In this episode, we explore how the mechanics of bird wings are inspiring new approaches to prevent airplanes from stalling and learn how bio-mimetic designs from nature are paving the way for innovations in aviation, enhancing stability and safety for future flights.

Podcast: Scared of Flying Boeing? Nature Might Be The Solution

If you’re an RPAS pilot in Canada, you’re likely using NAV Drone (and if you’re not, you should be).The mobile and web app from NAV Canada is the app to ensure your mission is approved. As the NAV CANADA <a href="https://www.navcanada.ca/en/flight-planning/drone-flight-planning/nav-drone-support.aspx" target="_blank">website explains</a>: “NAV Drone is the only app that lets you safely and legally request permission to fly a drone in airspace controlled by NAV CANADA. From the web or a mobile device, professional and recreational drone pilots and operators can easily see where they can and cannot fly with interactive maps and, when needed, submit requests to fly in controlled airspace.”It’s a snap to use. The app lets you know where you can fly – and where you can’t – and could save you from both dangerous operations and potential fines. The app also notifies you if there are other drone operations underway in the vicinity of your operations, which is really useful for situational awareness.Last week, at the <a href="https://www.aerialevolution.ca/" target="_blank">Aerial Evolution Association of Canada</a>‘s annual conference and exhibition, NAV CANADA offered an update on usage stats for the app – and revealed there are more enhancements on the horizon.Below: Screengrabs from the NAV Drone mobile app, followed by a NAV CANADA explainer video<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMxMzQ5NzgyOTAzLUlNR182MTM0LXNjYWxlZC5qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="NAV Drone App"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMxMzQ5ODA0MTg3LUlNR182MTM1LmpwZy53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="NAV Drone App"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FZR6ii6PX8s?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe><h3 id="isPasted">By The Numbers</h3>NAV Drone has been operational now for several years. There was a lot of buzz in the industry when it was first released, but what has that translated to in terms of actual use? Here, NAV CANADA offered some numbers – which indicate the app has been widely embraced across the sector.In 2024, NAV Drone had processed 53,000 permission requests as of early November, a growth rate of 26 per cent over the previous year. By automating this process – and avoiding manual approval (30 minutes per request at $130/hour), NAV CANADA says the app has saved more than $6.5M in Air Traffic Service (ATS) costs. What’s more, users seem to really like the app; it has excellent ratings on the App Store and Google Play.And, of course, NAV Drone has greatly enhanced safety (and provided a huge amount of data) for NAV CANADA, the country’s privately run non-profit corporation that operates our civil air navigation system.“Safety is the key reason it’s there. It’s all about keeping the airspace safe,” explained Alan Chapman, NAV CANADA’s director of RPAS Traffic Management.As we head toward increased RPAS traffic, including regulations that will permit low-risk Beyond Visual Line of Sight flights in 2025, NAV CANADA has bold plans to enhance the offerings of the NAV Drone app. And that’s good news for both RPAS operators and also those operating traditional crewed aviation.“Some big changes are coming to NAV Drone in 2025,” said&nbsp;Stewart Paveling,&nbsp;Product Family Leader, RPAS Traffic Management NAV CANADA during a panel discussion.That includes a number of additional features to the app, including greater capabilities with RPAS Traffic Management (RTM), low-risk BVLOS and EVLOS flight approvals – Including the ability to record flights undertaken with a Special Flight Operations Certificate through the app.These are big changes, indicative of recognition this industry will continue to grow as well as NAV CANADA’s desire to safely help the industry expand as we head, ultimately, into the era of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).“NAV CANADA’s strategic direction positions us to take a leadership role to effect change across the air navigation system,” read a slide during its presentation. “To unlock not just our own potential, but also the potential of the industry to be more effective, more efficient, and more environmentally sustainable going forward.”To further emphasise that, the slide continued – including the bold in the following paragraph:“RTM facilitates the safe integration of RPAS, in a highly automated way, enabling growth of operations and expansion of use cases to capture the potential aviation and societal benefits.”That was followed by a high-level road map indicating priorities for the coming years.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMxMzUwMjgxNjYxLU5BVi1DYW5hZGEtTkFWLURyb25lLXNjYWxlZC5qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="RTM Phase 1 Progress Report"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMxMzUwMzAzNDYyLU5BVi1DQU5BREEtUlRNLVBoYXNlLVR3by1zY2FsZWQuanBnLndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="RTM Phase 2"><h3 id="isPasted">Next Steps</h3>Following the slides, there was a panel discussion about future plans, along with other suggestions on ways to improve the existing app. In addition to Alan Chapman and Stewart Aveling, the panel included Joanne Moon (Manager of RPAS Operations, NAV CANADA), Anne Sophie Ripple-Bouvier (Flight Safety Officer, Aerial Evolution Association of Canada) and Brian Fentiman (Project Manager, InDro Robotics/CEO BlueForce UAV Consulting, Inc.).As the slide above notes, NAV Drone will keep pace with Transport Canada regulations – including the much anticipated changes that will allow low-risk BVLOS flights in 2025. The emphasis here is on pushing the envelope with a highly automated RTM system “to support safe, efficient and scalable BVLOS operations.”For years, the sector has been eager to enable BVLOS flight without the need for a time-consuming Special Flight Operations Certificate. This obviously opens the door to a broad range of use-case scenarios, ranging from monitoring long-range assets like railroad tracks and pipelines through to large-scale mapping and other data acquisition.For those operations that will still require an SFOC, NAV Canada revealed that the capability will be in place to allow flights to be recorded in the app. Though that will simplify the process of recording for operators, NAV Canada will not approve SFOCs; these applications will be reviewed by Transport Canada, which is responsible for approving SFOCs.Later this year, Paveling added, there will be new map layers for restricted airspace. NAV Canada is also planing to improve the flight clipboard that comes with the system, redesigning it and making it easier to read. There will also be changes to the web-based support site, including a move away from PDF manuals “with better content that’s easier to consume and search.”Outside of the app, NAV Canada said it is working to beef up its ability to detect drone incursions.“We see reports of RPAS in control zones on approach paths,” said Joanne Moon of NAV Canada, adding that the corporation also obtains data from drone detection systems in place at airports. (InDro Robotics is the chief technology partner with the <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/drone-pilot-fined-3021-for-drone-incursion-at-yow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drone detection system at YOW</a>. That data is shared with NAV CANADA and Transport Canada, among others.)NAV Canada, she said, is looking at strengthening its capabilities and enforcement in this arena.“(We’ve)&nbsp;Been working with industry partners, looking at things like drone detection, information sharing, emergency response, collaboratiion with airport authorities (as well as) our own air traffic services unit.”&nbsp;<h3>Other Improvements&nbsp;</h3>There was also an opportunity during the panel to discuss other improvements that could be made to the NAV Drone app. And here, InDro’s Brian Fentiman offered some suggestions.“One of the biggest things I find, more as a trainer than an operator, is the weak spot. The weak spot seems to be emergency procedures…With a flyaway,&nbsp;I would much prefer that there’s a single number. I’d like to see that phone number up front so it’s easy for people to find. In&nbsp;controlled airspace, you do get a phone number but it’s buried in a flight report…Sometimes you’ll get that phone number and the tower is not even open during those hours.”It’s an important point – and one NAV Canada says it’s about to address.“We are actively working on that right now…for an upcoming change to NAV Drone,” said Moon.The other point Fentiman raised was with regards to conspicuity – meaning the electronic visibility of a drone within a broader RTM system.“To enable BVLOS, we need conspicuity…whether it’s from the drone to other (RPAS) traffic or to commercial aviation,” he said.That is something, said NAV CANADA, that is precisely on its roadmap. And the best way to fully get there, it was suggested, was to ensure that everyone in the industry uses the NAV Drone app.“The more people who use the tool, the better situational awareness we have,” said Chapman.Below: Brian Fentiman on the NAV CANADA panel at AEAC2024. Photo by Scott Simmie, InDro Robotics<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMxMzUwMzY4NzU4LURTQ0YzNjY4LXNjYWxlZC5qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Brian Fentiman"> <h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take</h3>The annual Aerial Evolution Association of Canada’s conference and exhibit is always a great event – and precisely due to learning opportunities like this one. Conversations with bodies like NAV CANADA and Transport Canada are tremendously important for the growth of the sector.“We are fortunate in Canada to have a collaborative relationship with NAV CANADA and Transport Canada, as that’s not always the case between the industry and regulators or air traffic systems organizations,” says Philip Reece, Founder and CEO of InDro Robotics.“We have seen a true evolution over the years in terms of this relationship – and from both sides. There’s a greater recognition now from the industry that safety has to remain paramount if the sector is going to continue its growth trajectory. And we’ve also seen a real willingness from NAV CANADA and Transport Canada to work with RPAS operators to safely continue growth. The NAV Drone app – and how widely it’s now used – is evidence of this collaboration from both sides. We look forward to enhanced capabilities on this already excellent tool.”Want to learn more about the benefits of membership with the Aerial Evolution Association of Canada? You can find all the details <a href="https://www.aerialevolution.ca/become-a-member/" target="_blank">here</a>.

NAV Canada Update

Enhanced Capabilities Coming to NAV Drone App

In this episode, we explore how AI can help aerial vehicles adjust to extreme turbulence in real-time and enhance safety/stability, even in challenging driving conditions.

