Learning from Automotive to Build Better Aircraft – Summary
The aerospace and defense industry is looking to an exciting future with the development of new drones and uncrewed aircraft that promise to transform aviation missions. However, as discussed on previous episodes of Talking Aerospace Today, many current manufacturing processes for A&D are not equipped for the volume and modularity these kinds of aircraft would require. New strategies implementing automation, adaptive, and smart technologies would help in this regard immensely, and the automotive industry already has plenty of experience in these areas A&D can learn from.
In the latest episode of Talking Aerospace Today, Todd Tuthill, Vice President of Aerospace, Defense, and Marine for Siemens Digital Industries Software, is joined by Suresh Rama, Portfolio Development Executive in digital manufacturing for Siemens. Together, they discuss the extent of automation in both industries and what A&D can take away from automotive to better implement automation strategies in its manufacturing processes.
Automation in Automotive
According to Suresh, the amount of automation that has been implemented in automotive manufacturing processes is incredibly high. He estimates the total amount to be somewhere between 70 and 80 percent overall, and even 90 to 95 percent in specific pockets. Probably the most prominent example of this automation are robotic assembly lines that handle repetitive tasks such as body welding and joining.
However, automation involves more than just robotics. Digital technology has also been used extensively to monitor and optimize equipment and assembly lines, including areas such as equipment maintenance and supply chain management. Additionally, the advent of artificial intelligence and machine learning offers new tools to enhance these processes even further.
Another key characteristic that has facilitated automotive’s increasing automation is the rise of more flexible manufacturing processes. These enable rapid changeover on assembly lines that allow the production of different car models all on the same factory or manufacturing plant, as well as the sudden ramp up of volume due to high demand. What were once common constraints in the industry are no longer obstructive.
Automation in Aerospace
The A&D industry has some catching up to do with automotive when it comes to automation, though that is not to say it has not made any progress of its own. Suresh states that A&D manufacturing processes range anywhere from 30 to 50 percent automated, concentrated primarily in the realms of part manufacturing, additive manufacturing, and the movement of materials. The lack of automation in other areas is largely due to A&D products’ complexity or customization for individual customers, requiring high levels of human dexterity and judgement.
However, as explored in the last episode, this is starting to change. Robotics technology has been advancing in recent years and can now handle more complex tasks. An example from the previous episodes has been the fitting and riveting of outer aircraft skins onto airframes, a task once only capable of being done by humans, but is now being automated with machines. Digital transformation has also been making the rounds in aerospace factories, and if automotive can find success with adaptive production strategies, so too can A&D.
A New Way to Manufacture Aircraft
The A&D industry has a quite a way to go to update its manufacturing processes for increased production volumes, but the automotive industry offers a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw from. By applying similar automation strategies with digital technologies and adaptive processes, A&D factories can be better equipped to push out higher numbers of drones and uncrewed aircraft. Automotive has plenty of compelling use cases A&D manufacturers can learn from and bring their productive capabilities into a new era.
Tune in for future episodes of Talking Aerospace Today to learn more about automation and adaptive production in A&D.
Siemens Digital Industries Software helps organizations of all sizes digitally transform using software, hardware and services from the Siemens Xcelerator business platform. Siemens’ software and the comprehensive digital twin enable companies to optimize their design, engineering and manufacturing processes to turn today’s ideas into the sustainable products of the future. From chips to entire systems, from product to process, across all industries. Siemens Digital Industries Software – Accelerating transformation.
