INTRODUCTION:
Ok, maybe not an app, but a specialized abrasive wheel that is unique to the airline industry.
Airline manufacturers design aircraft with tracks that go up and down the length of the fuselage. Seats can be secured in many positions along the track, providing airlines with multiple configuration options. Over time, all the spilled coffee, dropped peanuts, and anything else passengers can drop on the floor works its way into the nooks and crannies of the track.
Cleaning and polishing aircraft seat tracks has always been an expensive and complicated, but necessary, proposition for the airlines. The tracks have a very unusual rail shape with slotted circles at the top to lock in the seats. Typically part of a major regular maintenance interval, the tracks are removed and cleaned to eliminate gunk, debris and corrosion.
The original cleaning process starts with an oversized resin fiber disc on a special mandrel, which is used to clean the sides of the rail. A ¾” disc then cleans the bottom of the rail, then finally the top of the rail is polished.
NEW THINKING FOR THE AIRLINES:
If all of that sounds like an awful lot of work to clean an airplane track, it is. That’s why Rex-Cut designed a specialty abrasive mounted point that is precisely shaped to match the dimensions inside the track to clean the top, bottom and sides simultaneously. This cuts approximately 1/3 of the cleaning time out of the entire seat track cleaning process, making the entire process more efficient.
But the savings is just not in labor alone. The time and effort that used to be required to clean tracks was so daunting that many airlines simply replaced all the track during scheduled maintenance cycles instead. They believed this “rip and replace” methodology was more cost effective than the complex labor-intensive process of cleaning the track.
Put into perspective, a 12 inch section of track can cost over $70. Modern jetliners offer well over 150 seats with some crossing the 200 seat threshold, so replacing all the track that holds those seats into place quickly becomes quite a costly endeavor. Simply investing in a few custom wheels to quickly clean those tracks is a much more attractive option than buying all new tracks most of the time.
Available in two specifications, Rex-Cut wheels have been adopted by contractors that service major airlines and at least 4-5 large maintenance facilities. As most abrasive wheel shapes are made to widespread common industry standards, Rex-Cut is proud to deliver a unique application that should dramatically reduce seat track maintenance costs for the airlines.
LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION?
If you have a job that is more time consuming than it should be, let us know about it. Maybe we can create a custom wheel for your application next. Contact us here with your application details, and I'll see what we can do to help.
INFO ON SELECTING A MOUNTED POINT FOR YOUR APPLICATION:
For a further reference guide, we have a full chart of mounted points available for download.
