The aviation giant Airbus has been avidly incorporating 3D designs into their aerospace innovations. From 3D printing aircraft parts like the 3D printed titanium fuselage and engine pylon parts, to developing the ‘Thor’, a 4m long printed unmanned aircraft. These hi-tech innovations in aviation have been possible due to the collaborations with Dassault Systems, a French 3D design company which extended its 3DEXPERIENCE program to the Airbus. So positive and lucrative was this 2-year association, that Airbus is extending its deal with Dassault Systemes.
Dassault Systemes is a pioneer in 3D print technology and specialises in providing services like 3D design software, 3D digital Mockup tools and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) .They are famously known as the developers of the SolidWorks Design software. They also provide the 3DEXPERIENCE 3D printing platform which is being extensively used by Airbus for designing aviation components.
Dassault Systemes, in addition to the above services, provides facilities like simulation, integrated design and production tools to Airbus for their ‘Co-Design to Target’ platform. This would give Airbus services digital continuity with validation processes being incorporated at each step of the design process. Using the various applications and services provided by the Default Systemes, the Airbus group can fulfil its manufacturing and engineering requirements for developing tools and parts.
3D printing technology has been often used an alternative tool to tasks like milling, melting and casting in the aviation sector and work in the industrial environment, and Airbus is now converting this technology to a large-scale production tool. The ‘Co-Design to Target’ is an excellent platform to provide Airbus engineers hi-tech facilities to design, print, and test the components with great flexibility. This mechanism tends to reduce wastage while retaining performance levels.
This association of Airbus with Dassault systems is reaping great benefits to the aviation giant. As per the version of Robert Nardini, Airbus Senior Vice President Engineering Airframe, this collaboration will lead to the production of light and cost effective prototypes and parts that will meet all standards. He further added that Airbus has used the Dassault systems simulation program for analysis and testing of aircraft which has led to the innovation of a new way of designing by leveraging simulation services to design products that meet the market needs.
The services being provided by the Dassault systems are allowing engineers to develop complex designs. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform’s next-generation automated design assistant will bring about a new wave of technology which would be a complete solution meeting all technical criteria of 3D printing optimisation, production, certification, functional specification, generative design and material science.
Source: 3ders.org