Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) is lengthening overhaul intervals, expanding its diagnostics programs and adding customer service options as the company looks for ways to improve operators’ costs.

“We know this is a demanding time for many segments of the helicopter industry, and we are focused on enhancing our service and support across the board,” said Irene Makris, v-p of marketing for P&WC. Timothy Swail, v-p, customer programs, added that customers increasingly have been pushing for ways to lower operating costs.

P&WC is increasing the basic time between overhaul (TBO) for its new PW210 engines from to 4,000 from 3,500 hours. This increase applies to both the PW210A and PW210S. Noting the relative youth of the PW210 line, Swail said the increase is “not something you see this quickly in the industry but a testament to our confidence in the product and the fleet leader reliability we’ve seen.” He noted the fleet leader has accrued more than 2,000 hours “with excellent results and feedback from the customers.” The extended intervals could produce a 10-percent cost savings, P&WC said.

P&WC also recently extended the basic TBO for the power section of the PT6B-37A engine by 50 percent, to 4,500 from 3,000 hours, and extended the clutch inspection interval for the PT6T-9 engine by 60 percent, to 2,000 from 1,250 hours.

Additionally, P&WC has been expanding its Flight Acquisition Storage Transmission (FAST) engine diagnostics. FAST captures flight data recorder, engine trend and health and usage data and sends that information to the operator shortly after landing. In service with 20 airlines, FAST is increasingly being adopted in the rotorcraft market. The program is installed on the Finmeccanica AW139.

P&WC (Booth 1817) further is collaborating with customers on its new oil analysis technology program (PWCoat), which analyzes oil samples. The technology, Swail said, is a “step change in the type of information we can learn” as operators become more proactive about maintenance.

Other efforts include the new MyP&WC Power e-commerce web portal. Announced last fall, the portal is in final testing stage. The site enables customers to order and track parts, rental engines and technical publications, among other functions.

P&WC further is gaining traction with its P&WCSmart initiative, which currently encompasses eight offerings for operators that range from discounts on PW200 exchanges with the installation of an approved inlet barrier filter to guaranteed hot-section inspection pricing for the PT6B-37A. “We’re constantly looking at adding new [services] to expand the program,” Swail said.