Scared of Turbulence? AI -Might- Fix That

This article was discussed in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/613afcf0-5191-4293-a6a1-7f18ec73fe53?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr>“These flaps can both help the plane avoid stall and make it easier to regain control when stall does occur,” said <a href="https://mae.princeton.edu/people/faculty/wissa" data-type="link" data-id="https://mae.princeton.edu/people/faculty/wissa">Aimy Wissa</a>, assistant professor of <a href="https://mae.princeton.edu/">mechanical and aerospace engineering</a> and principal investigator of <a href="https://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2409268121">the study</a>, published Oct. 28 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The flaps mimic a group of feathers, called covert feathers, that deploy when birds perform &nbsp; certain aerial maneuvers, such as landing or flying in a gust. Biologists have observed when and how these feathers deploy, but no studies have quantified the aerodynamic role of covert feathers during bird flight. Engineering studies have investigated covert-inspired flaps for improving engineered wing performance, but have mostly neglected that birds have multiple rows of covert feathers. The Princeton team has advanced the technology by demonstrating how sets of flaps work together and exploring the complex physics that governs the interaction.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMwMTYzMTAzMjIwLVdpc3NhLXBsYW5lLWZlYXRoZXJzLWhlcm8tZm9yLXdlYi0yMDQ4eDExNTIuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Princeton researchers at the Forrestal campus. Left to right: Ahmed K. Othman, Girguis Sedky, Hannah Wiswell and professor Aimy Wissa. Photo by Lori M. NicholsGirguis Sedky, postdoctoral researcher and the paper’s lead author, called the technique “an easy and cost-effective way to drastically improve flight performance without additional power requirements.”The covert flaps deploy or flip up in response to changes in airflow, requiring no external control mechanisms. They offer an inexpensive and lightweight method to increase flight performance without complex machinery. “They’re essentially just flexible flaps&nbsp;that, when designed and placed properly, can greatly improve a plane’s performance and stability,” Wissa said.A wing’s teardrop form forces air to flow quickly over its top, creating a low-pressure area that pulls the plane up. At the same time, air pushes against the bottom of the wing, adding upward pressure. Designers call the combination of this pull and push “lift.” Changes in flight conditions or a drop in an aircraft’s speed can result in stall, rapidly reducing lift.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMwMTYzMTIzMjAxLWZvci13ZWItMDkxMjI0LVBSTi1XaW5kVHVubmVsLUxNTjI2NDcxLTE1MzZ4MTAzMC5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The researchers explored the physics behind the flaps’ performance in a wind tunnel at Princeton.Wissa’s team designed a series of experiments in the wind tunnel at Princeton’s Forrestal Campus to understand how flaps mimicking the feathers would affect flight performance, especially near stall, which usually happens when the plane is at a steep angle, when covert feathers were observed to deploy. The tunnel allowed the team to examine the way different flap arrangements affected variables like air pressure around the wings, wind speed over the wing and vortices that impact performance.The team attached the covert-inspired flaps to a 3D-printed model airplane wing and mounted it in the wind tunnel, a 30-foot-tall metal contraption that simulates and measures air flow. “The wind tunnel experiments give us really precise measurements for how air interacts with the wing and the flaps, and we can see what’s actually happening in terms of physics,” Sedky said.The wind tunnel is equipped with sensors that read the forces felt by the wing, as well as a laser and high-speed camera that measure precisely how air is moving around the wing.The study uncovered the physics by which the flaps improved lift and identified two ways that the flaps control air moving around the wing. One of these control mechanisms had not been previously identified. The researchers uncovered the new mechanism, called shear layer interaction, when they were testing the effect of a single flap near the front of the wing. They found that the other mechanism is only effective when the flap is at the back of the wing.The researchers tested configurations with a single flap and with multiple flaps ranging from two rows to five rows. They found that the five-row configuration improved lift by 45%, reduced drag by 30% and enhanced the overall wing stability.“The discovery of this new mechanism unlocked a secret behind why birds have these feathers near the front of the wings and how we can use these flaps for aircraft,” Wissa said. “Especially because we found that the more flaps you add to the front of the wing, the higher the performance benefit.”Following the results of the wind tunnel experiments, the team moved outside the lab and into the field to test the covert-inspired flaps on a scaled model aircraft. Princeton’s Forrestal Campus was once an airport and still features an operational helipad. So, the researchers teamed up with Nathaniel Simon, graduate student in mechanical and aerospace engineering who researches drone flight, and demonstrated the technology in real-world conditions by equipping a radio-controlled (RC) airplane with covert-inspired flaps.The researchers worked with members of the Somerset RC model aircraft club to select a model plane. The researchers then modified the airplane body to outfit it with an onboard flight computer, and Simon drew on his experience piloting drones to fly it. They programmed the flight computer to stall the aircraft autonomously and repeatedly. Simon said it was amazing to see the flaps deploy in-flight and to see that they helped delay and reduce stall intensity, just as they did in the wind tunnel. “It’s cool to be able to collaborate in the shared space at the Forrestal campus, and to see how many areas of research this project touched,” he said.Sedky said that in addition to improving flight, their findings could be extended to other applications where modifying the surrounding fluid would benefit performance. “What we discovered about how coverts alter the airflow around the wing can be applied to other fluids and other bodies, making them applicable to cars, underwater vehicles, and even wind turbines,” he said.Wissa said that this study could open the door to collaborations with biologists to learn more about the role of covert feathers in bird flight, and that the results of this study will help form new hypotheses that can be tested on birds. “That’s the power of bioinspired design,” she said. “The ability to transfer things from biology to engineering to improve our mechanical systems, but also use our engineering tools to answer questions about biology.”<hr>The paper, “Distributed feather-inspired flow control mitigates stall and expands flight envelope,” by was published Nov. 20 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Besides Wissa, Sedky and Simon, authors include Ahmed K. Othman, and Hannah Wiswell, graduate students in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Support for the project was provided in part by the National Science Foundation.

Princeton researchers equipped the wings of an RC plane with wing feather-inspired flaps, and flew it at Princeton’s Forrestal Campus to prove that the flaps help prevent airplanes from stalling. Photos by Lori M. Nichols

Taking inspiration from bird feathers, Princeton engineers have found that adding rows of flaps to a remote-controlled aircraft’s wings improves flight performance and helps prevent stalling, a condition that can jeopardize a plane’s ability to stay aloft. 

Bird wings inspire new approach to flight safety

This article was discussed in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/ba9d3b2c-0388-4b26-839e-f00c49d3ec84?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr>In nature, flying animals sense coming changes in their surroundings, including the onset of sudden turbulence, and quickly adjust to stay safe. Engineers who design aircraft would like to give their vehicles the same ability to predict incoming disturbances and respond appropriately. Indeed, disasters such as the fatal Singapore Airlines flight this past May in which more than 100 passengers were injured after the plane encountered severe turbulence, could be avoided if aircraft had such automatic sensing and prediction capabilities combined with mechanisms to stabilize the vehicle.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI5MDM4MjAxNjIyLUFuYW5ka3VtYXItR2hhcmliLVdpbmRfVHVubmVsX0ZhbGNvbi1XRUIud2lkdGgtNDUwLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The team's experimental setup in the John W. Lucas Wind Tunnel at Caltech. A large black cylinder with a plate attached at the front creates irregular turbulence under the tunnel's high-speed winds. The airfoil wing system with eight pressure sensors and a pitot tube is mounted on a load cell to measure the lift experienced by the system. Credit: CaltechNow a team of researchers from Caltech's <a href="https://cast.caltech.edu/">Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies</a> (CAST) and Nvidia has taken an important step toward such capabilities. In a new <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44182-024-00013-0.epdf?sharing_token=6SA8UpWMvumTfhM3BzcI0NRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OYBT9CUtY2_MnOaaTlLg26HDgxOHgFndBOc1Ku9JjlUbinxhxQy2OVlESO-2I1ea10WRlqhnXFkZL3MD7WxjALanseKL57Txyt7Qm936pSVU30LsD6GimfDMNURtTs7_Q%3D">paper</a> in the journal npj Robotics, the team describes a control strategy they have developed for unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, called FALCON (Fourier Adaptive Learning and CONtrol). The strategy uses reinforcement learning, a form of artificial intelligence, to adaptively learn how turbulent wind can change over time and then uses that knowledge to control a UAV based on what it is experiencing in real time."Spontaneous turbulence has major consequences for everything from civilian flights to drones. With climate change, extreme weather events that cause this type of turbulence are on the rise," says <a href="https://www.eas.caltech.edu/people/mgharib">Mory Gharib</a> (PhD '83), the Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics and Medical Engineering, the Booth-Kresa Leadership Chair of CAST, and an author of the new paper. "Extreme turbulence also arises at the interface between two different shear flows—for example, when high-speed winds meet stagnation around a tall building. Therefore, UAVs in urban settings need to be able to compensate for such sudden changes. FALCON gives these vehicles a way to understand the turbulence that is coming and make necessary adjustments."FALCON is not the first UAV control strategy to use reinforcement learning. However, previous strategies have not tried to learn the underlying model that truly represents how turbulent winds work. Instead, they have all been model-free methods. Such methods focus on maximizing a reward function that cannot be used to tackle different settings, such as different wind conditions or vehicle configurations, without retraining because they focus on just one environment."That's not so good in the physical world, where we know that situations can change drastically and quickly," says <a href="https://www.eas.caltech.edu/people/anima">Anima Anandkumar</a>, the Bren Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Caltech and an author of the new paper. "We need the AI to learn the underlying model of turbulence well so that it can take action based on how it thinks the wind will change.""Advancements in fundamental AI will change the face of the aviation industry, enhancing safety, efficiency, and performance across a range of platforms, including passenger planes, UAVs, and carrier aircraft. These innovations promise to make air travel and operations smarter, safer, and more streamlined," says Kamyar Azizzadenesheli, a co-author from Nvidia.As the FALCON acronym says, the strategy is based on Fourier methods, meaning that it relies on the use of sinusoids, or periodic waves, to represent signals—here, wind conditions. The waves provide a good approximation of standard wind motions, keeping needed computation to a minimum. Within those waves, when extreme turbulence arises, the unsteadiness shows up as a noticeable change in frequency."If you can learn how to predict those frequencies, then our method can give you some prediction of what is headed your way," says Gharib, who is also director of the <a href="https://www.galcit.caltech.edu/">Graduate Aerospace Laboratories</a> at Caltech."Fourier methods work well here because turbulent waves are better modeled in terms of frequencies, with most of their energy lying in low frequencies," says co-lead author Sahin Lale (PhD '23), now a senior staff research engineer at Neural Propulsion Systems, Inc., who completed the work while at Caltech. "Using this prior knowledge simplifies both the learning and control of turbulent dynamics, even with a limited amount of information."To test the effectiveness of the FALCON strategy, the researchers created an extremely challenging test setup in the <a href="http://windtunnel.caltech.edu/">John W. Lucas Wind Tunnel</a> at Caltech. They used a fully equipped airfoil wing system as their representative UAV, outfitting it with pressure sensors and control surfaces that could make adjustments online to things like the system's altitude and yaw. They then positioned a large cylinder with a moveable attachment in the wind tunnel. When wind flowed over the cylinder, it created random, major fluctuations in the wind reaching the airfoil."Training a reinforcement learning algorithm in a physical turbulent environment presents all kinds of unique challenges," says Peter I. Renn (BS '19, PhD '23) co-lead author of the paper who is now a quantitative strategist at Virtu Financial. "We couldn't rely on perfectly clean signals or simplified flow simulations, and everything had to be done in real time."After about nine minutes of learning, the FALCON-assisted system was able to stabilize itself in this extreme environment."With each new observation, the program gets better because it has more information," says Anandkumar."The future really depends on how powerful the software gets in terms of needing less and less training," says Gharib. "Quick adaptation is going to be the challenge, and we are going to push, push, push."Looking to the future, he adds that the researchers envision giving UAVs and even passenger planes the ability to share sensed and learned information about conditions with each other. Such plane-to-plane sharing of sensor measurements and artificial intelligence–based learning, especially when in the vicinity of a disturbance, could help keep aircraft safe."I believe that's going to happen," says Gharib. "Otherwise, things will get pretty dangerous as extreme weather events increase in frequency."The paper, "FALCON: Fourier Adaptive Learning and Control for Disturbance Rejection Under Extreme Turbulence," was published online on September 24. Babak Hassibi, the Mose and Lillian S. Bohn Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Caltech is also an author of the new paper. The work was supported by CAST and by grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Office of Naval Research.

