Bonded repairs

Aircraft structure repair is process-sensitive, requiring attention to detail, particularly in terms of both composite and metal surface preparation.

A significant amount of work has been done in the past five to 10 years related to bonded repairs on aircraft structures and their durability over time. With the ever-increasing age of in-service aircraft, this issue will continue to be an important one.

One area of improvement involves the reduction of downtime on an aircraft undergoing a bonded repair. Another involves eliminating the frequent re-repairs that occur due to poor bond quality from a previous repair. Future design concepts are focusing on more “one-piece” types of structure that will rely on structural, durable repairs that can be performed with a minimal amount of facilities required.