Source: www.smartcitiesdive.com, 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 Notifications come out a month before the items are due to ensure tools do not run out of date.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 Snap-on 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.
At Cox, each technician has a periphery duty, including tool calibration. The individual assigned to tool calibration uses the same maintenance control software program that is deployed for the aircraft (Computerized Aircraft Maintenance Program, aka CAMP). Along with managing calibration with exceptional accuracy, it is front and center every time there is a status check on the aircraft.
Tracking Tools With RFID Technology
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) “is one of many enabling technologies – but only when integrated thoughtfully into a complete system,” said Chwan. Snap-on has developed hybrid approaches that combine RFID, machine vision, digital imaging, electronic locks and database traceability to suit different environments and tool types. The key is not simply tracking tools but connecting that data into workflow systems that improve decision-making, reduce downtime and strengthen compliance.
3 KPIs to Reinforce Accountability
Sonic advises quarterly FOD/tool-control drills with timed “missing tool” scenarios and so-called “5S audits,” a systematic review methodology that focuses on five criteria: sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain. It’s also important to reinforce tool-control accountability by using key performance indicators, such as:
- Measure lost-tool rate per 1,000 labor hours
- Track audit pass percentage and average time-to-locate
- Capture monthly tools in-calibration exception count
Align These 3 Pillars of Tool Control
Continuous improvement is the baseline of aircraft maintenance, and tool control is no different. According to Chwan, the most successful flight operations start by aligning three pillars:
- Culture: Define and reinforce a “no-exceptions” mindset around tool accountability.
- Process: Standardize tool issue, return, calibration and inspection steps.
- Technology: Deploy right-sized control systems, from the basic custom foam inserts and shadow boards to fully automated aircraft tool control systems with enterprise data integration.
Drawer shadowing, inventory spreadsheets, camera systems and tracking software are all hugely beneficial. However, at the end of the day, “each individual is responsible for managing their own tools,” said Bradshaw. It is imperative that every technician and quality control inspector remains vigilant when it comes to tool reclamation “so much so that it eventually becomes ingrained in the aircraft return-to-service process.”
‘Absolute Best’ Tool Inventory Method
“The shadowed toolbox is probably the absolute best way to do a personal tool inventory,” said Peebles, a 2022 NBAA Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 Award recipient. When fatigue sets in, the ability to glance at the shadowed toolbox is easy. But if a tool is not present in its shadowed spot, it is easily recognized as missing, he said.
The bottom line is, whether you’re using a complex system or a simple method, a safe and effective aircraft maintenance tool program boils down to diligence, vigilance and personal accountability.