In nature, flying animals sense coming changes in their surroundings, including the onset of sudden turbulence, and quickly adjust to stay safe. Engineers who design aircraft would like to give their vehicles the same ability to predict incoming disturbances and respond appropriately.

AI-Trained Vehicles Can Adjust to Extreme Turbulence on the Fly

Aerodynamic shape optimization (ASO) is a key technique in aerodynamic design aimed at enhancing an object's physical performance while adhering to specific constraints.To optimize a 3D shape, one has to represent it in terms of a number of parameters that can be fed to the optimizer. A standard way to do this is to use a technique known as Free Form Deformations (FFD). Unfortunately, this requires extensive manual intervention and even when used by a domain expert, it often takes a great deal of trial and error to get right.<h2>Deep Geometric Mapping</h2>Now, researchers in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epfl.ch/labs/cvlab/" target="_blank">Computer Vision Laboratory</a> (CVLab), part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epfl.ch/schools/ic/" target="_blank">School of Computer and Communication Sciences</a>(IC), in collaboration with colleagues at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.isae-supaero.fr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ISAE-SupAero</a> in France, have developed the DeepGeo model, a fully automated neural-network-based approach to generating the required parameterization for complex geometries.“DeepGeo performs the same function as FFD, but uses recent developments in deep learning to eliminate the need for human tinkering. It finds the appropriate parameters, which are then used to optimize the aircraft design. It is no longer necessary to spend months coming up with good parameterization,” explained Professor Pascal Fua, Head of the CV Lab.DeepGeo also adapts the volumetric meshes modeling - the discretized computational domain surrounding the target object - as its shape changes during optimization. These volumetric meshes are necessary to perform the required Computational Fluid Dynamics computations and automating their deformation further reduces the workload of the designers.Because it is innovative and potentially transformational, the corresponding paper,&nbsp;<a href="https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/b3fd399e-a66f-433d-b066-c44d454ec9bd" target="_blank">DeepGeo: Deep Geometric Mapping for Automated and Effective Parameterization in Aerodynamic Shape Optimization</a> recently won a best student paper award at the biggest aeronautics conference of the year, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aiaa.org/aviation/#:~:text=Join%20AIAA%20in%20Las%20Vegas,%20NV%20from%2021%20to%2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Forum ‘24</a>.It outlines how DeepGeo is based on deep geometric learning techniques without requiring large-scale training datasets. Multiple case studies undertaken by the researchers, including 2D circle-to-airfoil optimization, 3D CRM wing optimization, and 3D Blended-Wing-Body aircraft optimization, demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of DeepGeo. It delivers comparable performance to FFD at a fraction of the cost in terms of the required effort by human designers.“By eliminating the need for extensive datasets and hyperparameter tuning, DeepGeo significantly reduces implementation complexity and cost and our research highlights its potential to automate ASO, making it more accessible and efficient,” added Zhen Wei, a doctoral assistant in the CV Lab and first author on the paper.<h2>A personal passion driving green aviation design</h2>For Fua, his drive to optimize green aviation design goes beyond the laboratory. He’s a passionate glider pilot and recently took part in a journey with motorized gliders from Chambéry in France to Ourzazate in Morocco.Whilst the adventure was a lot of fun, Fua was constantly monitoring the sustainability of the trip and uses his amateur ‘in the air’ experience as inspiration for new research ideas. The expedition was soaring most of the time and only used the engines very sparingly. It covered more than 5000 km using the engine for less than 5 hours in a total of 55 hours flying time.“For more sustainable aviation, the game is to essentially change the shape of aircraft to reduce drag. This is an old problem, it's been around forever,” explained Fua. “Going forward we want to first use DeepGeo on model gliders used for FAI competitions. Because they need to fulfil so many contradictory requirements while being reasonably cheap to build, they are a wonderful test bed for our technology.”<h2>Beyond sustainable aviation</h2>Whilst model gliders will provide a demonstration of what DeepGeo can do, there’s a much bigger picture: This research is about optimizing design and efficiency for commercial jets and passenger airlines – planes with engines – and a wide range of applications beyond.Beyond the field of aeronautics, the automated simultaneous design of shapes that interact, such as contiguous car components or internal parts of turbines, is a pervasive and open problem. One of Fua’s long term goals is to revolutionize the way that composite objects, whose parts can have arbitrary shapes or topologies, are modelled, manipulated and optimized, enforcing both design constraints on individual parts and compatibility constraints among these parts.“DeepGeo offers a promising solution for complex geometric parameterization in the field of aerodynamic shape optimization. Future work in this direction will be key in designing energy-efficient machines at a time when minimizing humanity’s impact on the environment has become a critical concern,” Fua concluded.

EPFL professor’s passion for sustainable flying and expertise in machine learning and computer vision drives innovation in green aviation design and beyond.

A new deep learning model for easier sustainable aircraft design

Composite metal foam could make aircraft wings or armor simultaneously stronger and lighter. An advanced material, the properties of composite metal foam (CMF) indeed make it attractive for a wide range of applications.There’s a problem, though. To bring many of those applications to life, manufacturers must be able to weld CMF components together — without impairing the properties that make it so attractive.Researchers at NC&nbsp;State University might have found a solution. It’s called induction welding.“Most forms of traditional welding don’t work well with metal foams,” says Afsaneh Rabiei, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State and corresponding author of a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adem.202301430" target="_blank">paper on the new research</a>.&nbsp;Induction welding, as the name implies, uses an induction coil to create an electromagnetic field that heats the metal. Rabiei and the research team published findings that indicate induction welding works very well on CMF components.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1723586190704-CompositeMetalFoam-graphic.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">A graphical illustration of induction welding being used on CMF components.Commonly made out of stainless steel or titanium, CMFs are foams that consist of hollow, metallic spheres. These pockets of air in CMFs make the material light, strong and effective at insulating against high temperatures.“Traditional fusion welding uses a filler to connect two pieces of metal,” Rabiei says. “This is problematic because the metal being melted to fuse two pieces of CMF is solid, so it lacks the desirable properties of the CMF on either side of it. In addition, any type of welding that uses direct heat to melt the metal results in some of the porosity in the CMF being filled in, which impairs its properties.”Rabiei says CMF is only 30-35% metal. So the electromagnetic field created by induction welding can “penetrate deeply into the material — allowing for a good weld.”&nbsp;Meanwhile, the air pockets that make up the remaining 65-70% “serve to insulate the material against the heat,” which allows a welder to heat a joint without the heat spreading too far.&nbsp;“That helps to preserve the CMF’s properties,” Rabiei says.Together with NC&nbsp;State Ph.D. students John Cance and Zubin Chacko, Rabiei&nbsp;<a href="https://news.ncsu.edu/2023/12/welding-metal-foam/" target="_blank">published “A Study on Welding of Porous Metals and Metallic Foams”</a> in the journal&nbsp;Advanced Engineering Materials&nbsp;late last year.This article is based on a&nbsp;<a href="https://news.ncsu.edu/2023/12/welding-metal-foam/" target="_blank">news release</a>&nbsp;from NC State University.

An F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet sits onboard an aircraft carrier deck sailing the ocean.

Composite metal foam could make aircraft wings or armor simultaneously stronger and lighter. An advanced material, the properties of composite metal foam (CMF) indeed make it attractive for a wide range of applications.

