Aircraft galleys are high-use areas that are particularly susceptible to wear, impact damage, corrosion, delamination and local structural defects throughout their service life.

When damage is identified, replacing the affected galley component or complete assembly with a new OEM part can be an expensive solution — particularly where parts are obsolete, have long lead times or are difficult to source.

A Part-21 Design Organisation Approval (DOA) can provide an alternative. Where technically appropriate, an approved repair can restore damaged galley structures and components without the need to replace an otherwise serviceable assembly.

KNSI Aviation Engineering has developed a range of galley repair solutions across Airbus and Boeing aircraft, helping operators address localised damage while reducing reliance on costly replacement parts.

Typical Galley Damage

Galley damage can take many forms, from relatively minor surface defects through to damage affecting structural attachments and individual galley components.

Examples supported by KNSI have included:

• Missing material and cracking to compartment divider TEE assemblies on a Boeing 737-8 galley
• Puncture damage, delamination, missing inserts and missing extrusion profiles within an A330 galley
• Corrosion to the upper hinge mounting area of a galley waste-bin sidewall panel
• De-bonding of sump-screen hinge attachments on A321 galleys
• Tear damage to an A330 galley roller blind
• Multiple areas of damage affecting an A320 galley assembly

While these defects may be localised, replacing the complete affected part or galley assembly can result in unnecessary cost and extended lead times.

Developing a Targeted Repair

Rather than replacing the complete component, a Part-21 DOA can assess the damage and develop a repair specifically for the affected area.

For example, where missing material and cracking were identified on compartment divider assemblies within a Boeing 737-8 galley, the repair involved trimming out the damaged sections and installing newly fabricated repair parts and repair splices.

In another case, an A330 galley had sustained puncture and delamination damage together with missing inserts and an unavailable extrusion and seal profile. The repair solution restored the damaged areas and inserts to their original design configuration and introduced a temporary replacement extrusion, allowing continued operation until the permanent OEM parts could be installed.

For corrosion identified on a galley waste-bin compartment sidewall panel, repair instructions were developed to remove the corrosion damage, restore the reworked area and install a bonded doubler and extrusion.

A functionality issue affecting sump-screen assemblies on A321 galleys was also addressed by introducing mechanical fasteners to improve the hinge-to-screen attachment, together with structural adhesive bonding where required.

For tear damage to an A330 galley roller blind, a permanent repair was developed that allowed the damaged section to be trimmed and the blind refitted without the need for additional inspections.

Reducing the Cost of Galley Damage

These examples demonstrate the value of considering repair before replacement.

A targeted galley repair can help operators:

• Retain serviceable galley structures and components
• Avoid unnecessary replacement of complete assemblies
• Reduce the cost associated with new OEM parts
• Manage long or uncertain OEM lead times
• Address damage to ageing or difficult-to-source galley components
• Minimise disruption to aircraft availability
• Restore galley components through an approved engineering solution

Where replacement parts are still required, repair solutions can also provide additional flexibility while those parts are being sourced. In one A330 case, a temporary engineered solution allowed the aircraft to continue operating until permanent OEM components could be installed.

Repair Before Replace

Galley damage does not always require complete component replacement.

By assessing the individual defect and developing a repair around the actual damaged area, a Part-21 DOA can provide operators with a practical and cost-effective alternative to purchasing new galley parts. For localised cracking, corrosion, delamination, damaged panels, attachments or other galley defects, an engineered repair can help retain the existing assembly, reduce replacement costs and overcome OEM part availability challenges.

Work With Us

If you’re looking to repair rather than replace, we can help reduce costs, extend service life and address OEM part availability challenges. We’d love to collaborate and assist you through the process.

Get in touch: Reach us at info@knsi.co.uk or connect with us on LinkedIn to discuss your project.