Both Autodesk and Airbus are deeply committed to pushing the boundaries of advanced technologies in their pursuit of innovation and a more sustainable world. It's no surprise, then, that these two powerhouses are joining forces to fundamentally transform the way things will be manufactured and constructed in the aerospace industry of the near future.
At Autodesk University in Las Vegas, Airbus revealed details of how it’s leveraging generative design to address complex engineering, architectural, and systems challenges. Solving these challenges will enable a smarter, more efficient, and more economical business model while better catering to the needs of its workforce and reducing its environmental impact.
Generative design is not only inspiring the future of space exploration but is also revolutionizing the aerospace industry. As part of their ongoing efforts, Airbus is reimagining multiple structural aircraft components, applying Autodesk generative design to develop lightweight parts that surpass performance and safety standards. In an industry where reduced weight equals reduced fuel consumption, this approach presents a massive opportunity to mitigate the adverse effects of air travel on the environment.
Airbus is also exploring how generative design can enhance the processes and spaces involved in manufacturing these components. They are employing this technology to optimize the layout of adaptable, DGNB- and LEED-certified factories with streamlined logistics to improve employee working conditions and increase productivity.
One notable example of this collaboration is the "Bionic Partition 2.0." Back in 2015, Airbus introduced its first generative design proof-of-concept with the "bionic partition," a next-generation version of the wall and jumpseat support structure that divides the passenger compartment from the galley of a plane. The initial design was groundbreaking—45% lighter than the traditional part yet equally strong. Airbus estimated that adopting this design approach could save nearly half a million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year if implemented across its backlog of A320 planes.
Initially, the plan was to fabricate the new partition using metal additive manufacturing. However, due to various variables in the manufacturing market and material requirements, an alternative fabrication process became necessary. Fortunately, Autodesk's generative design technology has continued to evolve, now capable of optimizing for multiple advanced manufacturing techniques during the product development design phase.
For Airbus, this meant they could use generative design to create a plastic, 3D-printed mold for the partition and then cast the part in an alloy already qualified for flight. Bionic Partition 2.0 is just as strong and light as its predecessor and can be produced at scale more affordably.
"Bionic Partition 2.0 makes production much more viable," said Bastian Schaefer, the Airbus designer leading the collaboration with Autodesk. "We hope to complete the first prototype before the end of the year. The process and technology have evolved to allow us to manufacture multiple units at a significantly lower cost."
Airbus is also using generative design to rethink other structural aircraft components, such as the leading edge of the vertical tail plane (VTP) of the A320. The VTP provides directional stability and reduces aerodynamic inefficiency caused by side-to-side movement. Generative design is enabling the team to evaluate hundreds of design alternatives that meet objectives for VTP stiffness, stability, and mass.
Beyond aircraft components, Airbus is exploring how generative design can reshape its factories. Earlier this year, they began thinking about how this technology could be applied to the building design, layout, and workflows of its facilities. They initially focused on an assembly line for A350 wings, where a significant amount of human labor and multiple tools were required. The goal was to configure a single factory bay to accommodate multiple wing variations from different generations of the A350, with optimal tool locations and travel paths, and minimal congestion and bottlenecks.
Now, Airbus is turning its attention to possible concepts for using this technology in other production hangars. The ultimate goal is to 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' needs today and in the future.
The team identified ten constraints for evaluation by the generative design system, with some weighted more heavily than others, such as efficiency and cost. These included lot efficiency, construction cost, sustainability, employee work conditions, logistics flow, customer experience, daylight, and flexibility.
Generative design provided two paths that Airbus is currently considering: a larger building with an unconventional footprint or the same factory elements optimized to fit into a smaller rectangular footprint.
"Generative design is helping us create a more sustainable architectural design that better accounts for critical human factors and work conditions," said Schaefer. "It has also expanded our way of thinking and our approach to design by overcoming preconceived notions and blind spots. Whichever design we choose, we know the factory will function more efficiently and will be less costly to build."
For Airbus, the future of making and building has indeed arrived.
Ring Magnets,Neodymium Ring Magnets,Neodymium Magnets Tube Shaped,Strong Neodymium Ring Magnets
Anfeng Industrial Co.,Ltd , https://www.afmagnets.com