Welding Metal Foam

<h2 id="isPasted">Stay at the cutting edge of the aerospace industry</h2>We are pleased to have partnered with <a href="https://www.rocelec.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Rochester Electronics</a> to launch the Future-Proofing Aerospace whitepaper.<h3 id="isPasted">Whitepaper highlights:</h3><ol><li>Understand the Importance of Legacy Systems: Discover why preserving legacy avionics systems is crucial for reliability, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.</li><li>Navigate Component Obsolescence: Learn about the challenges aerospace designers face due to outdated or discontinued components and how to address them.</li><li>Explore Solutions from Rochester Electronics: Gain insights into how Rochester Electronics specializes in preserving and replicating obsolete components to ensure the continued operation of legacy systems.</li></ol><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzIzMTE2NDg1NjU0LXJvY2hlc3RlciBtb2NrdXAzLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><iframe src="https://c8056756.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAPvRjKP45aVx8DQkoObDXDWJw6rbmqP9ZmGK9hJM9glc0ZpymV0NWJzWgEQzqaBt_nJkeTn8a_kmy7xsfUjzIoMxZkEd-3YakGRA44TU4L7vmi9mzfI2Y4Ewa0e3CjvO8N62LazFWvnZ7611BzrvY8BHuhHcvUYCKM07CCfjHco_6Puwcdr4WsKo7J7_4yTPNhW-Z5L2mi2m" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" allowfullscreen="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px; height: 300px;" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Solving component obsolescence challenges</h2>Dealing with component obsolescence is one of the most challenging obstacles an avionics designer may encounter. In the previous installments of this article series, we discussed the impact and causes of component obsolescence, as well as practical techniques and resources to help navigate the complexities of obsolete components. In this piece, we’re going to look at some real-world examples of companies that worked alongside Rochester Electronics to solve their component obsolescence challenges.<h3 dir="ltr">Military aviation</h3>Rochester Electronics faced a challenging situation when approached by a manufacturer of engine control modules for the United States Military regarding field failures in aircraft engine control modules[1]. These failures were traced back to counterfeit microprocessors, which a manufacturer had procured from a grey market source instead of purchasing authorized devices. This decision, initially made to reduce costs, led to a series of failures and malfunctions in aviation equipment.As failures mounted, the gravity of the situation became clear. Military aircraft were at risk, and the lives of service members were at risk. Meanwhile, the manufacturer found itself facing costly recalls and substantial fines. The initial cost savings quickly evaporated in the face of these unforeseen expenses and the potential for even more severe consequences.The original components' obsolescence compounded the problem. The original manufacturer no longer had the necessary test protocols for these outdated devices, making it challenging to prove the components were counterfeit definitively.&nbsp;Rochester’s role in resolving this obsolescence challenge was multifaceted. As a 100% authorized and licensed partner, Rochester possessed the necessary test IP to prove the components were counterfeit conclusively. It then supplied the manufacturer with authorized, licensed devices that performed flawlessly in the field and met the stringent safety requirements of military aviation. Rochester Electronics’ components eliminated the need for time-consuming redesign or requalification processes, allowing for a swift resolution to the crisis.Rochester Electronics takes pride in its 100% certified, authorized, and licensed manufacturing processes. All its components are guaranteed and sold under the original manufacturer's part number, giving customers confidence in their authenticity and reliability. Additionally, it offers ISO-9001, AS9120, and (QML) MIL-PRF-38535 certifications and QSLD qualification.<h3 dir="ltr">Avionic Flash Memory</h3>A major global aerospace manufacturer faced a dilemma when they learned that the NAND flash memory device for their avionics systems was being discontinued by the Original Component Manufacturer (OCM)[2]. The situation presented a potential crisis, as replacing the component proved far from straightforward.The manufacturer needed to find a form, fit, and functional replacement that could utilize the available die while replicating the multi-die package required for their product. They were keen to avoid the substantial expenses associated with a last-time buy (LTB), the carrying costs of stocking the product, and, most importantly, a costly redesign of their systems.Rochester Electronics proved uniquely positioned to address this challenge. With their extensive experience in component replication and strong relationships with OCMs, they were able to offer a comprehensive solution.The company's in-house team, working with full OCM approval, successfully reverse-engineered the package. This meticulous process allowed Rochester to provide authorized components that were 100% form, fit, and functionally equivalent to the original. Importantly, this meant no software changes were required, saving the manufacturer from a time-consuming and expensive DO-254 recertification process.Through this process, Rochester also ensured the customer had a continuous, authorized supply of these components for the next 7-10 years and beyond. Their long-term solution ultimately eliminated the need for the manufacturer to make a large last-time buy or incur ongoing inventory-carrying costs.<h3 dir="ltr">Military hybrid Modules</h3>Our final case study comes from a client of Rochester’s, an aerospace and defense technology company that needed to guarantee a continuous supply of custom electronic hybrid modules for long-life military applications[3]. These hybrid modules were considerably complex, consisting of multiple semiconductor components, passives, and hermetically sealed substrate packages.Specifically, the company required a custom military hybrid module initially designed in the 1970s. Unsurprisingly, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) no longer supported new builds, and the necessary active semiconductor components were unavailable on the open market. This situation threatened the continuity of specific military programs and posed a risk of costly redesigns, development, testing, and re-qualification.Seeking a solution, the company approached Rochester Electronics for specialized assembly services. They needed a partner capable of providing high-frequency assembly and test support based onshore in the United States and with full ITAR compliance, and Rochester fit the bill.Rochester’s extensive capabilities in supporting long-life military applications, coupled with their US-based manufacturing facilities and ITAR registration, made them uniquely qualified to tackle the problem. For example, their 60,000-square-foot Newburyport, Massachusetts, facilities were perfectly equipped to handle the hermetic assembly services required for this project.The project progressed through detailed reviews and a prototype phase, where 100 units of prototype hardware successfully passed qualification and met all program requirements. These prototypes had to meet numerous technical specifications, including specialized substrate and chip attachments, wire bonding, hermetic sealing, and rigorous testing protocols.The hybrid module assembly has since moved into full production, with over 3,000 parts delivered to date.&nbsp;<h1 dir="ltr">Solving Component Obsolescence&nbsp;</h1>Rochester Electronics has been helping customers understand, navigate, and solve their avionics component obsolescence challenges for decades. Like the companies demonstrated in these case studies, your team can rely on Rochester to help resolve any obstacles associated with obsolete components.Learn more about solving their component obsolescence challenges in the latest whitepaper from Rochester.&nbsp;<iframe src="https://c8056756.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAPvRjKP45aVx8DQkoObDXDWJw6rbmqP9ZmGK9hJM9glc0ZpymV0NWJzWgEQzqaBt_nJkeTn8a_kmy7xsfUjzIoMxZkEd-3YakGRA44TU4L7vmi9mzfI2Y4Ewa0e3CjvO8N62LazFWvnZ7611BzrvY8BHuhHcvUYCKM07CCfjHco_6Puwcdr4WsKo7J7_4yTPNhW-Z5L2mi2m" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" allowfullscreen="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px; height: 300px;" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;</iframe>Read more in the series:<a href="http://the%20importance%20of%20preserving%20legacy%20systems%20in%20avionics/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Article 1: The Importance of Preserving Legacy Systems in Avionics</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-causes-of-component-obsolescence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Article 2: The Causes of Component Obsolescence</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/customer-challenges-with-obsolete-components" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Article 3: Customer Challenges with Obsolete Components</a>Article 4: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/solving-obsolescence-with-rochester-electronics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Solving Obsolescence with Rochester Electronics</a>Article 5: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/proactive-strategies-for-managing-avionics-obsolescence/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Proactive Strategies for Managing Avionics Obsolescence</a><h1 dir="ltr">References</h1>[1] <a href="https://rocelec.widen.net/s/vv6kzd5mql/military_aviation_case_study_safetyfirst" target="_blank">https://rocelec.widen.net/s/vv6kzd5mql/military_aviation_case_study_safetyfirst</a>[2] <a href="https://rocelec.widen.net/s/qjm2pdrqzv/aerospace-_case-study" target="_blank">https://rocelec.widen.net/s/qjm2pdrqzv/aerospace-_case-study</a>[3] <a href="https://rocelec.widen.net/s/bcwcdtgtmw/hybrid-module-assembly_case-study" target="_blank">https://rocelec.widen.net/s/bcwcdtgtmw/hybrid-module-assembly_case-study</a>

Futureproofing Aerospace Series. Article #6. These real-world examples show how to manage component obsolescence for avionics designs effectively.

Case Studies in Managing Avionics Component Obsolescence

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has made significant progress in developing turbines for efficient and climate-compatible aircraft engines in collaboration with Rolls-Royce Deutschland. Researchers have deployed a trick carried over from many modern aircraft wings: attaching 'winglets' to the tips of the turbine blades to increase engine efficiency. Winglets and other technologies are already being used in the latest Rolls-Royce engines from the Pearl range and have significantly reduced fuel consumption.Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dlr.de/en/at" target="_blank">DLR Institute of Propulsion Technology</a> in <a href="https://www.dlr.de/en/dlr/locations-and-offices/goettingen" target="_blank">Göttingen</a> worked with Rolls-Royce Deutschland to investigate a new type of two-stage high-pressure turbine. At the Göttingen institute's <a href="https://www.dlr.de/en/at/research-transfer/research-infrastructure/turbine-test-beds/next-generation-turbine" target="_blank">Next-Generation Turbine Test Facility (NG-Turb)</a>, which offers infrastructure unrivalled in Europe, the researchers were able to validate turbine computer simulations from Rolls-Royce. In a turbojet engine, the turbine is positioned after the combustion chamber, from where the emerging exhaust gas jet causes the turbine blades to rotate. The NG-Turb test bed replicates this set up, putting turbines through their paces under real-world engine conditions.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1722783344279-image-400-a2810991432fbb2b39ff2a064e2c6158.png" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Turbine blades with winglets Detail of the turbine blades with new winglets at the tips. Credit: DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)<h2>Turbine inlet temperature crucial</h2>The initial measurements on the NG-Turb test stand, conducted as part of the German government's aviation research programme (the LuFo HittTurb project), initially focused on the efficiency of the turbine. As the operating point of turbines varies during take-off, cruising flight and landing, determining the relationship between efficiency and the speed and pressure ratio of the turbine was crucial. "This turbine serves as a demonstrator for various technologies that are to be used in the real engine, including winglets on the rotor blades," says Andreas Pahs, Project Manager of the DLR Institute of Propulsion Technology's Göttingen site. Applying winglets to the blade tips significantly changes the geometry of the blade and hence the flow around it, giving rise to improvements in both turbine and overall engine efficiency."We have also carried out detailed flow field measurements," Pahs continues. "We analysed pressure, temperature, flow angle and Mach number using sensors developed in-house here at the institute." The findings were incorporated into the development of Rolls-Royce's Pearl engine range, which powers ultra-long-haul business jets.<h2>Current focus on combustion chamber–turbine interaction</h2>In addition to the new turbine design, the researchers were interested in the influence of the combustion chamber outlet flow on aerodynamics, efficiency and temperature. Given the extreme operating temperatures that turbine materials are subject to, a crucial development task is to identify hot spots early on and target them for cooling by applying cooling air to the turbine blade surface.In the follow-up project, which was recently completed as part of the EU research programme Clean Sky 2 (an EU Transition project), the scientific research focused on the interaction between the combustion chamber and the turbine. For this purpose, a combustion chamber simulator was developed and installed in front of the turbine on the NG-Turb test stand. The simulator generates flow fields with properties comparable to those from the combustion of conventional fuels and which correspond to the exit profile of a real Rolls-Royce engine combustion chamber.A better understanding of the temperature distribution at the transition from the combustion chamber to the turbine is key to generating new technology concepts. "Our task is to precisely measure the thermal load within the turbine in order to make the cooling of the turbine blades more efficient," explains DLR Institute of Propulsion Technology project manager Anna-Samira Söhngen. Using targeted, optimised cooling saves on cooling air and further improves overall engine efficiency.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1722783390887-image-1600-4c05b05d70b4ca8c3a7d5dcd897a4297.jpeg" style="width: 790px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Test facility for future turbines Investigations are conducted at the NG-Turb test facility to research more efficient and climate-compatible turbines for future aircraft and power stations. Credit: DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)<h2>Europe's only hydrogen-ready turbine test bench</h2>The NG-Turb test stand works in a closed circuit with dry air as the flow medium. The stand includes air temperature and pressure regulation, allowing the researchers to set the key parameters of Mach and Reynolds number independently. The system also has an air dryer and a separate air-cooling compressor that diverts flow from the system and supplies it to the turbine for cooling air simulation. The test stand also now includes heat exchangers to lower the temperature of the cooling air and thus allow another parameter, the main-flow to cooling-air temperature ratio, to be set as realistically as possible.DLR receives financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) to prepare its ground test rigs, including the NG-Turb in Göttingen, for the investigation of climate-compatible fuel and propulsion technologies in aviation (the UpLift project). The focus of the project is on the potential use of hydrogen in engines, the impact of which is also set to be the subject of future investigations in turbine research. The funding is part of the BMWK aviation research programme LuFo Klima, the central government funding instrument supporting the aviation industry on its path to becoming carbon neutral.<h2>Other projects</h2>Another research focus is currently 'hot streak tracking', where researchers measure temperature streaks and their flow through the turbine.<hr><h2>Related links</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.rolls-royce.com/country-sites/northamerica.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rolls-Royce website</a></li><li><a href="https://www.rolls-royce.com/products-and-services/civil-aerospace/business-aviation/pearl-10x.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The newest member of the Rolls-Royce Pearl engine family</a></li></ul>

The DLR turbine test facility 'NG-Turb' Future high-performance turbines are being investigated at the Next-Generation Turbine Test Facility (NG-Turb) at the DLR Institute of Propulsion Technology in Göttingen. Credit: DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

DLR and Rolls-Royce Deutschland are developing more climate-compatible aircraft engines.

