<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" id="isPasted">The aerospace and defense industry is at a crossroads, facing challenges that demand innovative solutions. From complex supply chains and rising costs to stringent regulatory requirements, traditional approaches are no longer sufficient. Enter digital twin and digital thread technologies—tools that are redefining how aerospace companies design, produce, and maintain their systems.</p><p>If you couldn’t attend the live webinar, you don’t have to miss out. Now available on-demand, <strong>“Unlocking the Power of Digital Twins for Aerospace Manufacturing”</strong> provides valuable insights into how these transformative technologies are reshaping the industry. Access now:</p><p><span contenteditable="false" draggable="true" class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable"><iframe id="JotFormIFrame-243541854347461" title="Quest Global Form Post-Webinar 1 [Send video]" allowtransparency="true" src="https://form.jotform.com/243541854347461" frameborder="0" style="min-width: 100%; max-width: 100%; height: 730px; border: none;" scrolling="yes" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span> </iframe></span></p><h2><strong>Why Watch This Webinar?</strong></h2><p>In this session, <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/quest.global" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Quest Global</a>—a leader with over two decades of experience in digital transformation for aerospace and defense manufacturing—shared actionable strategies to:</p><ul data-spread="false"><li><p><strong>Streamline Design Processes:</strong> Learn how digital twins enable faster design cycles by identifying issues early, verifying interfaces, and simulating real-world conditions.</p></li><li><p><strong>Optimize Manufacturing Methods:</strong> Discover how digital threads support the use of Virtual and Smart Factories to improve production efficiency and enhance collaboration.</p></li><li><p><strong>Enhance Predictive Maintenance:</strong> Understand how real-time data analytics can predict failures, extend equipment lifespan, and optimize operations.</p></li></ul><h3>Expert Insights from Industry Leaders</h3><p><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/nick.charles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Nick Charles</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;</strong>Head of Engineering - UK Defense, Quest Global<br>With extensive experience leading global engineering teams, Nick shares insights into leveraging digital twin technologies for operational success.</p><p><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/vijay.anand.r" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Vijay Anand R</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;(VJ)&nbsp;</strong>GM – Head of Advanced Manufacturing CoE, Quest Global<br>A veteran in digital manufacturing, Vijay provides practical advice on implementing scalable digital solutions and enhancing manufacturing methods.</p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukelogan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Luke Logan</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;–&nbsp;</strong>Independent advisor and consultant<br>A seasoned business leader with a significant career in engineering and technology and over three decades of senior executive experience, Luke has led global teams and managed major projects at Rolls-Royce plc, BAE Systems plc, and Weir Group plc—three of the world's leading engineering and technology companies. His broad expertise across sectors such as Civil Aerospace, Defence, Power, and Industrial Equipment enables him to share a wealth of insights and foster diversity of thought.</p><h3>Gain insights from successful user cases of digital thread implementation&nbsp;</h3><p>This webinar offers more than just theory. It includes real-world case studies from Quest Global that demonstrate:</p><ul data-spread="false"><li><p>How companies have cut design cycles and improved regulatory compliance.</p></li><li><p>Strategies for creating interoperable systems that reduce costly prototyping.</p></li><li><p>Ways to leverage digital threads for better supply chain integration and decision-making.</p></li></ul><h3>Who Should Watch?</h3><p>If you’re an aerospace engineer, manufacturing professional, or decision-maker seeking to stay competitive and drive innovation, this webinar is for you. Gain the knowledge to:</p><ul data-spread="false"><li><p id="isPasted">Building resilient digital threads to reduce non-conformance in production.</p></li><li><p id="isPasted">Boost productivity through smarter design and manufacturing processes.</p></li><li><p>Position your company as a leader in aerospace and defense innovation.</p></li></ul><h3>Ready to Learn?</h3><p>Don’t miss this opportunity to catch up on the insights and strategies shared during our live event. <strong>Watch the on-demand webinar now</strong> and take the first step toward transforming your operations with digital twin and digital thread technologies:</p><p><span contenteditable="false" draggable="true" class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable"><iframe id="JotFormIFrame-243541854347461" title="Quest Global Form Post-Webinar 1 [Send video]" allowtransparency="true" src="https://form.jotform.com/243541854347461" frameborder="0" style="min-width:100%;max-width:100%;height:730px;border:none;" scrolling="yes" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"> </iframe></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Stay up to date with the latest insights from Quest Global by <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/quest.global">following their company profile.</a></p>

Dive into the future of aerospace manufacturing with our on-demand session.

