{"id":1245,"date":"2017-06-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-26T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.plm.automation.siemens.com\/t5\/Tecnomatix-News\/Robotics-and-Automation-Solutions-in-Aerospace-amp-Defense\/ba-p\/416843"},"modified":"2026-03-26T06:57:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:57:12","slug":"robotics-and-automation-solutions-in-aerospace-defense-industries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/tecnomatix\/robotics-and-automation-solutions-in-aerospace-defense-industries\/","title":{"rendered":"Robotics and Automation Solutions in Aerospace & Defense Industries"},"content":{"rendered":"

Authored by David Introcaso, Business Consultant \u2013 Manufacturing Business Group, Siemens PLM Software<\/P>
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In this article David will describe the automation challenges and opportunities in the aerospace & defense industry and the exciting Siemens Tecnomatix solution<\/A> capabilities in this area.<\/P>
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Airframe Manufacturing Trends<\/U><\/STRONG><\/P>
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There are several industry trends that are impacting production activities and driving the need for the adoption of automation:<\/P>
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(1) The large order backlog at many airframe manufacturers is leading to the adoption of more complex automation (2) The growing global consumer market is creating new business opportunities, leading to operations now being set up overseas (3) Complex automation on the shop-floor allows for more efficient production, with fewer errors and less quality problems; (4) Product quality needs require manufacturers to identify potential issues before production; (5)  Lightweighting – composite materials are being used to reduce weight and increase range (6) Steady search for ways to improve methods, reuse best practices and increase standardization are keys to implementing constant improvement.\"david1pic.JPG\"<\/span>Implications of adopting complex automation in manufacturing environments<\/U><\/STRONG><\/P>
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Those industry trends have significant manufacturing business implications. Manufacturers are required to comply with local facility requirements and operator safety requirements all while meeting their company\u2019s volume production and quality targets.\"david2pic.JPG\"<\/span><\/P>
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 Tr<\/STRONG>ends + Implications = Possibilities<\/U><\/STRONG><\/P>
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To address the implications of adopting automation, manufacturers in A&D are starting to leverage best-in-class software technology. This may include: (1) Adopting 3D simulation tools; almost 100 percent of robot programming, for example, is validated offline; (2) Using advanced analysis such as collision reports, interference zone checks and weld-ability validation; (3) Automatic planning tools assist in reducing repetitive tasks and save engineering efforts; (4) Data management is critical to support multi-user and multi-project planning and also increases inter-company and supplier collaboration; and (5) Eventually, the use of templates and process libraries helps to ensure the use of standard best practices globally.<\/P><\/p>\n

\"david3pic.JPG\"<\/span><\/U><\/STRONG><\/P>
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S<\/STRONG><\/U>olution in Action: Drilling & Riveting, <\/U>Virtual Commissioning<\/STRONG><\/A><\/P>
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Let\u2019s start with drilling and riveting.  This solution is applicable for robotic systems as well as fixed-frame specialized machines.<\/P>
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Siemens Drilling & Riveting solution:<\/U><\/STRONG>Process Simulate Robotics and Automation\"process<\/span><\/STRONG><\/A><\/P>
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 P<\/U>lanning Tools<\/U><\/STRONG><\/P>
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If you have thousands and thousands of rivets, how do you make sure you are accounting for all of them in the process plan? How do you group them into operations?  And how do you create the locations to accurately Offline Program the riveting machine?  You can use our Process Simulate software:<\/P>
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