Aerospace Process Validation, validating human-factors in VR

In this demo, Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) sub-assembly is validated in Virtual Reality using IC.IDO. Engineering teams validate the processes of assembling or maintaining complex components, checking the accessibility, reachability, installation paths, ergonomics, and human-factors relying only on digital assets from CAD/PLM. Without VR, validation of Human-Centric Processes for new Products is often conducted after delivery of production tools or pre-production prototype parts, but that is too late to make cost effective changes. For more info visit IC.IDO | Virtual Reality Engineering Software 

A significant portion of the value of an Aerospace program is realized in the “sustainment” of that aviation product, in some cases service-ability taking precedent over assemble-ability and initial costs. Enterprises designing, producing, operating, and maintaining aerospace products for their commercial aviation customers, defense industry partners, and space exploration must prove to their prospective customers that the products are not only good coming off the assembly line, but also that they will be well suited for maintenance and repair once pressed into service.

Conventional product development, as practiced for the last half century, relied on personnel performing the proposed assembly methods and maintenance procedures on physical examples of the product. Full scale mock-ups, pre-production airframes, and other physical representations of the products making up the majority of how this is accomplished even today. More recently, new aviation programs are conceived of, designed, engineered, and planned using only digital tools. However, addressing the challenges potentially faced by the humans who will invariably assemble, operate, then maintain these aircraft without the opportunity for engineers and process planner to experience proposed new products risks the late discovery that assembly and maintenance human-performed tasks might be unpractical, impossible, and dangerous. Much of the experience gained and lessons learned about maintenance often coming very late in the product development process.