Listen to industry experts from Quest Global discuss how digital twins are transforming aerospace and defense manufacturing by cutting design cycles, driving predictive maintenance, and improving manufacturing efficiency.

Missed The Webinar? Watch It On-Demand: Unlocking the Power of Digital Twins for Aerospace Manufacturing

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []" id="isPasted">The Sphera Simulation: A Supreme Tool in Drone and Robotics Development</h3><h4>Revolutionizing Testing, Modeling, and Optimization in Complex Engineering Environments</h4><p>The Sphera Simulation stands as a revolutionary platform in the field of drone and robotics development, delivering unmatched capabilities for modeling, testing, and optimization. Unlike conventional simulation systems, which often suffer from limited customization or generic dynamics, Sphera integrates advanced photorealistic visualization, precise physical modeling, and highly adaptable sensor configurations. These features empower engineers to craft high-fidelity digital twins that mirror the intricate behaviors of real-world systems, thus minimizing reliance on costly and time-intensive hardware trials.</p><p><strong>Unparalleled Algorithm Development and Efficiency</strong></p><p>Sphera transcends standard simulation platforms by providing a robust and versatile environment for algorithm development. Developed by Dr. Yam Geva, who holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, and Omri Eitan, an accomplished software engineer, Sphera facilitates the rapid iteration of advanced algorithms. Compared to traditional testing frameworks, which often require significant hardware deployment or field trials, Sphera accelerates the transition from conceptual design to operational implementation. This streamlined workflow not only reduces development timelines but also significantly mitigates financial and operational risks, setting Sphera apart as a premier tool for algorithm refinement.</p><p>While other alternative systems offer basic functionalities, they lack the depth of customization and photorealistic capabilities that define Sphera. For example, Sphera’s ability to simulate intricate environmental conditions, such as sea motion, wind dynamics, and variable visibility, ensures that it meets the rigorous demands of cutting-edge drone navigation and control algorithms. These features render Sphera particularly advantageous for developers seeking precision and reliability in complex scenarios.<br><br><br><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1734329607553-Sphera+by+Robotican+-+Weather+change+control.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><br></p><p><strong>Enhanced Presentation and Stakeholder Engagement</strong></p><p>Beyond its technical prowess, Sphera is an invaluable asset for external engagement. The platform’s capacity to generate photorealistic simulations and elaborate operational scenarios allows organizations to present their technologies with clarity and impact. Stakeholders, including clients, investors, and collaborators, can experience a visually immersive demonstration of system performance under real-world conditions. This level of engagement not only builds trust but also fosters deeper collaboration and alignment on project objectives. Compared to generic simulation tools, Sphera’s advanced visualization capabilities significantly elevate the quality of stakeholder presentations.<br><br><br><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1734329323628-photo_9_2024-10-14_17-04-54.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><br></p><p><strong>Daily Integration in Advanced Workflows</strong></p><p>The Sphera simulation platform has become an indispensable tool in daily engineering workflows. Its exceptional image quality and dynamic fidelity provide unparalleled input for image-processing algorithms, ensuring high accuracy in system evaluation. Unlike conventional platforms, Sphera’s seamless integration with widely used development tools, such as Visual Studio (VS), enables engineers of all experience levels to adopt it with ease. Furthermore, Robotican’s dedicated technical support enhances the platform’s reliability, ensuring uninterrupted operations in demanding applications.</p><p><strong>Adaptability for Specialized Requirements</strong></p><p>Sphera’s flexibility is another key factor that distinguishes it from competing platforms. When unique operational needs arise, such as those encountered by DroneLander, the Sphera framework can be tailored to meet specific requirements. Robotican’s responsive and professional support ensures that the platform evolves alongside user innovations. This adaptability underscores Sphera’s commitment to serving as a versatile and forward-looking tool for diverse engineering challenges.<br><br><br><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1734329359319-%D7%9B%D7%9C%D7%91+%D7%A1%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%94+-+frame+at+0m14s.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><br><br></p><p><strong>Advanced Environmental Modeling for Complex Scenarios</strong></p><p>One of Sphera’s most critical strengths lies in its ability to simulate complex environmental conditions with exceptional accuracy. By incorporating dynamic factors such as sea motion, wind effects, and lighting variability, the platform enables thorough testing of image-processing and navigation algorithms under highly realistic scenarios. This capability is particularly valuable for missions involving drone landings on maritime platforms, where environmental unpredictability poses significant challenges. Compared to other simulation tools, Sphera’s comprehensive environmental modeling provides an unmatched level of realism, reducing the likelihood of costly errors during physical testing.</p><p>Moreover, Sphera’s continuous availability ensures that it remains an integral component of daily development workflows. Whether used for minute-by-minute testing or long-term project evaluations, the platform delivers consistent performance, enabling engineers to refine their designs without disruption.</p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p><p>The Sphera Simulation is a transformative tool that sets a new standard for drone and robotics development. By offering a fully customizable and photorealistic environment for testing, it empowers organizations to innovate with unprecedented efficiency and confidence. In comparison to other systems, Sphera’s advanced modeling capabilities, adaptability, and robust support infrastructure firmly establish it as the supreme solution for addressing the complexities of modern engineering challenges. For any organization seeking to push the boundaries of technology, Sphera is not merely a tool but a catalyst for innovation.</p>

