Airbus along with Accenture has modernised the innovative 3D technology by using “smart glasses” during the outfitting of Airbus aircraft and is being extended to flight test equipment installation on A330neo (New Engine Option) jetliners. It has enabled better efficiency and time savings.
Airbus previously utilised the smart glasses on series-production A330s, for position-marking during the installation of seat legs in cabins of 60 A330ceo jetliners on the Toulouse, France final assembly line. This success led to the use of smart glasses technology in mounting flight test equipment last year on the no. 2 A330neo.
“Before the arrival of smart glasses for in-cabin applications, we had to decipher complex drawings and convert imperial measurements into metric measurements in marking the position of the equipment on the cabin floor,” said Cédric Gardon, the industrialisation technical manager for Flight Test Installation. “We were surprised at how much time we saved. The operation used to require three people and three days; now it requires one single operator and six hours.”
With the use of smart glasses now well established, Airbus is looking at wide cabin outfitting opportunities in A330 final assembly line applications, ultimately utilising the process to other aircraft programmes as well.
