Abstract
The goal of this master thesis is to develop a Web-Based Application for the Implementation of an Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) Certification Process. Developed Mx Credit Framework (MCF) Tool can be used for aircraft health monitoring and prediction capabilities to support diagnosis and prognosis of aircraft systems and thereby to optimize the maintenance process. One of the challenges to developing such systems are a complex process environment, different stakeholders having diverse responsibilities and maintaining process flow navigation with varying contents.
Design science methodology is used to overcome these challenges. Additionally, a state of the art study was conducted to find out the right solution approach. We have made our own approach to design and implement the MCF Tool. As a part of the solution, we have used a model-based user interface to cope with the changeable process contents, and a process modeling concept is introduced to generate the process flow navigation properly. This newly developed application provides functionality to retrieve information, to add or link new content to a given process step, to trace and monitor the process and to report the status at any time. Furthermore, we have performed an evaluation of the tool by demonstration and validation of defined use cases. Last but not least, we have also presented the new functionality that can be added to MCF Tool as a future extension.
Problem Description
The aim of the project at Airbus Group Innovations (Airbus Group Innovations is the corporate research and technology Centre of Airbus Group) is the development of a framework, that supports the introduction of health management applications, named Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) applications, for new developed aircraft. This so called Mx Credit Framework (MCF) shall provide all necessary inputs, information and documentation along the development process to the respective stakeholders, specially to the certification authorities, for the certification of the ISHM applications and correspondent A Maintenance Credit (Mx Credit) is characterized by an approval to an Integrated System Health Management application (ISHM), that adds to, replaces, or intervenes in industry accepted maintenance.
The MCF shall cover the aircraft development process, the maintenance concept development and the development and certification of ISHM applications with correspondent Mx Credits. Furthermore the MCF shall also provide a cost-benefit-analysis for the introduction of ISHM applications from the point of view of the manufacturer and towards the reduction of ownership costs.
Based on the defined MCF this work will provide a concept of an appropriate tool to support the stakeholders involved in the design, integration and certification of ISHM applications and correspondent Mx credits.
The overall research aim of this thesis is to implement a Maintenance Credit Framework(MCF) web application. In order to obtain this objective, important research questions were defined. That are listed below.
What are the state-of-the-art tools to model and execute process for modeling Mx Credit process ?
What are the requirements for modeling the Mx Credit process ?
How the Mx Credit Framework looks like ?
What are the specifications to evaluate proposed Mx Credit Framework adaptable with the requirements ?
These research questions figure out two main elements. First element is to find the procedure to implement rule based process flow navigation. Second, associating contents with it. These two elements create the initiation for this thesis and these will be discussed in detail with the development of the MCF Tool.