Pattonair Wins EU Backing in Bid to Shake Up Aerospace Industry

Global aerospace and defence supply chain specialist Pattonair has joined forces with two innovative companies to win EU funding for a ground-breaking technology venture.

The Derby-based firm is working with complex part machining specialists Advanced Manufacturing Ltd (AML) and technology start-up Parts Pedigree Ltd to create a digital cloud-based service for the aerospace industry.

The pioneering Parts Pedigree digital platform will help to minimise the loss of millions of pounds that parts manufacturers and customers endure every year through outdated paper-based tracking systems.

Using blockchain technology to notarise part certificates, the platform will allow businesses to track and view aviation parts and the related paperwork throughout their supply chain.

As well as providing a digital mechanism to record processes such as goods receipt and despatch, the project will be able to associate manufacturing and certification events with each component produced.

It is these multi-layers of innovation embedded within the project that secured the €120,000 grant from the EU’s Internet of Things (IoT) Commission which provides crucial funding to organisations looking to bring pioneering digital solutions to market. The joint proposal scored an impressive 13.5 out of 15.

Earmarked as the ‘supply chain of the future’, the venture is set to bring a wide range of benefits to both suppliers and customers through greater visibility into the manufacturing and certification processes.

Pattonair CEO Wayne Hollinshead explained: “For some time the aerospace industry has needed a shared approach to the documentation of the critical parts it uses.

“While some companies were working from paper, others may have made the move to digital, but across different systems. Having to navigate this path increased the risk of costly delays, quality issues and ultimately unhappy customers and their suppliers.

“We expect to see a tenfold efficiency improvement with the introduction of this new system. It will play a huge role in our commitment to keeping the world flying.”

Customers will be able to track where parts are, their status and be able to view the complete audit trail of related paperwork, which is crucial to track the lifetime of every single part.
In future, the data provided will help with parts forecasting, supply chain risk prediction and will ultimately deliver a better service.

“There’s an enormous amount of paperwork attached to aircraft parts,” said Tristan Whitehead, former Deloitte aerospace partner and founder and CEO of Parts Pedigree, based in Derby.