DLR and Rolls-Royce Deutschland develop more climate-compatible aircraft engines

<h2 id="isPasted">Stay at the cutting edge of the aerospace industry</h2>We are pleased to have partnered with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rocelec.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Rochester Electronics</a> to launch the Future-Proofing Aerospace whitepaper.<h3 id="isPasted">Whitepaper highlights:</h3><ol><li>Understand the Importance of Legacy Systems: Discover why preserving legacy avionics systems is crucial for reliability, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.</li><li>Navigate Component Obsolescence: Learn about the challenges aerospace designers face due to outdated or discontinued components and how to address them.</li><li>Explore Solutions from Rochester Electronics: Gain insights into how Rochester Electronics specializes in preserving and replicating obsolete components to ensure the continued operation of legacy systems.</li></ol><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzIyNTkwOTg3MTU4LXJvY2hlc3RlciBtb2NrdXAzLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><iframe src="https://c8056756.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAPvRjKP45aVx8DQkoObDXDWJw6rbmqP9ZmGK9hJM9glc0ZpymV0NWJzWgEQzqaBt_nJkeTn8a_kmy7xsfUjzIoMxZkEd-3YakGRA44TU4L7vmi9mzfI2Y4Ewa0e3CjvO8N62LazFWvnZ7611BzrvY8BHuhHcvUYCKM07CCfjHco_6Puwcdr4WsKo7J7_4yTPNhW-Z5L2mi2m" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" allowfullscreen="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px; height: 350px;" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;</iframe><h2 dir="ltr">Managing avionics obsolescence</h2>The meteoric rate of technological advancement, coupled with the long lifecycle of avionics systems, poses a significant challenge: component obsolescence. If not managed proactively, avionics obsolescence can disrupt operations, increase costs, and compromise safety. To mitigate these risks, it is essential to implement strategies that anticipate obsolescence and address it before it impacts operations[1].&nbsp;Rochester Electronics has spent decades helping customers prevent and deal with obsolescence should it occur. In this piece, we’ll discuss how predictive tools, strategic partnerships, inventory management, and lifecycle planning are all important strategies for managing avionics obsolescence.&nbsp;<h1 dir="ltr">Predictive Tools for Anticipating Obsolescence</h1>Predicting component obsolescence is one major proactive method for managing electronic components' lifecycles[2]. This process involves forecasting when a component will become obsolete by heavily analyzing historical data, market trends, and lifecycle information provided by manufacturers.In many cases, advanced algorithms and specialized software tools can be employed to assess these data points. These tools can offer detailed analysis by considering factors such as the rate of technological advancement, shifts in market demand, and manufacturers’ product roadmaps. By predicting obsolescence, companies can strategically plan for last-time buys, find alternative components, or redesign products, ensuring that supply chain disruptions are minimized.Proactive obsolescence management is also essential for maintaining production schedules and reducing costs associated with sudden component unavailability. It allows for better inventory management, avoiding excess stock of soon-to-be obsolete components and reducing the need for expensive and time-consuming redesigns. &nbsp;Furthermore, effective obsolescence prediction supports long-term strategic planning. By understanding the lifecycle of components, companies can better align their product development timelines and technology investments with market realities, ensuring sustained competitiveness and innovation. It also enables better supplier relationships, as companies can work collaboratively with component manufacturers to stay informed about potential obsolescence issues and jointly develop mitigation strategies.<h1 dir="ltr">Strategic Partnerships with Suppliers</h1>Forming strategic partnerships with suppliers is another effective strategy for managing avionics obsolescence.&nbsp;Close collaboration with suppliers can ensure a steady supply of components and facilitate early warnings about potential obsolescence issues. Suppliers can provide companies with valuable insights into component lifecycles, availability, and potential substitutes, enabling companies to make informed decisions about their inventory and procurement strategies.Strategic partnerships also foster mutual trust and cooperation, which can be beneficial in negotiating favorable terms for component purchases and securing long-term supply agreements. These partnerships can also lead to joint development efforts, where suppliers work with companies to develop custom components that meet specific requirements and have longer lifecycles.<h1 dir="ltr">Inventory Management</h1>Effective inventory management is another essential tool for mitigating the impact of avionics obsolescence.With an accurate and up-to-date inventory of components, companies can quickly identify which parts are at risk of becoming obsolete and take appropriate action. This may involve increasing stock levels of critical components, finding alternative parts, or initiating a redesign of affected systems.To this end, advanced inventory management systems can track component usage and availability in real-time. Such systems can also integrate with predictive tools to provide a comprehensive view of obsolescence risks and enable proactive management.In addition to tracking inventory, companies should also implement strategies for managing excess and obsolete stock. This may involve selling surplus components, returning unused parts to suppliers, or recycling materials. By effectively managing inventory, companies can reduce waste, lower costs, and ensure the continuous availability of critical components.<h1 dir="ltr">Lifecycle Planning</h1>Lifecycle planning involves anticipating and managing the entire lifecycle of avionics components, from design and development to production, deployment, and eventual retirement. By considering obsolescence at each stage of the lifecycle, companies can develop strategies to mitigate risks and ensure the longevity of their systems[3].During the design phase, engineers should consider the availability and longevity of components, selecting parts with long lifecycles and multiple sources of supply. Design for obsolescence, which involves creating systems that can be easily upgraded or modified, can also help mitigate the impact of obsolescence.In the production phase, companies should establish robust processes for monitoring component availability and managing supplier relationships. This may involve implementing rigorous quality control measures, conducting regular supplier audits, and maintaining contingency plans for sourcing critical components.During deployment, companies should continuously monitor the performance and availability of components, using predictive tools and inventory management systems to identify potential obsolescence issues. By staying informed about component lifecycles and market trends, companies can take proactive steps to secure necessary parts and avoid disruptions.Finally, during the retirement phase, companies should have a plan for phasing out obsolete systems and transitioning to new technologies. This may involve conducting regular system performance reviews, identifying opportunities for upgrades, and working with suppliers to develop replacement components.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzIyNTkwNjI3MjMzLTE3MjI1OTA2MjcyMzMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" width="624" height="351" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><h1 dir="ltr">Regulatory Compliance and Operational Efficiency</h1>Regulatory bodies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), have strict requirements for the maintenance and certification of avionics systems[4]. An inability to comply with these regulations, due to obsolete components or otherwise, can result in costly fines, operational disruptions, and reputational damage.By implementing proactive strategies for managing obsolescence, companies can demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements and reduce the risk of non-compliance. This can involve maintaining detailed records of component lifecycles, conducting regular audits of systems and processes, and ensuring that all modifications and upgrades are properly documented and certified.Operational efficiency is also enhanced by proactive obsolescence management. By anticipating and addressing obsolescence issues before they impact operations, companies can avoid costly downtime, minimize maintenance costs, and bolster the overall reliability of their systems. This can lead to increased operational availability and a competitive advantage in the market.<h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1>Proactive management of avionics obsolescence is essential for allowing the continuous availability and reliability of avionics components. By leveraging predictive tools, forming strategic partnerships with suppliers, implementing effective inventory management practices, and planning for the entire lifecycle of components, companies can anticipate and mitigate obsolescence risks before they impact operations.Rochester Electronics works with customers to help them act ahead of time and develop a comprehensive approach to obsolescence management. Together with their customers, they aim to safeguard operations, reduce costs, and maintain their competitive edge in the market. In the next article in this series, we’ll take a look at specific examples of avionics customers who have benefited from working with Rochester Electronics.&nbsp;Learn more about aviation obsolescence in our latest whitepaper.&nbsp;Download now.&nbsp;<iframe src="https://c8056756.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAPvRjKP45aVx8DQkoObDXDWJw6rbmqP9ZmGK9hJM9glc0ZpymV0NWJzWgEQzqaBt_nJkeTn8a_kmy7xsfUjzIoMxZkEd-3YakGRA44TU4L7vmi9mzfI2Y4Ewa0e3CjvO8N62LazFWvnZ7611BzrvY8BHuhHcvUYCKM07CCfjHco_6Puwcdr4WsKo7J7_4yTPNhW-Z5L2mi2m" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" allowfullscreen="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px; height: 350px;" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> <h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Read more in the series:</h2><a href="http://the%20importance%20of%20preserving%20legacy%20systems%20in%20avionics/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Article 1: The Importance of Preserving Legacy Systems in Avionics</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-causes-of-component-obsolescence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Article 2: The Causes of Component Obsolescence</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/customer-challenges-with-obsolete-components" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Article 3: Customer Challenges with Obsolete Components</a>Article 4: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/solving-obsolescence-with-rochester-electronics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Solving Obsolescence with Rochester Electronics</a>Article 5: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/proactive-strategies-for-managing-avionics-obsolescence/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Proactive Strategies for Managing Avionics Obsolescence</a><h1 dir="ltr">References</h1>[1]&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rocelec.com/news/the-proactive-approach-to-obsolescence" target="_blank">https://www.rocelec.com/news/the-proactive-approach-to-obsolescence</a>[2]&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rocelec.com/news/predicting-component-obsolescence" target="_blank">https://www.rocelec.com/news/predicting-component-obsolescence</a>[3]&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rocelec.com/news/component-management-begin-before" target="_blank">https://www.rocelec.com/news/component-management-begin-before</a>[4]&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/cp" target="_blank">https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/cp</a>

Futureproofing Aerospace Series. Article #5. The best time to deal with component obsolescence is before it even happens.

