Aircraft maintenance does not exactly move forward technologically at the speed of light. Instead, it appears the industry is in a constant state of making things incrementally better. A small innovation here, some modification to an existing procedure there, a reemphasis on the importance of service, and the result is that operators get better, faster, more cost-effective maintenance. Take a traditionally difficult area of maintenance–aircraft painting.
Anyone, who has ever had the task of painting anything on an aircraft or, heaven forbid, the entire airframe, knows what a problem it can be. Successful painting is a mix of getting the right paint for the job, proper preparation of the substrate (surface), the right ambient air temperature and humidity, the proper spray equipment and air pressure and an array of federal, state and local laws. So the 3M engineered adhesives division has found a better way.
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