{"id":5646,"date":"2019-11-19T13:30:32","date_gmt":"2019-11-19T18:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adsknews.autodesk.com\/?post_type=news&p=5646"},"modified":"2022-10-29T22:23:04","modified_gmt":"2022-10-30T02:23:04","slug":"autodesk-airbus-generative-design-aerospace-factory","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/adsknews.autodesk.com\/en\/news\/autodesk-airbus-generative-design-aerospace-factory\/","title":{"rendered":"Autodesk and Airbus Demonstrate the Impact of Generative Design on Making and Building"},"content":{"rendered":"

Both Autodesk and Airbus are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of advanced technologies in the pursuit of innovation and a more sustainable world. So, it should come as no surprise that the two companies are teaming up to fundamentally change how things will be manufactured and built in the aerospace industry of the near future.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>

\"\"

An Airbus wing factory.<\/p><\/div> Today at Autodesk University in Las Vegas,<\/span> Airbus <\/span>revealed <\/span>details of how it\u2019s using <\/span>generative <\/span>design<\/span><\/a> to <\/span>tackle<\/span> complex<\/span> eng<\/span>ineering<\/span>,<\/span> architectur<\/span>al<\/span> and systems<\/span> challenges<\/span>.<\/span> Solving those challenges<\/span> will enable a <\/span>smarter, <\/span>more efficient<\/span>,<\/span> and<\/span> more<\/span> economical<\/span> business<\/span>, while better <\/span>catering to the needs of its workforce and <\/span>with less negative impact<\/span> on the environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/p>\n

See how<\/span><\/a> generative design is inspiring the future of space exploration.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/div>\n

As part of an ongoing effort, <\/span>Airbus <\/span>is reimagining<\/span> multiple<\/span> structural aircraft components<\/span>,<\/span> applying <\/span>Autodesk generative design <\/span>to develop lighter<\/span>–<\/span>weight parts<\/span> that exceed performance and safety standards<\/span>.<\/span> In an industry where less weight <\/span>equals less<\/span> fuel consumption, <\/span>using this approach<\/span> presents a huge opportunity <\/span>to <\/span>reduce<\/span> the<\/span> adverse<\/span> effects<\/span> of <\/span>air travel<\/span> on the environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> Airbus is also looking<\/span> beyond <\/span>airplane <\/span>parts<\/span> to the processes and space<\/span>s<\/span> for making them<\/span>, <\/span>employing<\/span> generative design for the <\/span>layout <\/span>of<\/span> adaptable, <\/span>DGNB<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>LEED<\/span><\/a> certifie<\/span>d<\/span> factories <\/span>with streamlined <\/span>logistics<\/span> to facilitate <\/span>improved<\/span> employee <\/span>work conditions and greater productivity<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/p>\n

Bionic Partition 2.0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Back in 2015<\/span>, Airbus unveiled i<\/span>ts first generative design proof-of-concept. The \u201cbionic partition\u201d <\/span>is <\/span>a next-gen<\/span>eration<\/span> version of the wall and <\/span>jumpseat<\/span> support structure that divides the passenger compartment from the galley of a plane.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> The<\/span> initial design was promising<\/span> \u2013 45 percent lighter than the <\/span>traditional <\/span>part<\/span> yet just as strong<\/span>. <\/span>Airbus estimated <\/span>the new design approach<\/span> could <\/span>save<\/span> nearly <\/span>half a<\/span> million<\/span> metric<\/span> tons of CO2<\/span> emissions<\/span> per year <\/span>if rolled out across its backlog of A320 planes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>

\"\"

Airbus workers test placement of the bionic partition.<\/p><\/div> Originally the<\/span> intention<\/span> was to fabricate the<\/span> new<\/span> partition using metal additive manufacturing<\/span>. But due to<\/span> a range of<\/span> variables in the manufacturing market and materials requirements, it became clear that an alternative fabrication <\/span>process<\/span> would be necessary<\/span>.<\/span> Fortunately,<\/span> Autodesk generative design technology has continued to mature and is now capable of <\/span>optimizing for multiple advanced manufacturing techniques<\/span> during the <\/span>design phase of product development<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> For Airbus, this <\/span>meant they could use generative design to <\/span>create a plastic, 3D-printed mold for the partition, and then <\/span>cast<\/span> the part<\/span> in an alloy that\u2019s already qualified for flight.<\/span> Bionic partition 2.0 <\/span>is just as strong and light as its predecessor<\/span> and <\/span>can be fabricated at scale <\/span>more affordably<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> \u201cThe revised design makes the bionic partition much more viable for production. The first prototype is in production<\/span>,<\/span> which we hope to finish<\/span> before the end of the year,\u201d said Bastian Schaefer, the designer at Airbus who has been leading the collaboration with Autodesk. \u201cThe process and technology have evolved to where we can now manufacture multiple units at a considerably lower cost.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> Airbus is in the process of utilizing generative design to rethink other structural aircraft components, including the leading edge of the vertical tail plane (VTP) of the A320. The purpose of a VTP (or vertical stabilizer) on an airplane is to provide directional stability and reduce aerodynamic inefficiency caused by side-to-side movement.<\/span>