Proactive Strategies for Managing Avionics Obsolescence

<h2 id="isPasted">Stay at the cutting edge of the aerospace industry</h2>We are pleased to have partnered with <a href="https://www.rocelec.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Rochester Electronics</a> to launch the Future-Proofing Aerospace whitepaper.<h3>Whitepaper highlights:</h3><ol><li>Understand the Importance of Legacy Systems: Discover why preserving legacy avionics systems is crucial for reliability, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.</li><li>Navigate Component Obsolescence: Learn about the challenges aerospace designers face due to outdated or discontinued components and how to address them.</li><li>Explore Solutions from Rochester Electronics: Gain insights into how Rochester Electronics specializes in preserving and replicating obsolete components to ensure the continued operation of legacy systems.</li></ol>Download the full whitepaper below.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzIxMjIzMjk0OTEzLXJvY2hlc3RlciBtb2NrdXAzLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><iframe src="https://c8056756.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAPvRjKP45aVx8DQkoObDXDWJw6rbmqP9ZmGK9hJM9glc0ZpymV0NWJzWgEQzqaBt_nJkeTn8a_kmy7xsfUjzIoMxZkEd-3YakGRA44TU4L7vmi9mzfI2Y4Ewa0e3CjvO8N62LazFWvnZ7611BzrvY8BHuhHcvUYCKM07CCfjHco_6Puwcdr4WsKo7J7_4yTPNhW-Z5L2mi2m" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" allowfullscreen="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px; height: 350px;" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe> <h2 dir="ltr">Solutions to component obsolescence</h2>Throughout this article series, we’ve discussed the causes of component obsolescence and the significant risks it poses to the avionics designer. The extra time, money, and effort incurred due to obsolete components can completely make or break an avionics design. But now it’s time to talk about solutions.&nbsp;At Rochester Electronics, they’ve made it their mission to help customers overcome the challenges associated with component obsolescence. In this piece, we’ll show you exactly how they have been helping avionics designers skirt the challenges of component obsolescence for over 40 years.&nbsp;<h3 dir="ltr">Authorized Distribution and Licensed Manufacturing</h3>One way to approach the challenge when dealing with obsolete components is to seek out specialized suppliers who focus on providing solutions for end-of-life (EOL) and hard-to-find electronics. The aerospace industry, in particular, faces significant hurdles in this area due to the long lifecycles of aircraft and the rapid pace of semiconductor evolution. This situation is further confounded by the prevalence of counterfeit parts in the market, which can lead to performance issues, safety risks, and compliance violations.&nbsp;Rochester Electronics stands out above the competition thanks to its ability to provide a continuous supply of both active and end-of-life semiconductors through our authorized distribution and licensed manufacturing services[1]. Thanks to these partnerships, we have amassed an inventory of over 15 billion genuine devices. By having all components go through authorized distribution, we guarantee our inventories are free from counterfeit parts and that they all meet the original manufacturer's specifications.&nbsp;To complement this, we also have the in-house capability to manufacture over 70,000 different device types. This enables us to ensure that aerospace companies can always access the necessary components without risking exposure to counterfeit parts.By choosing Rochester Electronics as their partner, aerospace companies can confidently source the components they require for maintaining and repairing their legacy systems, knowing that these parts are authentic and reliable.&nbsp;<h3 dir="ltr">Wafer Storage and Processing</h3>Maintaining component integrity in storage is a big challenge for suppliers like us. During long-duration storage, semiconductor wafers and components are susceptible to a variety of degradation factors such as oxidation, moisture absorption, and electrostatic discharge. These environmental stressors can lead to subtle changes in the material properties of the semiconductors, potentially affecting their electrical characteristics, reliability, and overall performance. Without proper preservation techniques, even microscopic contaminants or slight variations in temperature and humidity can compromise the integrity of stored components, rendering them unusable for future manufacturing processes.&nbsp;This is why we implement rigorous storage protocols and advanced environmental control systems. At Rochester Electronics, we pride ourselves on delivering cutting-edge wafer preservation and handling solutions[2]. Our advanced facilities in Newburyport, Massachusetts, boast ISO-8 and ISO-7/10 K-certified environments with nitrogen control, precise humidity regulation, and continuous temperature and moisture monitoring. These meticulously managed conditions safeguard wafers against contamination and deterioration so that we can maintain a robust inventory of components without the risks typically associated with extended storage periods.Our comprehensive services encompass wafer back-side grinding, precision dicing using dual spindle saws, and thorough dice inspection utilizing state-of-the-art Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) systems. These advanced technologies allow us to offer unparalleled defect detection and measurement, ensuring strict adherence to the most rigorous quality standards in the industry. We further extend our offerings to include manual and automated pick-and-place operations conducted under ISO-5 hoods, providing individual dies in various packaging formats, including waffle packs, film frames, gel packs, and tape and reel configurations.All of these efforts together guarantee that Rochester customers receive safe and reliable components.<h1 dir="ltr">Replication Services</h1>One of our most unique tools for fighting component obsolescence is our replication services, which allow us to replicate obsolete devices with authorization from original manufacturers [3]. &nbsp;For instance, our Design team, with over 40 years of combined experience, specializes in authorized porting of<a href="https://rocelec.widen.net/s/txzqlbmhhd/product-re-creation-showcase_2018_flipversion" target="_blank">&nbsp;products from original fab processes</a>, including DO-254 minor change classification – which avoids the need for system recertification – and DO-178 compliance. To this end, we employ unique proof-of-duplication methodologies and advanced electrical performance replication techniques, such as output edge-rate matching and detailed signal integrity analysis. Our labs perform electrical device characterization of original and replacement devices across temperature and voltage limits. This rigorous process ensures that our ported products match the I/O performance of the original components, maintaining system stability and preventing the introduction of new signal integrity concerns. Our comprehensive approach includes legacy voltage ASIC designs for FPGA replacements and creative board-level solutions to support long-life systems.By replicating obsolete components, we help aerospace companies avoid the substantial costs and risks of redesigning systems to accommodate new parts. Our ability to provide exact matches to original components guarantees the continued reliability and performance of aerospace systems, mitigating the impact of component obsolescence and supporting the long-term viability of your legacy designs.<h3 dir="ltr">Comprehensive Testing and Assembly Services</h3>Before components can be sold to customers, they must be fully tested and validated to ensure proper performance and adherence to standards. That’s why we’ve invested significant resources in cutting-edge testing equipment and modern assembly technologies. We expose all of our components to a comprehensive validation process that ensures all components meet or exceed performance criteria before deployment.In terms of assembly, we maintain support for both traditional and cutting-edge technologies, encompassing lead frame, QFN, and BGA assemblies [4]. Our expertise spans both hermetic and plastic assembly methods. For hermetic assembly, we utilize automated and semi-automated equipment for eutectic, silver glass, and epoxy die attach processes, and we offer package replications including leadframes. Our plastic assembly line features automated saw, die attach, wire bond, and full automold equipment. We also provide component lead finishing services, including SnPb and 100% tin plating, with versatile rack plating systems and solder dip options. The quality of these processes is assured through DLA-certified procedures and in-house reliability testing.Our testing capabilities are housed in a 30,000-square-foot facility equipped with state-of-the-art automated test equipment and computer-aided design systems [5]. At these facilities, we offer a wide range of testing services covering digital, analog, RF, memory, ECL, mixed-signal, ASICs, PLDs, and FPGAs. This includes specialized testing for military applications, enhanced screening procedures, up-screening, selected item drawing, source control documents, and tier-2 automotive testing. Furthermore, we provide bespoke, high-quality test solutions, temperature profiling, ATE platform conversion, component programming, and electrical and mechanical interface design.By integrating these advanced capabilities, we create customized solutions that precisely meet the unique needs of aerospace companies, whether it involves testing legacy components or fabricating new ones to exact specifications. Our comprehensive approach minimizes obsolescence-related risks and guarantees that all components undergo thorough validation before integration into critical systems.<h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1>Component obsolescence is undoubtedly a challenge, but that doesn’t make it insurmountable. At Rochester Electronics, their combination of authorized distribution and licensed manufacturing, wafer storage and processing, replication services, and comprehensive testing and assembly services should provide customers with the resources and confidence needed to overcome the impact of obsolete components.Learn more about aerospace obsolescence in the latest whitepaper.&nbsp;<iframe src="https://c8056756.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAPvRjKP45aVx8DQkoObDXDWJw6rbmqP9ZmGK9hJM9glc0ZpymV0NWJzWgEQzqaBt_nJkeTn8a_kmy7xsfUjzIoMxZkEd-3YakGRA44TU4L7vmi9mzfI2Y4Ewa0e3CjvO8N62LazFWvnZ7611BzrvY8BHuhHcvUYCKM07CCfjHco_6Puwcdr4WsKo7J7_4yTPNhW-Z5L2mi2m" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" allowfullscreen="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px; height: 350px;" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;</iframe>In the next article in this series, we’ll discuss some proactive strategies for managing avionics obsolescence.<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Read more in the series:</h2><a href="http://the%20importance%20of%20preserving%20legacy%20systems%20in%20avionics/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Article 1: The Importance of Preserving Legacy Systems in Avionics</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-causes-of-component-obsolescence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Article 2: The Causes of Component Obsolescence</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/customer-challenges-with-obsolete-components" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Article 3: Customer Challenges with Obsolete Components</a>Article 4: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/solving-obsolescence-with-rochester-electronics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Solving Obsolescence with Rochester Electronics</a>Article 5: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/proactive-strategies-for-managing-avionics-obsolescence/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Proactive Strategies for Managing Avionics Obsolescence</a><h1 dir="ltr">References</h1><ol><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.rocelec.com/solutions/licensed-manufacturing" target="_blank">https://www.rocelec.com/solutions/licensed-manufacturing</a></li><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.rocelec.com/news/comprehensive-reliable-wafer-storage" target="_blank">https://www.rocelec.com/news/comprehensive-reliable-wafer-storage</a></li><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.rocelec.com/news/moving-beyond-the-bom-rochester" target="_blank">https://www.rocelec.com/news/moving-beyond-the-bom-rochester</a></li><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.rocelec.com/solutions/manufacturing-services/assembly" target="_blank">https://www.rocelec.com/solutions/manufacturing-services/assembly</a></li><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.rocelec.com/solutions/manufacturing-services/test-services" target="_blank">https://www.rocelec.com/solutions/manufacturing-services/test-services</a></li></ol>

Futureproofing Aerospace Series. Article #4: Rochester Electronics has decades of experience helping customers navigate the complexities of component obsolescence.


Solving Obsolescence with Rochester Electronics

A battery component innovation could help keep power delivery high when electric aircraft land with low charge, according to a study led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with expertise from the University of Michigan.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1721205836855-electric-aviation-featured.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The research provides a solution <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsenergylett.8b02195" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">to a problem identified in 2018</a> in a study led by <a href="https://aero.engin.umich.edu/people/viswanathan-venkat/" target="_blank">Venkat Viswanathan</a>, a professor of aerospace engineering at U-M and a coauthor of the new work published in Joule.&nbsp;“Both takeoff and landing require high power, and landing is more challenging because you’re not fully charged,” Viswanathan said. “To get high power you have to bring all the resistances down. Anything that affects the ability to deliver that power.”The team emphasized that this is distinct from the needs of EV batteries, which mainly need to maintain their ranges.“In an electric vehicle, you focus on capacity fade over time,” said <a href="https://profiles.lbl.gov/232755-youngmin-ko" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Youngmin Ko</a>, a postdoctoral researcher at Berkeley Lab’s <a href="https://foundry.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Molecular Foundry</a> and lead author of the Joule study. “But for aircraft, it’s the power fade that’s critical—the ability to consistently achieve high power for takeoff and landing.”<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1721205881180-prop-stand-test.jjpg_.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Tested at the single cell level, the new electrolyte developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory maintains the power-to-energy ratio needed to support electric flight for four times longer than conventional batteries. The next step is for 24M to build the cells into a battery and send them for testing them on And Battery Aero’s propeller stand, running the battery through realistic flight missions. And Battery Aero was co-founded by U-M aerospace engineering associate professor Venkat Viswanathan. Image courtesy of And Battery Aero.Both capacity fade and power fade typically occur when lithium ions can no longer move easily in and out of the electrodes. While the key for capacity fade is the quantity of lithium ions that can move between the electrodes, the main factor for power fade is speed. The problem is that corrosion builds up on the electrodes, taking up space that could have housed lithium ions and making it harder for the lithium to reach available spaces.Under the leadership of <a href="https://foundry.lbl.gov/about/staff/brett-a-helms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brett Helms</a>, corresponding author of the study and a senior staff scientist at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry, the team explored the interactions among the electrodes and electrolyte using an approach borrowed from biology. In studies of life, the field generally called “omics” looks for clues in the constituents of cells—what genes are being read, what proteins are being made, and so on.&nbsp;In this case, the team tried different electrolyte chemistries, looking at subtle changes that occurred within the electrolyte at different locations in the battery during charging and discharging. Prior research has typically attributed power fade to problems arising at the battery’s negative side, as lithium metal is very reactive.&nbsp;However, the team observed that damaging molecules were forming near the positive side—nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide in this case. Reacting with those molecules caused the particles of the positive electrode to crack and corrode over time, hindering the movement of lithium and reducing power delivery.&nbsp;“It was a non-obvious outcome,” Ko said. “We found that mixing salts in the electrolyte could suppress the reactivity of typically reactive species, which formed a stabilizing, corrosion-resistant coating.”The company <a href="https://24-m.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">24M</a> (Cambridge, MA), then built a test cell with this chemistry and sent it to <a href="https://www.and.aero/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">And Battery Aero</a> (Palo Alto, CA)—a startup that Viswanathan co-founded with his former PhD student Shashank Sripad, a co-author of this study and the one from 2018.&nbsp;Sripad tested the cell by repeatedly drawing power from it in a realistic sequence of takeoff, flight and landing, as if the cell were part of a complete battery module powering an electric aircraft. When compared to conventional batteries, the new cell maintained the power-to-energy ratio needed for electric flight for four times longer.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1721205913022-example-electric-aviation-battery.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The next step is for 24M to build the cells into a full-size aviation battery, like the one pictured, for further testing at And Battery Aero. Image courtesy of And Battery Aero.“Heavy transport sectors, including aviation, have been underexplored in terms of electrification,” Helms said. “Our work redefines what’s possible, pushing the boundaries of battery technology to enable deeper decarbonization.”Next, 24M will build a complete battery that And Battery Aero will test on a propeller stand, running the propeller through the flight sequence repeatedly. Then, next year, the team intends to attempt to perform an electric flight test with those batteries.The team—which includes scientists at the University of California, Berkeley—also plans to expand the use of omics in battery research, exploring the interactions of various electrolyte components to further understand and tailor the performance of batteries for current and emerging use-cases in transportation and the grid.&nbsp;The Molecular Foundry is a DOE Office of Science user facility at Berkeley Lab.This work was supported by DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) and DOE’s Office of Science (Basic Energy Sciences).&nbsp;Viswanathan and Sripad have a financial interest in And Battery Aero.

