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| Airbus A350 |
[Avionics Today 06-10-2016] Airbus Group is extending the use of Dassault Systèmes 3D Experience platform to its additive manufacturing programs — also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing — integrating design, simulation and production. Airbus will deploy Dassault Systèmes’ collaborative design and simulation applications as part of the “Co-Design to Target” industry solution experience, for the additive manufacturing of tooling, prototyping and parts for test flights and for production use on commercial aircraft.
The software aims to provide Airbus with digital continuity to optimize its conceptual designs by virtually validating each phase of the additive manufacturing process.
Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is an alternative to production processes such as milling, melting, casting and precision forging. Already adopted by the aerospace industry for creative product design and prototyping, the use of additive manufacturing is gradually extending to large-scale production. The “Co-Design to Target” industry solution experience leverages applications for additive manufacturing to offer high flexibility in part design, production and testing. This helps reduce waste and costs associated with the manufacturing of complex aircraft parts, without sacrificing strength or performance.
“Numerous projects across Airbus are accelerating the use of additive manufacturing to produce prototypes as well as production components potentially delivering lighter and less expensive parts that meet technological, performance, safety and cost standards,” said Robert Nardini, senior vice president of engineering airframe at Airbus. “Airbus has long used Dassault Systèmes’ simulation applications to accelerate the structural analysis and virtual testing of aircraft and now we can define a new way of designing parts by leveraging simulation-based design to better answer aviation market needs.”