OPENING LINES CONSIDER THESE TOOL CONTROL TIPS FOR SAFER AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE Source: www.nbaa.org, Editor, First Published Nov/Dec 2025 Issue In the aircraft maintenance world, inadequate tool control procedures can potentially contribute to catastrophic consequences. The countless possibilities of worst-case scenarios that begin with misplaced tools or foreign object damage are why business aircraft maintenance technicians put a priority on ensuring their tool control procedures are top notch.That means carefully managing every tool in a flight operation. Traditionally, many aircraft maintenance operations have typically “shadowed” their technicians’ toolboxes at the company’s expense – in other words create custom foam inserts with precise cutouts (aka shadows) for each tool. These tools would be managed and tracked through periodic inventory actions. “Three years ago, we graduated to the Snap-on tool reclamation boxes which utilize a camera system in each drawer and inventory management software,” said Lee Bradshaw, director of technical operations for NBAA member Cox Enterprises. Currently, the Cox maintenance team deploys three Snap-on boxes, supplemented by several personal boxes. Sonic USA also has a version of built-in visual tool control with labels that identify two-color foam inlays that are cut with machines driven by precise computer software with one-to-one cavities, “so a missing tool is obvious at-a-glance,” said National Sales Manager Blake Burkett. This system is Ideal for pre- or post-job audits and for preventing foreign object damage (FOD), he said. Another control tactic is serialized, laser-etched tools and drawer maps. Every tool in a toolset has a unique laser-etched ID that is linked to a specific toolbox and technician.“This not only eliminates cross contamination of boxes and toolsets but also reduces FOD,” said Burkett. SPREADSHEETS AND SOFTWARE Not every system has to be sophisticated. NBAA member Joe Peebles, owner of Georgia-based JP Aerotechnics LLC, utilizes a simple spreadsheet system in conjunction with a maintenance software called Quantum. Notifications come out a month before the items are due to ensure tools do not run out of date. Additionally, the company also uses a floating set of tools that are calibrated and can drop into place when tools are pulled for calibration. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES AND SMART DRAWERS Other tool control systems involve specifically designed ecosystems.“At the core of Snap-on’s approach is its Level 5 Automated Tool Control ecosystem — an integrated family of hardware and software solutions that identify, track and secure every tool in real time,” said Joe Chwan, director, worldwide aerospace for NBAA member Snapon Industrial. Each Snap-on system uses advanced technologies, smart drawers and serialized inventory management to ensure every tool is accounted for before, during and after each task, Chwan said. The L5 Connect platform is designed to tie together all tool control data across facilities and geographies, enabling instant visibility, alerts and reporting on tool usage, calibration and FOD compliance. TOOL CALIBRATION AND AUDITING Not all tools are created equal.A maintainer must have the ability to audit and track the calibration of specific tools such as torque wrenches, micrometers and multimeters. 15 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12
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