Structural Monitoring Systems advances FAA certification for smart sensors in planes

Aerospace engineering company Structural Monitoring Systems (ASX: SMN) has made progress toward obtaining Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification for its smart sensor solutions designed for Aft Pressure Bulkhead inspections. 

The Aft Pressure Bulkhead is a crucial structural component at the rear of the aircraft fuselage, separating the pressurised cabin from the unpressurized tail section. Inspections of this component are vital for ensuring the integrity and safety of the aircraft’s pressurisation system. By enhancing these inspections with advanced smart sensors, SMS aims to provide more precise and real-time data, improving overall safety and efficiency.

Mr Lynch-Staunton, Group Chief Technical Officer said “This means that the critical technical concerns for the program have been resolved and we are compiling the documents now for application to the FAA. 

“However, there are still several steps remaining in the process – both within Boeing and then within the FAA – as we have previously advised. 

“We have no reason to believe that these additional steps won’t be completed successfully, but at the same time we cannot guarantee that they will, nor when they will.”

On August 2, 2024, Boeing confirmed that their Technical Design Review (TDR) meeting successfully resolved all outstanding technical design issues identified during their initial review in February 2024. This resolution marks a crucial milestone in the certification process, indicating a positive prospect toward meeting all necessary technical standards.

The next phase involves the final compilation of the compliance summary report by engineers, which will include all relevant data and substantiation claims. This process is expected to take approximately six weeks, after which the review will proceed based on the completed report.

Several key items have been addressed and closed. The service bulletin has been updated to resolve issues with oversize fasteners, and the justification for reduced inspection frequency in the Corrosion Protection and Control Program has been accepted. Additionally, the viability of stencil specifications has been confirmed, with a demonstration scheduled for August 12, to which the FAA has been invited.

SMSs testing results have been aligned with Boeing’s data, and prior testing for the current sensor design has been re-evaluated, incorporating additional shock and vibration tests. Draft reports on FMEA and MTBF have been presented, outlining hazard classifications and certification impacts. The FAA has also agreed to provide delegation for the 737 EUM stencil specifications, further advancing the certification process.

SMS Chairman and CEO Ross Love commented: “This is a very detailed technical review process and achieving today’s milestone confirms the confidence we have been expressing in both the process and the outcome, even though we might have wished for it to have been achieved earlier. 

“It significantly increases the confidence with which we can continue our engagement with important potential customers -along with our currently contracted customer Delta Air Lines – for our Aft Pressure Bulkhead application and our confidence to pursue new applications, many of which we are already progressing.

 “I would like to reiterate my thanks to our own technical team, as well as those at Boeing and Delta Air Lines, for their calm and professional persistence in achieving today’s result, as well as to our loyal, and patient, shareholders who have funded this long and continuing journey to CVMTM commercialisation.”

For FY2024 ending in June, SMS reported a consolidated gross revenue of $27.9 million, a 25% increase on the previous year, delivering $1.9m EBITDA and inflecting from a $275k EBITDA loss in FY23. 

Looking ahead, SMS is laying the foundation by leveraging its recent advancements, such as its innovative smart sensor solutions and ongoing FAA certification efforts, to drive future stability.