Pratt & Whitney’s F-135 engine, pictured here on the final assembly line. (Pratt & Whitney)
United Technologies Corp. (UTC) has acquired Atlanta-based provider of predictive analytics software Predikto for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition continues UTC’s effort to improve its ability to determine operational life cycles and failure rates of commercial and military jet engines.
Predikto, founded in 2013, supplies software that is capable of performing predictive analytics. The company describes this concept as the analysis of historical data to develop machine learning models that can be cross-referenced with real-time engine sensor data to predict future in-flight engine failures or abnormal performance.
By analyzing a combination of real-time sensor data, past maintenance records and previous failure data, Predikto proved its software could shorten the process by which UTC data scientists develop models about aircraft engine failures. Completed manually, this type of process can take months; trials using Predikto’s software on Pratt & Whitney engines took days.
Pratt & Whitney can now add the Predikto analytics capabilities to its data analysis support for the engines it supplies, which currently includes Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II and Boeing’s KC-46A among other military aircraft.
Under the acquisition, Predikto CEO Mario Montag will assume the role of chief data and analytics officer for UTC. He will lead strategic development for UTC’s data and analytics initiative globally. Predikto’s presence will expand from its home base in Atlanta to New York City, where UTC opened its “digital accelerator” complex to research and develop new digital approaches to providing aftermarket data analytics support to in-service aircraft engines.
“Predictive analytics and data science have the power to change the way today’s businesses run, especially in complex asset-intensive industries,” Montag said.