Borrowing methods from biology, a team of scientists and engineers designed and tested an electrolyte that keeps battery power delivery high, cycle after cycle.

Electric aviation: Batteries that stay strong for the flight duration

Futureproofing Aerospace Series. Article #3: What challenges do designers have to navigate when they are faced with component obsolescence? 

Customer Challenges with Obsolete Components

One year on from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/blog/aerospace-manufacturing-in-2023/" target="_blank" title="Aerospace Manufacturing in 2023">2023 survey</a> and events in Renton, Seattle have put aerospace manufacturing squarely in the spotlight – particularly relating to quality control, inspections and regulatory oversight. In addition, the previous twelve months have seen the civil aviation supply chain &nbsp;rocked by a ‘fake spare parts’ scandal, which saw airlines scramble to determine whether their aircraft were affected by bogus parts with falsified documentation.&nbsp;Taken as a whole, that will likely mean more scrutiny on certification, digital paper trails and quality controls for suppliers and manufacturers. However, did these events shift the needle compared to last year’s survey? Let’s find out.The 2024 survey saw 749 responses from RAeS members. ‘Engineers’ (37.62%) made up the majority of respondents in the 2024 survey, followed by ‘other’ at 19.28%, ‘retired’ at 17.14% and ‘students’ at 14.59%.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1719919340155-1719919340155.png" style="width: 614px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> The Big QuestionsIn 2023, the first multiple-choice question, which allowed respondents to tick all that applied – ‘What is the main focus for the aerospace industry currently?’ saw recruiting more skilled personnel (53%) narrowly edge out sustainability (51.3%) and supply chain shortages (50.7%).In 2024, sustainability soared into a definitive lead with 65.33% of respondents choosing that as the top answer, followed by ‘recruiting more skilled personnel’ on 56.49%. Interestingly, supply chain shortages dropped to 34.14%, perhaps an indication that for those involved in aerospace manufacturing the worst of the supply chain crisis is now over.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1719919376504-1719919376504.png" style="width: 640px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Challenges and OpportunitiesMeanwhile, the next question, on ‘What are the key prototyping/manufacturing technologies currently being used in the aerospace sector?’ also saw a shift in responses from a fairly even spread in 2023, where ‘CNC Machining’ (54%), 3D printing (51%) and robotic manufacturing (45%) were almost neck and neck with the 2024 results, where 3D printing emerged as the clear winner at 74.09%, followed by robotic manufacturing at 57.72%. This may indicate that 3D printing or additive manufacturing is moving further into the mainstream and production uses, rather that just rapid prototyping.Robotic manufacturing slightly overtaking CNC Machining (51.41%)&nbsp;is also of note – and may indicate optimism about the rapid advances in robotics – particularly when advanced AI (which can already hold sophisticated conversations) is paired with the next generation of humanoid robots. While these will not replace dedicated industrial robots on production lines, the idea of multirole robots, that can be conversed with for other manufacturing tasks, may be closer than we think.There was a change from the 2023 results to the question of ‘How much of your manufacturing is produced in-house?’ with the most popular answer being 25-50% (29.59%) in 2024, down 10% from 2023.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1719919412902-1719919412902.png" style="width: 509px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> This may reflect respondents being more involved in the upstream R&amp;D phase of advanced manufacturing – where it may make more sense to outsource limited manufacturing runs before investing in factory and tooling. However, this finding seems to contrast with larger trends, such as Boeing now bringing back Spirit AeroSystems in-house and other moves afoot to ‘in-shore’ production, for example in decoupling from China, boosting sovereignty and enhancing national resilience following lessons from Ukraine.The next question, ‘What do you think are the greatest challenges facing the aerospace industry during their adoption of digital manufacturing techniques?’ saw ‘project costs’ and ‘lack of expertise’ score the highest with 5.34 and 5.02 respectively.This was similar, but with slightly lower weighting to the 2023 results, and project costs (4) and lack of expertise (4.03) reversed. Projects costs have grown considerably compared to 2023, showing that economic factors are having an impact on implementing new digital manufacturing techniques.The next question – ‘What percentage of your business’ manufacturing services are automated?’ saw ‘under 25%’ as the most popular choice with 31.44%, followed surprisingly by ‘none’ at 26.32% and then 25-50% in third place with 26.18%. This contrasts significantly with the 2023 survey, where ‘51-75% automated’ was the most popular response with 29.97%, followed by 25-50% automated with 28.65%. Putting aside the wild conclusion that some sort of rapid deindustrialisation of the aerospace sector has taken place over the past year, this would seem to indicate that many respondents in the 2024 survey are more engaged in the R&amp;D end of the manufacturing process, where hands-on rapid prototyping and design are more in use than volume production.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1719919473329-1719919473329.png" style="width: 436px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The following question, ‘What are the key factors considered when designing and manufacturing parts for the industry?’ saw ‘quality’ zoom into first place as the clear winner with 94.22% of the votes, trailed by ‘cost’ with 57.53% of responses. This saw a leap of around 30% from 2023 when it was still the number one choice, but was on 64%. In 2023, ‘experts on hand’ took second place, on 43%, which had dropped to 37.63% in 2024. This sharp jump in quality then could be explained by an increased focus on aerospace manufacturing issues over the past year, including Boeing ‘fake parts’ and the quality issues that P&amp;W has encountered with its GTF engines, which have seen airlines ground aircraft. Quality (and the safety guarantees from aerospace grade parts) have always been important but the results indicate that the aerospace sector now perhaps feels it is more under the spotlight for manufacturing issues than in recent times.Meanwhile, the next question – ‘How important is certification when working with manufacturing partners?’ saw ‘very important’ significantly increase in ranking from 47% in 2023 to 76.12% in 2024, with the next top answer for 2024 being ‘important’ at 20.35%. Again, the boost in the rankings for certification may be explained by aerospace manufacturing coming under closer scrutiny.Additionally, it is notable that the vanguard of a large ‘advanced air mobility’ sector, which includes eVTOLs, drones and hybrid-electric aircraft is now entering the certification and flight test phase – potentially shifting the results in that direction.For the next question, ‘Where do you see the aerospace focus in the next 3 years?’ the top result was ‘new technologies’ with 63.36%, narrowly edging out ‘sustainability’ on 60.13% and ‘recruiting more skilled personnel’ on 58.66% - while ramping up civil production post-Covid fell from 47.9% in 2023 to 23.09% in 2024.While ‘new technologies’ nudging ahead of ‘sustainability’ as the top concern might on one level seem a blow for aviation net zero ambitions, when one considers the history of aviation on the whole, ‘new technologies’ whether it is more efficient engines, improved aerodynamics, lighter-weight materials, or at the factory level, less waste, faster production and more efficiency inevitably mean that these go hand-inhand with sustainability. Viewed through this lens, ‘new technologies’ might in fact be seen as an indication that these sustainable technologies are now set to move from the drawing board or CAD screen to reality and production in the next few years.On ‘ramping up civil production’, while there are now, undoubtedly, issues in keeping up with the return of airline demand, air traffic in most parts of the world have now returned to pre-2019 levels. Constraints we can see are now from self-inflicted issues (such as Boeing’s ‘quality escapes’) and growth on top of pre-Covid levels. Interestingly, and in line with this finding, recruiting more skilled personnel fell from the number one focus in 2023 to third place in 2024 – suggesting that there are now adequate numbers of personnel who have either rejoined or have been recruited into the aerospace supply chain. Yet, as Boeing’s crisis may indicate and which has already been raised by others, the numbers themselves may not tell the whole story.An influx of new workers, to replace those experienced staff lost by layoffs, furloughs and retirement during Covid, may present new challenges in transmitting a safety culture. Though the staff numbers are now there, the experience crucially could still be lacking.In a question later on in the survey when asked ‘What certifications do you believe to be the most important?’ there was strong support for AS9100, EASA, FAA and ISO 9001, as well as more generic answers, like ‘safety’, ‘regulation’ and ‘international certifications’.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1719919529415-1719919529415.png" style="width: 487px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Finally, 2024 also introduced a new question into the survey – ‘How important do you think AI will be in advanced manufacturing/digital design in the next 5-10 years?’ ‘Important’ was the top answer, at 48.65%, followed by ‘very important’ at 32.61% and then ‘not so important’ with 16.85% of votes. These results suggested growing confidence in AI in the way it can revolutionise and transform manufacturing, whether it is optimising 3D printing, robotics, or natural language ‘virtual assistants’ to speed up queries.However, this was hedged with a note of caution in that ‘very important’ was only separated by 16% from ‘important’ suggesting that results had yet to be fully seen. This, undoubtedly, will be an area to keep a close eye on in the future.SummaryAgain, this Protolabs/RAeS survey provides valuable insight into the fast moving and highly dynamic world of aerospace manufacturing – one that, having been rocked by Covid and skills’ shortages, is now grappling to deal with additional demands on certification, oversight and traceability presented by aviation safety headlines over the past 12 months. That said, as well as the return to growth, there are bright spots in the votes for ‘new technologies’ being the top focus in the next few years, and cautious optimism around the role of AI in transforming advanced manufacturing.


