MRO podcast goes live with Fareham firm
Global engineering solutions provider Barnbrook Systems of Fareham has lifted the lid on Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) trends in a newly launched podcast.
The company’s managing director Andrew Barnett told how more civil and military operators are relying on MRO providers to extend the operational life of in-service assets amid financial constraints and rising geopolitical tensions.
His comments came in the first of a new series of MRO-focused podcasts launched by Barnbrook aimed at such as sectors as defence, aerospace, fire security, aviation and maritime.
Andrew said: “Our podcast presents a perspective on MRO from a contractor within the supply chain.
“Our Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) certifications and position as a SME means we have insights from working with primes through to sub-contractors.
“From our experience, many more governments, military and civil operators are seeking ways to extend the longevity of older assets whether that is in aviation, rail, maritime, defence and other sectors.
“Increased budgetary pressures and the unstable global geopolitical situation are key drivers, while the development of new technology has been able to make this possible.”
Barnbrook, with nearly 50 staff in Fareham, reverse engineers and re-engineers existing components and systems through its MRO capability.
This includes brake controllers and directional controllers for older fleets of trains to combat obsolescence and extend service life.
It has also recently signed 10-year deal with Japan’s navy to breathe new life into a fleet of warships.
Within certification, Barnbrook also improves systems and through its Intelligent Internet of Things (IIOT) BlueCube© technology it is able to introduce predictive maintenance and operational improvements through diagnostic analysis.
In the podcast Andrew says: “The cost of replacing some of these assets is hundreds of millions or billions of dollars and they are being replaced with something that might be new but is not fully field proven.
“Whereas we're working with fully proven equipment, and the desire to push the life of that equipment out farther than it was originally designed is attractive financially to operators because it's still working.
“So some of the platforms are being pushed out five, 10 and 15 years into the future and we we're here to support that.”
Barnbrook’s products for older assets also include aerospace engine controls and speed switches for such fighter jets as the Tornado, Jaguar, Hawk and Sea Harrier. It also supplies such systems as temperature monitors, flight flap actuators and rotary variable differential transformers (RVDT).
Andrew was interviewed by hosts Rod Duarte and Sam Trivino for the podcast. Barnbrook is based in Fareham with nearly 50 staff.
Watch the podcast at https://youtu.be/Z7phG-mK9LY