CTRL designs and delivers innovative condition-based monitoring (CBM) solutions that meet each of our customer’s specific requirements for performance, features, and functionality.

Between 2019 and 2023, U.S. flights were delayed by a collective 5.3 million hours.  Over 11% of these delayed flights (over 3 million) were delayed due to late arrivals of incoming aircraft or other issues within the airline's control (including maintenance issues).

Between AOG (Aircraft on Ground) maintenance issues - problems that require immediate maintenance attention before the aircraft can run safely and returned to service. This costs commercial airlines $48-62 billion annually.

OEMs like Boeing integrate various advanced tooling technologies into the recommended routine maintenance practices for their aircraft. These sensors allow for more advanced data collection and analysis, leading to quicker AOG turnaround times.

As more and more data is collected from in-service components, OEMs and operators will be able to use A.I. to build trends for each component, allowing aircraft maintenance teams to more accurately predict irregular maintenance issues before they occur.

When irregular maintenance issues are predicted before they occur, repair and/or replacement of faulty components can be scheduled in advance and more AOG events can be eliminated.

CTRL Systems is the designer and manufacturer of airborne & structure-borne (A&SB) ultrasound solutions. “Ultrasound” is any sound with a frequency higher than 20 kHz. 

Unlike ultrasonic imaging technology, which emits an ultrasonic signal and compiles an image based on how the sound is reflected back to the receiver, A&SB ultrasound is entirely passive, listening to ultrasonic waves that occur naturally in leaks, valves, electrical components, and mechanical systems. 

CTRL’s software (InCTRL) analyzes data recorded by the UL101 and provides a “health assessment” for each component under test. The assessments are based on an algorithm that accounts for signal amplitude, anomalies, and other sound characteristics embedded within the waveform. InCTRL is used throughout the industrial sector for machine condition-based monitoring (CBM), trending the health of key components in order to predict failures before they occur. 

CTRL Systems in Aerospace

In 2001, NASA selected the UL101, CTRL’s handheld ultrasonic inspection system, to locate vacuum leaks on the International Space Station. NASA selected the UL101 based on three criteria: (1) ease of use, (2) its small form factor, and (3) its world-class sensitivity (signal to noise ratio). 

Between 2001 and 2020, the UL101 was also adopted by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Guard for leak detection and other maintenance tasks on most military aircraft fleets. 

In 2020, Boeing added the  UL101 into the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) for all commercial jet aircraft as an advanced tool for leak detection in the aircraft O2 system, pressurization systems, pitot and static systems, engine and bleed air systems, A/C packs, and more. 

Since that time, the versatility of the UL101 has also been applied to locating intermittent electrical faults, internal hydraulic leaks, valve defects, and excess mechanical friction.

Because of the success of CTRL’s handheld sensor in troubleshooting mechanical issues, Boeing and CTRL entered into a technical partnership to develop new software similar to InCTRL and a remote contact sensor that could be used during routine maintenance to predict component failures before they occur.

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