DLRmagazine 180 (June 2026)

Robots in aircraft maintenance

Precise as a surgeon

With precision, this robotic arm moves between the blades of an engine to inspect it and repair any damage – saving time and costs. Until now, engines had to be disassembled for such a procedure. Researchers at the DLR Institute of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul see great potential in using robots for Aircraft maintenance. They are testing this minimally invasive inspection and repair method on a former Pearl 700 development engine on loan from Rolls-Royce Germany.

What drives us...

Florian Heilemann
Institute of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul

"With our robots, we aim to repair aircraft without taking them apart. We think of the hangar like an operating theatre; the smaller the procedure, the faster our patients are back in the air."

Read more in the article Precise as a surgeon

Joséphine Koffler
Institute of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul

"We observe the Earth from space with incredible precision, but understanding the impact of what we send into space remains a challenge. That's exactly where my work begins."

Read more in the article The data detective

Carsten Agert
Institute of Networked Energy Systems

"Anyone who wants a secure and resilient energy system mustn't examine just one possible future, but many conceivable futures."

Jessika Wichner
Head of the DLR Central Archive

"Exploring DLR's history is a journey through the first half of the 20th century, encountering ‘old acquaintances' on the way to new goals."

Read more in the DLRmagazine PDF below or on the website "History of DLR"

More articles

Download the DLRmagazine

Contact

Redaktion DLRmagazin

German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Corporate Communications
Linder Höhe, 51147 Cologne