subsequent maintenance operation.

Matching the Cleaning System to the MRO Application

An effective cleaning process starts with understanding the component and the required result. Engineers must consider component dimensions, weight, material, geometry, contamination levels, maintenance volume, and downstream requirements. Washing, rinsing, and drying must also support the next operation, whether visual inspection, non-destructive testing (NDT), repair, or reassembly.

Applications vary considerably across industries. Aviation MRO facilities handle aircraft wheels, engine components, and landing gear assemblies. Rail and transit operations service wheelsets, traction motors, and mechanical assemblies, while defense maintenance facilities work with heavy-duty powertrain and vehicle components.

MRO Application Example: Automated Aircraft Wheel Cleaning

Aircraft wheel maintenance illustrates how automated cleaning can support MRO efficiency. During service, aircraft wheels accumulate brake dust, grease, rubber residues, and other contaminants that must be removed before inspection and subsequent maintenance operations. Traditional cleaning methods can involve considerable manual effort, particularly when technicians must repeatedly handle wheels or clean difficult-to-access surfaces.

PROCECO's TYPHOON®-AWW Aircraft Wheel Washer addresses these challenges through an automated cleaning process designed specifically for aircraft wheel maintenance.

The system combines controlled washing with automated handling to reduce repetitive manual cleaning and deliver consistent coverage across wheel surfaces. In addition to, the system uses aqueous, solvent-free cleaning solutions that can support environmental sustainability objectives.

The AWW supports cleaning capacities of up to 30 aircraft wheels per eight-hour shift, demonstrating how purpose-built equipment can accommodate the most demanding MRO workloads.

Making Cleaning Part of MRO Excellence

When facilities treat parts cleaning as an integrated part of their MRO workflow, they can better manage turnaround times, reduce repetitive manual tasks, and establish consistent conditions for downstream maintenance activities.

Ultimately, MRO excellence depends on making every maintenance step reliable, efficient, and fit for purpose, including the cleaning process.