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The Digital Factory for Defense Manufacturing
Our customer had the vision for a Digital Factory, and we were brought in as their strategic partner to help them achieve it.
The customer is an American manufacturer and innovator. By the end of World War II, they were the largest aircraft manufacturer in the U.S. Since then, they have moved away from assembly of finished aircraft, becoming a specialized component manufacturer for aerospace and defense. They have been the supplier of pumps, valves and nuclear propulsion systems for every submarine and aircraft carrier ever commissioned by the U.S. Navy. In 2018, they won a huge contract to produce the main propulsion steam turbines for the new Ford aircraft carrier class.
The customer is a leading American manufacturer for the commercial aerospace, industrial, defense and power generation markets. By the end of World War II, they were the largest aircraft manufacturer in the U.S. They have since evolved away from final assembly of aircraft, becoming a component manufacturer specializing in aerospace and defense. The customer also supplies commercial nuclear power, nuclear navy systems and industrial vehicles to a number of different sectors.
Because they are tasked to produce some of the most advanced and complex products on the market for their customers, including the U.S. government, the customer has always been committed to the continuous improvement of their processes and methodologies. In the last few years, in order to take advantage of the opportunities digitalization had to offer, the customer launched an exciting initiative aimed at modernizing their manufacturing processes in order to make the highest quality parts in the most efficient way. The customer had the vision to create a Digital Factory, and Engineering was brought onboard to guide them through this monumental transformation.
Our team first led an in-depth assessment across their existing processes, systems and business groups, defining and delivering a detailed Industry 4.0 solution roadmap to guide their journey towards achieving their vision. Now that the customer had a plan, it was time to start implementing it.
The first goal for the Digital Factory was the centralization and standardization of the management of their manufacturing data, which was scattered across a number of different systems. To achieve this, we leveraged Siemens Teamcenter Manufacturing software to deliver a powerful and secure information management system that would be the single point of truth for all the data needed to produce their products. This solution also automated and facilitated revision control and change management between engineering, planning and the factory floor.
The deployment of Teamcenter was coupled with a challenging data migration effort, ensuring that the customer would not lose over 80 years of legacy data in their new system.
The next goal for the Digital Factory was the elimination of paper and the optimization of execution on the manufacturing floor. We implemented two new systems, both integrated with the central Teamcenter repository, in order to completely automate the sharing of information with machines and workers in the plant. Shop Floor Connect (SFC) for Teamcenter provided the customer with a Direct Numerical Control (DNC) solution that enabled their operators to access and run the right production programs directly from machine interfaces on the manufacturing floor.
The second tool implemented was Electronic Work Instructions (EWI). EWI enabled the customer to automatically pull the latest information form Teamcenter, generate digital work instructions and share them directly with the execution teams in the Digital Factory. Work instructions could be enhanced with interactive 3D models, videos, images and other resources to further support and improve the performance of their factory workforce. Now, instead of fat binders being passed around, operators can access all the information they need to execute their tasks quickly and correctly on computers or tablets via a user-friendly interface.
By working closely with the customer's stakeholders at each phase, tackling inefficiencies from every angle and creating a seamless integration between all manufacturing systems, IndX helped the customer take a giant leap towards achieving true paperless manufacturing. With their new Digital Factory running, the customer can now confidently continue to innovate and produce the most advanced and reliable products for their leading customers. With over 10 years of experience implementing Industry 4.0 solutions for manufacturers, IndX has established a depth of expertise and understanding of industry-specific challenges, standards and solutions that Aerospace, Space & Defense Manufacturing customers could not find at any other company in the world.
