Siemens (Hall 4, E17) is keen to show visitors how its Teamcenter product lifecycle management (PLM) software helped create Russia’s first paperless commercial aircraft – the Sukhoi Superjet 100.
Tim Nichols, MD of Siemens’ aerospace and defence global marketing, says its collaboration software helped bring the project to fruition in just three years. “From design starting in March 2005 to its maiden flight in May 2008, the Superjet is a perfect example of how modern software techniques are able to shorten design and production cycles,” he says.
Teamcenter is a Windows-based system, for storing, managing, retrieving and sharing any information, including 3D graphical data. It is being used by Sukhoi’s engineering, manufacturing, marketing and purchasing departments to access the information they need, anywhere in the world.
Sukhoi gained experience of using PLM software with the development of the digital mock-up of fins for the Sukhoi Su-30. These digital plans were then used for production at the Irkutsk aviation plant.
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On the Superjet 100, the software allowed Sukhoi to share electronic designs and blueprints among its 1,700 engineers spread across three principal locations in Russia. It was also used to share knowledge with partners Snecma, Alenia, Pininfarina, Thales, Messier Dowty, Goodrich and others in Europe and USA.
Evgeny Savchenko, head of MCAD at Sukhoi Design Bureau, says that it would have been impossible to design and build the aircraft without Teamcenter. “I cannot understand how some other companies can work using only an operating system,” says Savchenko.“ Monitoring numerous files, updating versions… impossible! It is important that companies understand how crucial it is to be able to manage your product data.”
Teamcenter allowed Sukhoi to avoid time-consuming physical mock-ups and develop the various elements of the aircraft in parallel, so reducing the time needed in the production cycle. Nichols says: “I think Sukhoi realised that to compete globally they needed software that would allow them to cut costs. What they have achieved is pretty significant. Teamcenter will continue to be used as the aircraft is delivered to customers as Sukhoi is looking to use the software to drive down maintenance costs and ensure that everyone benefits from the knowledge gained around the world.”
Source: Flight International