\"\"

A 3D print of the generatively designed vertical tail plane<\/p><\/div> Generative design<\/span> is enabling<\/span> the team t<\/span>o evaluate hundreds of design alternatives <\/span>that all<\/span> me<\/span>e<\/span>t<\/span> objectives for<\/span> VTP<\/span> stiffness, stability and mass<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/p>\n

Factory<\/span><\/b> of the Future<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Positive responses <\/span>to what<\/span> generative design<\/span> could do for<\/span> aircraft<\/span> components<\/span> led Airbus to explore what the technology <\/span>might do for other parts of its business.<\/span> Earlier this year, the team began thinking about how generative design could be applied to the building design<\/span>,<\/span> layout<\/span> and workflows<\/span> of <\/span>its factories<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> First, they looked <\/span>at <\/span>a<\/span>n assembly line for A350 wings where <\/span>a significant amount of human labor and several different tools are required<\/span>. <\/span>The objective was to figure out how <\/span>a single factory<\/span> bay could be configured <\/span>for multiple <\/span>wing variations<\/span> from <\/span>the <\/span>different generations of the A350<\/span>, w<\/span>ith optimal <\/span>tool locations and travel paths<\/span>, and minimal congestion and bottlenecks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>   Airbus is now turning its attention to possible concepts for using this technology in other production hangars in the future. The goal is to ultimately assemble engines more quickly with more efficient logistical flows and a more content workforce, in a factory that is expandable and adaptable to meet Airbus\u2019 needs both today and in the future.

\"\"

An Airbus engine.<\/p><\/div> The team<\/span> identified 10 constraints for evaluation by the generative design system, some weighted more heavily than others, such as efficiency and cost.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/p>\n

    \n
  • Lot Efficiency \u2013 total amount and proportion of usable left-over space inside of site boundary and outside of building footprint<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Construction Cost \u2013<\/span> features critical in estimating building construction cost, including total building footprint, number and size of unique structures, and area of various materials used on the fa\u00e7ade<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Sustainability \u2013<\/span> features critical for DGNB\/LEED certification, including green roof deck for employees, building acoustics, thermal comfort, biodiversity<\/span> zones<\/span>, permeable surface<\/span>s<\/span>, and bicycle parking<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Employee Work Conditions \u2013 distance from workstations to restrooms (to be minimized); and views to outdoor green areas from meeting rooms, coffee bar, break rooms, and kitchen<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Logistics<\/span> Flow<\/span> \/ Paint<\/span> Flow<\/span> \/ Engine<\/span> Flow (three separate constraints) <\/span>\u2013 flow paths between stations along the production sequence<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Customer Experience \u2013 views from lobby and other customer zones to both assembly stations and outdoor green area<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Daylight \u2013 amount of natural diffuse light in critical spaces for office, production, and customer experience<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Flexibility \u2013 potential for the building to expand in the future, especially within the original site boundary<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Generativ<\/span>e design provided two paths that <\/span>Airbus is currently considering: a bigger building with an <\/span>unconventional footprint, <\/span>or the same <\/span>factory elements <\/span>optimized to fit into a smaller rectangular footprint.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>   \u201cGenerative design <\/span>is helping <\/span>us create a more sustainable architectural design <\/span>that better accounts for<\/span> critical<\/span> human factors<\/span> and work conditions<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d said Schaefer.<\/span> \u201c<\/span>It has also expanded our way of thinking and our approach to design by overcoming preconceived notions and blind spots. <\/span>Whichever <\/span>design we choose, we know <\/span>the factory<\/span> will function <\/span>more efficiently<\/span> and will be less costly <\/span>to build.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> For Airbus, it appears <\/span>the future of making and building has arrived.<\/span>

    \"\"

    A rendering of the Airbus engine assembly factory.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Airbus has applied Autodesk generative design technology to develop prototypes for two structural aircraft components, as well as the building design and layout of a new airplane wing factory.\u200b <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":5696,"template":"","categories":[3,20,8],"adsk_tags":[],"class_list":["post-5646","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categories-aec-bim","categories-future_of_work","categories-product_design_and_manufacturing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAutodesk and Airbus Demonstrate the Impact of Generative Design on Making and Building | Autodesk News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/adsknews.autodesk.com\/en-gb\/news\/autodesk-airbus-generative-design-aerospace-factory\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" 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