Counterfeit aerospace bearings are a distinct threat to aircraft safety and performance. The SAE G-21 Counterfeit Material Committee recently released a new standard, AS6834: Counterfeit Material; Assuring Acquisition of Authentic and Conforming Bearings.

This new document provides detailed requirements aimed at preventing the acquisition and use of counterfeit bearings and bearing components, including balls, races, lubricant, cages, and seals.

AS6834 builds on the processes stated in existing SAE document AS6174: Counterfeit Materiel; Assuring Acquisition of Authentic and Conforming Materiel, adding bearing commodity-specific requirements that seek to prevent counterfeit bearing acquisition and also mitigate the effects of any counterfeit bearing use.

The SAE G-21 Counterfeit Material Committee focuses on developing standards to prevent, detect, respond to and counteract the threat of counterfeit material in aerospace by highlighting best practices in materials management, supplier management, procurement, inspection, test methods, and response strategies.

If you would like to know more about the goals of the SAE G-21 committee, or you are interested in volunteering your expertise to its work, contact SAE committee manager Rhonda Joseph at: rjoseph@sae.org.

SAE’s S-18 Aircraft and Systems Development and Safety Committee works to develop and maintain guidelines for the processes, methods, and tools used in the safety assessments of aircraft, systems, and related equipment.

Andy Wallington, Systems Engineer in the Enterprise Safety Group at Boeing, has been a member of the S-18 committee for 30 years and is its current vice-chairperson. With over 30 years of experience in civil aviation safety, Andy also offers his industry expertise as an associate editor of SAE’s International Journal of Aerospace.

He recently shared his thoughts on the professional standards process at SAE, the importance of technical publishing, and the ongoing need for mentoring of engineering talent. “Working on the SAE S-18 committee is networking in its true sense,” according to Andy, “because we’re dealing with people from all areas of the aerospace business.” During his tenure in aircraft safety, he has personally mentored many skilled, young engineers who are now contributing to the work of the S-18.

He enjoys taking new engineers, whose experience in aerospace design has been limited to CAD modeling and test, to the live factory floor. There they can experience actual installations that may look very different from their computer models. Andy explains this mentoring attention by saying, “With my desire to improve aerospace safety, I want to get people trained so that they can actually work on today’s projects. This is because they will be the people who are actually writing the process, guidance, and training for the new engineers coming up behind them.”

The SAE S-18 committee creates, prepares, and sustains relevant specifications, standards, and related documents for effective commercial aircraft development and safety activity management. S-18 was formed in 1992 and was first tasked by the FAA to capture consensus safety procedures into a recommended industry practice. Out of this came the twin pillars of modern aviation safety: ARP4754 and ARP4761, which are have recently been updated.

S-18 currently has 4 active sub-committees, 8 recently published documents, and 8 works-in-progress. Participants in the committee include aircraft manufacturers, suppliers, processors, consultants, government officials, aircraft operators, and others across aerospace and defense.

“Working with SAE committees,” Andy states, “is one way for young engineers to grow. And getting their work published in journals is another, along with participating and learning at critical industry meetings, like Aerotech.”

Andy Wallington is one of many professionals who have dedicated their careers to achieving aircraft safety and have volunteered their time and expertise to further the work of SAE. If you would like to know more about being part of the SAE standards development process through committee membership, go to: Standards Development - SAE International - Standards. For specific information on the SAE S-18 committee, go to: http://www.sae.org/servlets/works/committeeHome.do?comtID=TEAS18. You can also reach out to the SAE S-18 committee manager, Lauryn Langster, at: lauryn.langster@sae.org.