HEGGEMSNN AG to Manufacture the wing spar box on an industrial scale.
Aircraft manufacturer Deutsche Aircraft recently announced the creation of its first prototype – both a digital twin and a physical avatar of a wing spar box. Collaborating with engineering service provider umlaut (an Accenture group company), the German aircraft manufacturer reached a milestone in achieving a first, for their D328eco project. The digitised version of the wing spar box was modelled on a 3D basis.
The wing spar box forms a crucial connection between the wing and the fuselage, as also provide support to the leading and trailing edges of the wings, the rudder, the engines and the landing gear. HEGGEMANN AG was roped in as the industrialization partner and went on to optimizing the manufacturing process for Industry 4.0 standards, in its production of the wing spar box prototype.
With this launch, the automated production of the D328eco became a reality as per the objectives set out by Deutsche Aircraft.
The D328eco is based on the Dornier 328 aircraft from the 1990s era. The aircraft design in 2D on paper or with limited 3D-based software (CADAM), formed the blueprint and its design data was adapted for the D328eco project and digitization thereof.
Deutsche Aircraft selected umlaut for its engineering and aerospace expertise, to successfully create a digital twin – an exact copy of the original aircraft design, with possibilities of incorporating all the innovations in structural development of the last 30 years. This digital twin serves both as a basis for automated manufacturing and for validating designs, tools, and production processes.
According to Simona Naver, Program Manager at Deutsche Aircraft, the data converted from 2D to 3D will also be used for the certification of the new aircraft.
“The DMU makes it much easier for us to optimize designs for industrial production. Thirty years ago, when the original Dornier 328 was built, many things were still done manually. With the D328eco’s 3D conversion, we can save material and map production processes more easily and with consistent quality” says Gregory Seymour, development engineer aircraft construction at Deutsche Aircraft.
HEGGEMANN AG was will be responsible for the industrialization of the wing spar box and its uses, as also the corresponding 3D design data. The first prototype underwent tests and feasibility studies to prove that the company can produce aircraft parts automatically and maintain a high-quality standard.
“The wing spar box is the most complex part of the airframe. Its fabrication as the first system- level prototype shows that the other parts of the project are on the right track” explains Simona Naver.
As per plans, the 3D conversion of the 2D design data and its adaptation to new standards is ongoing.
“We have seen that we can have parts for the D328eco manufactured automatically and efficiently. In addition, there is less material surplus with the new manufacturing processes. This also moves us in a sustainable direction and meets the D328eco strategy” says Rosario De Luca, Senior Design Engineer at Deutsche Aircraft.
Read more stories…. Fabiano Faccoli to Take over as CEO of Swiss-AS
The ultimate objective and goal are to digitally represent the D328eco in its entirety, according to the aircraft manufacturer’s press release. umlaut will continue to support the transfer from 2D to 3D, whereas HEGGEMANN AG will strengthen Deutsche Aircraft’s D328eco program with wings and landing gear.
