Malaysian Airways Flight 370

[ltd]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Just curios how one IDs a standard part to a mass manufacturer product?

Do they use dat dots or some kind of ID process that links it to that exact plane?

All serviceable parts have a unique serial number to keep track of each part. Often parts are interchanged on aircraft depending on times taken to overhaul each part and how that aligns with an aircrafts overhaul schedule.

For example, engines are routinely changed according to lifespan of various components, FOD, vibration etc. Each blade in each engine has a serial number and is managed as to total time, weight, whether it's been damaged and blended etc. As you can imagine, the components are so expensive it pays to get the maximum allowable time out of each part. In a GE90, there are over 1200 blades in the compressor alone, as many stators and in the hot section, over 500 air cooled blades and nozzles (shorter lifespan).
So, as everything in aviation costs a bajillion times more than automotive, everything has a serial number which is in a huge database.

If they can find more details inside the flaperon (as the ID plate was missing), then they'll be able to conclusively identify the part.
There are only 2 other 777's where the remains are not known - EgyptAir which had a fire in the cockpit and Asiana Airlines where they slapped the seawall in SFO. Both have most likely been recycled, and there's no reason as to why they would end up in the ocean, but these other aircraft need to be ruled out.