In 2024, a joint survey from the RAeS and digital manufacturing experts, Protolabs, revisited a 2023 questionnaire on the top concerns and issues for those in aerospace manufacturing. One year on, what were the fresh findings of this updated industry snapshot? TIM ROBINSON FRAeS reports.

Aerospace Manufacturing in 2024

<h2 id="isPasted">Stay at the cutting edge of the aerospace industry</h2>We are pleased to have partnered with <a href="https://www.rocelec.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Rochester Electronics</a> to launch the Future-Proofing Aerospace whitepaper.The aerospace industry is continuously evolving, driven by the need to modernize, improve efficiency, and drive down costs. However, as avionics – the electronic systems that power aircraft – continue to advance, the preservation of legacy systems becomes increasingly vital. This whitepaper offers critical insights into the importance of maintaining these systems, the challenges posed by component obsolescence, and the solutions available to navigate these complexities.<h3>Whitepaper highlights:</h3><ol><li>Understand the Importance of Legacy Systems: Discover why preserving legacy avionics systems is crucial for reliability, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.</li><li>Navigate Component Obsolescence: Learn about the challenges aerospace designers face due to outdated or discontinued components and how to address them.</li><li>Explore Solutions from Rochester Electronics: Gain insights into how Rochester Electronics specializes in preserving and replicating obsolete components to ensure the continued operation of legacy systems.</li></ol>One of the most pressing threats to the continuity of legacy systems is component obsolescence. Obsolescence occurs when a component is no longer produced, supported, or available from the original manufacturer, rendering it difficult or impossible to procure. This situation poses a significant risk to the ongoing operation and maintenance of aerospace systems, as finding suitable replacements can be challenging and costly.Components can become obsolete for a myriad of different reasons, and often, a confluence of various reasons ultimately renders a component obsolete. Influences such as market trends, technological advancements, and economic pressures all come into play in this unfortunate but unavoidable part of the electronics lifecycle.At Rochester Electronics, we specialize in helping customers navigate the complexities of component obsolescence. Understanding the causes of component obsolescence is necessary for developing effective strategies to mitigate its impact.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzE5NDg1MzQzODczLXJvY2hlc3RlciBtb2NrdXAzLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><iframe src="https://c8056756.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAI58ML_0Jkq9ohSSVMrlfZ0o5Eup39aCZcy3V6OAZo33jakOcLECU6nQ3NIK9BP2kTGzF7l86SWC2L2j4CzrX7ON60erda6KYq1u3fkfZlqfqvx3n-tgHoSgZUr9MPV6ZCTY28OxdOhn8Fe0Sr2_Je6Hij8GIv-S5GMMYtVvFfZS2Eb2YYUeZ97JSsuW5lvaTW-dqGZytjXp" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" allowfullscreen="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px; height: 350px;" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;</iframe><h2 dir="ltr">Tester Platform Evolution</h2>An important aspect of the component manufacturing lifecycle is the testing procedures that confirm product quality and functionality. To this end, component manufacturers employ a variety of specialized testing platforms, which entail complex and expensive equipment. In this context, one of the largest causes of component obsolescence is the obsolescence of the underlying testing platforms.&nbsp;Consider a component first developed in the 1980s. At the time of development, the testing equipment used in the manufacturing process was likely state-of-the-art, meeting the frequency, power, and communication protocol requirements to test the component under test accurately. Fast-forward to today, however, and what was considered state-of-the-art for the testers in the 1980s is likely extremely antiquated.&nbsp;Modern semiconductor devices operate at higher frequencies and lower voltages while employing newly developed communication protocols that didn’t exist in the 1980s[1]. Naturally, a testing platform from antiquity cannot support the testing of new components, and as such, the industry has moved towards newer, more advanced tester platforms. In moving away from legacy tester platforms, the industry also inadvertently pushes legacy components towards obsolescence, as the testing infrastructure needed for manufacturing is no longer supported or economical to maintain. As new tester platforms are often incompatible with legacy components, this incompatibility creates a significant hurdle for maintaining legacy systems. The inability to test these components effectively can lead to increased risks of failures and reduced reliability[2].<h2 dir="ltr">Advances in Silicon Fabrication Processes</h2>In a similar fashion, component obsolescence is often a result of advances in the silicon fabrication processes used for modern components. As semiconductor manufacturers develop more sophisticated and efficient techniques, they introduce new generations of components with enhanced performance, reduced power consumption, and smaller form factors. These new components often lead to the end-of-life (EOL) status for older components because the previous technology cannot compete with the improved capabilities and efficiencies of the new models[3].Additionally, as fabrication processes evolve, the equipment and materials required to manufacture older components become less available, increasing production costs and reducing the economic viability of continuing to produce these outdated parts. Manufacturers are more inclined to shift their resources toward producing newer, more profitable components that align with the latest fabrication technologies.The impact of these advances extends beyond the components themselves. New silicon fabrication processes often necessitate updates in design software, testing protocols, and even supply chain logistics. Companies must adapt their entire ecosystem to accommodate these changes, further accelerating the EOL status of older components incompatible with the new infrastructure.<h2 dir="ltr">Package Obsolescence&nbsp;</h2>Evolution in packaging technology for modern components can often be a driving force in the obsolescence of legacy components[4]. As packaging technologies evolve to meet the demands of modern electronics, such as smaller sizes, better thermal management, and greater power capacity, older packages become less viable, eventually phasing out components that rely on these outdated packages.Packaging advancements are driven by the need for smaller, more efficient, and higher-performing electronic devices. Modern packaging techniques, such as Ball Grid Array (BGA), Chip Scale Package (CSP), and Wafer Level Package (WLP), offer numerous benefits over older methods like Dual In-line Package (DIP) or Small Outline Integrated Circuit (SOIC). These advanced packages enable higher pin counts, better thermal performance, and improved electrical characteristics, all of which are essential for contemporary high-speed and high-density applications.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzE5NDg2ODc1OTM1LXNodXR0ZXJzdG9ja182OTE1NDg1ODMuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">When a new packaging technology is introduced, it often leads to the development of new components designed to take full advantage of the improved performance and miniaturization. This shift renders older packages less attractive, as they cannot match the benefits offered by newer technologies. Consequently, components that rely on older packages become obsolete as demand decreases and manufacturers shift their focus to producing components with modern packaging.Moreover, the transition to new packaging technologies can lead to supply chain and manufacturing challenges. Older packaging equipment and materials may become scarce or more expensive to source and maintain, making it economically unfeasible for manufacturers to continue producing components with outdated packages. This economic pressure accelerates the obsolescence of components using older packaging technologies.<h2 dir="ltr">Economic Factors</h2>Manufacturers may discontinue the production of no longer profitable components, particularly if demand has shifted to newer technologies[5]. Like many others, the aerospace industry is subject to market dynamics that influence the availability of components. As newer, more advanced technologies become prevalent, the demand for older components declines, leading to their obsolescence.A notable variable in this equation is the cost inefficiencies associated with producing small quantities of obsolete components, which can be prohibitive for manufacturers. For instance, maintaining production lines for older components requires significant machinery, tooling, and skilled labor investments. These production lines often need specialized equipment and processes tailored to the specific requirements of the legacy components. As these components age, the machinery and tooling needed to produce them may also become obsolete, requiring costly upgrades or replacements.Additionally, sourcing raw materials for obsolete components can present significant challenges. Materials used in older manufacturing processes may no longer be readily available, or their supply may have dwindled, driving up costs. Manufacturers must navigate these supply chain complexities, often dealing with higher prices for limited quantities of materials. This situation can further erode the profitability of producing obsolete components.Given these economic realities, manufacturers often prioritize the production of components with higher demand and better profit margins. Newer technologies attract larger markets due to their improved performance, enhanced capabilities, and greater efficiency. As a result, manufacturers allocate their resources to developing and producing these advanced components, leaving older technologies behind. This shift in focus accelerates the obsolescence of legacy components as manufacturers gradually phase out their production to concentrate on more lucrative opportunities.<h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1>Component obsolescence is a major threat to the preservation of legacy systems. It is important to fully understand its potential causes to best prepare ourselves to handle the challenges arising from it. At Rochester Electronics, we’ve spent decades helping customers navigate the complexities of component obsolescence across all industries. In the next article in this series, we’ll look deeper at the challenges customers encounter when faced with obsolete components.&nbsp;<h3 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">You can learn more about the future-proofing of the aerospace industry by diving into this insightful whitepaper.</h3><h3>Futureproofing Aerospace Whitepaper Highlights:</h3><ol><li>Understand the Importance of Legacy Systems: Discover why preserving legacy avionics systems is crucial for reliability, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.</li><li>Navigate Component Obsolescence: Learn about the challenges aerospace designers face due to outdated or discontinued components and how to address them.</li><li>Explore Solutions from Rochester Electronics: Gain insights into how Rochester Electronics specializes in preserving and replicating obsolete components to ensure the continued operation of legacy systems.</li></ol><iframe src="https://c8056756.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAI58ML_0Jkq9ohSSVMrlfZ0o5Eup39aCZcy3V6OAZo33jakOcLECU6nQ3NIK9BP2kTGzF7l86SWC2L2j4CzrX7ON60erda6KYq1u3fkfZlqfqvx3n-tgHoSgZUr9MPV6ZCTY28OxdOhn8Fe0Sr2_Je6Hij8GIv-S5GMMYtVvFfZS2Eb2YYUeZ97JSsuW5lvaTW-dqGZytjXp" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" allowfullscreen="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px; height: 350px;" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;</iframe><h3 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">You can learn more about the future-proofing of the aerospace industry by diving into our related article series.</h3>Read more in the series:<a href="http://the%20importance%20of%20preserving%20legacy%20systems%20in%20avionics/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Article 1: The Importance of Preserving Legacy Systems in Avionics</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-causes-of-component-obsolescence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Article 2: The Causes of Component Obsolescence</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/customer-challenges-with-obsolete-components" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Article 3: Customer Challenges with Obsolete Components</a>Article 4: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/solving-obsolescence-with-rochester-electronics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Solving Obsolescence with Rochester Electronics</a>Article 5: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/proactive-strategies-for-managing-avionics-obsolescence/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Proactive Strategies for Managing Avionics Obsolescence</a><h1 dir="ltr">References</h1><ol><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://saemobilus.sae.org/papers/integrated-test-platforms-taking-advantage-advances-computer-hardware-software-2005-01-1044" target="_blank">https://saemobilus.sae.org/papers/integrated-test-platforms-taking-advantage-advances-computer-hardware-software-2005-01-1044</a></li><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7589645" target="_blank">https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7589645</a></li><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5388819/" target="_blank">https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5388819/</a></li><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/364/1/012095" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/364/1/012095</a></li><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/mksc.8.1.35" target="_blank">https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/mksc.8.1.35</a></li></ol>