Overview
Controlled Hot-Steam Cleaning for Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance often involves cleaning sensitive surfaces, complex geometries and areas that conventional cleaning equipment struggles to reach. These tasks require controlled cleaning parameters, suitable tooling and a process that technicians can apply consistently.
The RH Aero Steam Cleaning System combines hot-steam generation, integrated water and detergent storage, and predefined operating parameters in one compact unit.
Three operating modes, Wash, Rinse and Steam, allow technicians to manage the cleaning sequence through a single system. Hot steam uses heat and moisture to loosen contamination without relying on high-pressure water impact. Integrated media handling and straightforward controls support a defined, repeatable cleaning process.
The system is designed to work with purpose-built application tooling matched to specific maintenance tasks.
One such application is the APU Kit, developed for cleaning the APU Air Intake, APU Air Intake Duct, APU Compartment and APU Access Doors of Airbus A320-family aircraft. Its specialized lance and nozzle allow technicians to reach difficult areas while maintaining a non-contact cleaning process.
By combining controlled steam technology with application-specific tooling, RH Aero provides maintenance teams with equipment designed around the practical requirements of aircraft cleaning.
Use Cases
Application-Specific Cleaning for Aircraft Maintenance
Different aircraft areas present different cleaning challenges. Access, surface geometry, contamination and maintenance requirements determine which cleaning method and tooling are suitable.
The RH Aero Steam Cleaning System provides the hot-steam generation, media handling and operating controls. Dedicated application tooling adapts the cleaning process to a defined maintenance task.
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APU Kit: A320-Family Aircraft
The APU Kit is a dedicated application of the RH Aero Steam Cleaning System for external APU-area cleaning on Airbus A320-family aircraft.
Its specialized cleaning lance and optimized nozzle are designed for four defined areas:
- APU Air Intake
- APU Air Intake Duct
- APU Compartment
- APU Access Doors
These areas can accumulate oil, dust, anti-icing residue and other operational deposits, particularly in recesses and difficult-to-access geometries.
Benefits
More Control. Less Complexity. One Defined Cleaning Process.
The RH Aero Steam Cleaning System combines purpose-built tooling, integrated cleaning media and controlled operating parameters to make demanding aircraft cleaning tasks easier to manage.
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- A Consistent Cleaning Process: Wash, Rinse and Steam modes provide a defined cleaning sequence within a single system. Operators can switch between modes directly at the cleaning lance, while preset pressure and temperature parameters reduce dependence on individual adjustments.
- Purpose-Built Access: A specialized lance and optimized nozzle are designed to reach fine details, recesses and difficult geometries in the defined APU-area surfaces. The non-contact hot-steam process avoids direct tool contact with the aircraft surface and does not rely on high-pressure water impact.
- Simplified Equipment Setup: Steam generation, media storage, pumps, controls and application tooling are integrated into one compact unit. Onboard water and detergent tanks remove the need for a continuous water connection during washing. Electrical power, suitable aircraft access equipment and wastewater handling remain necessary.
- Controlled Detergent Handling: The integrated system stores and delivers detergent during normal cleaning operation, so operators do not need to handle undiluted detergent directly during the cleaning process.
- Designed for Maintenance Operations: Straightforward controls, application-specific tooling and predefined operating parameters support focused operator training and a repeatable workflow. The compact footprint and ground-positioned design help maintenance teams integrate the equipment into existing work areas.
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Together, these features provide a more controlled and consistent approach to cleaning complex aircraft areas, giving maintenance teams greater confidence in the process.
Why RH Aero
Engineering Solutions Around the Task
Aircraft maintenance demands equipment that works reliably in the environments where technicians use it. Complex aircraft structures, sensitive surfaces and tightly planned maintenance activities leave little room for improvised solutions.
At RH Aero, we combine aviation tooling expertise with a practical understanding of maintenance operations to develop equipment that addresses specific challenges.
The Steam Cleaning System reflects that approach. Instead of adapting general-purpose cleaning technology, the system has been developed around a defined aircraft application. Its cleaning lance, operating parameters, integrated media supply and controls work together to support the requirements of the task.
We focus on the details that make equipment practical in daily operations: accessibility, operator handling, controlled processes and integration with existing maintenance infrastructure.
For airlines and MROs, that means access to a purpose-built cleaning solution designed around the aircraft and the people maintaining it.