The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and local SME, Applied Total Control Treatment Pte Ltd (ATC) have announced the completion of a technology transfer which enables ATC to take over the repair line for the refurbishment of Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) cabin components.

The repair line will allow SIA to integrate sustainable practices into its MRO processes by adopting a repair and reuse strategy.

Under the joint laboratory established by SIA, SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) and A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) in 2019, A*STAR’s SIMTech developed repair process methodologies that are designed to recoat surface-damaged copper trims.

This has enabled SIA to significantly reduce the amount of waste generated from discarded copper trims and improve the lead time for their replacement.

More than 2,000 repaired trims have been delivered to SIA and SIAEC through the pilot repair line and according to laboratory test results, the repaired trims are 50 per cent more durable.

The repair line has reduced the lead time for replacement from six months, for procuring Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts for replacement, to only three weeks for repairs using the new technology.

To continue and scale up the repair work for SIA and SIAEC, A*STAR’s SIMTech and ATC signed a license agreement to facilitate a technology transfer, enabling ATC to take command of the repair line, which includes moving the production line to ATC, as well as providing training to ATC’s technical team.

David Low, executive director of A*STAR’s SIMTech, said: “We are excited about co-innovating and establishing this successful repair line with SIA and SIAEC, which has led to waste reduction and more sustainable processes.

“Furthermore, the technology transfer to ATC has allowed the local SME to gain a new capability, and we look forward to working closely with ATC to improve repair efficiencies in our next phase of collaboration.”

In additional to the 2,000 repaired copper trims that A*STAR’s SIMTech delivered under the pilot repair line, ATC also delivered more than 3,000 copper trims to SIA with zero rejection rate.

The estimated revenue for ATC for this project is $1 million over the next three years, and a second phase of the technology transfer to upgrade the repair line is currently in progress.

Marcus Sia, managing director of ATC, said: “This collaboration with A*STAR’s SIMTech has allowed ATC to gain new capabilities in the metallisation of polymers, especially for used ABS polymer, which is not an easy material to plate metal over as there may be adhesion problems on the previously etched surface.

“This new technology will complement ATC’s deep expertise in metal plating and finishing as we seek to grow our business, having moved to our new plant. We are also excited to be a qualified vendor to our national carrier, SIA, and also add value to the local aerospace MRO ecosystem.”