Overhaul at 'ORAO' a.d. Bijeljina – Expertise, Precision, and Processes Representing the Pinnacle of the Mechanical Industry
The Overhaul Unit, within the Bijeljina-based company “Orao”, represents a sector fully equipped and certified for the repair of various types of aircraft jet engines. The head of this unit, Vladimir Ilić, states that the employees are currently performing complete overhauls of Rolls-Royce Viper and Orpheus class engines, as well as a large number of components and subassemblies from Rolls-Royce Dart and Adour class engines.
According to Ilić, the Viper engines are being overhauled for the Air Force of Serbia, while orders for the overhaul of Orpheus engines have come from the Indian Air Force.
“Our department, I can confidently say, possesses the highest level of technical capability in the mechanical industry across the region. At the same time, due to the very nature of our work, we bear great responsibility — simply put, mistakes are not allowed. The overhaul process at ‘Orao’ is divided into two main areas: the overhaul of accessories and the overhaul of the engine’s gas path section. This involves a whole series of complex operations and procedures, including part washing and cleaning, non-destructive testing (NDT), defect inspection and assessment of parts received for overhaul, repair of parts, subassemblies, and accessories, their partial testing, and finally, engine assembly and full engine testing before delivery to the customer,” Ilić emphasized.
He further highlighted that certain specialized methods used in the Overhaul Unit can also be applied in other industries, offering services to various external clients.
“For instance, balancing, non-destructive testing, sandblasting, and metal spraying (applying metal to components using powder or wire) are processes of interest to a wide range of external clients — from other areas of the mechanical industry, through mining and wood processing, to agriculture. We have long-standing and successful cooperation with ‘Rudnik i Termoelektrana Ugljevik’, ‘Rudnik mrkog uglja Banovići’, and several companies from the Tuzla basin, as well as with a number of private companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia. This shows that, when it comes to providing technical services, we truly know no boundaries,” said Ilić.
The Director of “Orao” a.d. Bijeljina, Marko Mrkajić, stated that the company’s management aims to modernize certain segments of the Overhaul Unit in the future, with the support of the Government of the Republic of Srpska.
“Our goal is to modernize specific processes, such as balancing, where we plan to digitalize the control unit, or to modernize the entire NDT testing line. Another objective is the modernization of the metal spraying facility. However, the most important thing is that we have the human and professional resources needed to continuously improve our processes, obtain new licenses, and perform overhauls on more advanced and modern engines,” Mrkajić noted.
The Overhaul Unit of “Orao” employs 85 workers — including mechanical engineers, technicians, and mechanics — and remains open to hiring new staff, both experienced professionals and young individuals without prior experience, who wish to become part of the company, obtain licenses, and master the skills required in modern mechanical engineering.