Revolutionizing Testing, Modeling, and Optimization in Complex Engineering Environments

The Sphera Simulation: A Supreme Tool in Drone and Robotics Development

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Nearly 50% of aerospace and defense companies today report supply chain disruption, impacting production timelines and operational costs. While many executives remain burdened with tedious manual processes for monitoring, data exchange, and management, adopting digital technologies that transform lifecycle management is key to overcoming these disruptions. Here, digital threads technology has emerged as a transformative solution.</p><p dir="ltr">Digital threads offer unprecedented end-to-end connectivity, seamlessly connecting every phase of a product’s lifecycle and ensuring data and insights flow uninterrupted from design to deployment. Integrating Enterprise Architecture (EA), Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Model-Driven Engineering (MDE), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), and Advanced Digital Manufacturing into these digital threads can help future-proof aerospace companies against prospective challenges and disruptions. When these methodologies are applied together, they empower companies to streamline processes, adapt to technological advancements, and maintain a competitive edge.</p><h2 dir="ltr">The Growing Importance of Digital Threads in Aerospace Lifecycle Management</h2><p dir="ltr">A digital thread represents a comprehensive, seamless flow of data that links each stage of a product's lifecycle, from concept to final deployment. In aerospace, where products are increasingly complex and involve numerous stakeholders, digital threads are becoming indispensable. They allow for better collaboration, support real-time decision-making, and enhance efficiency by ensuring information consistency across teams.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Today, a quarter of the PLM market is attributed to the aerospace industry, showing a solid promise toward an increase in embracing agile PLM solutions. As aerospace companies manage more sophisticated supply chains and stringent regulatory requirements, the need for such a cohesive approach to digital manufacturing has never been more pressing.</p><p dir="ltr">Digital manufacturing is rapidly becoming a key differentiator in aerospace operations. Rather than a passing trend, it is an essential component of Industry 4.0 strategies as aerospace suppliers and OEMs seek to leverage its potential. By integrating such digital solutions, these companies can enhance their agility and resilience, positioning themselves to meet the demands of an evolving global industry. This shift is reshaping traditional manufacturing processes, allowing aerospace manufacturers to unlock greater value through improved connectivity, efficiency, and adaptability.</p><h2 dir="ltr">The Strategic Role of Enterprise Architecture (EA) in Governance</h2><p dir="ltr">Global competition today is driving aerospace companies to increase productivity and efficiency swiftly, ensuring digital frameworks are both advanced and strategically aligned. Underlying these digital frameworks is Enterprise Architecture (EA), a blueprint that characterizes a company’s structure and operation.</p><p dir="ltr">EA is the backbone of a resilient digital thread, enabling alignment between the company’s strategic objectives and the technical architectures in place. It serves as a governance framework that helps enforce compliance, security, and adherence to industry standards, thereby ensuring that digital threads are built in a controlled and strategic manner. This alignment ensures that digital transformation initiatives do not stray from organizational goals, providing a structured approach to lifecycle management.</p><p dir="ltr">Importantly, EA establishes the foundation upon which tools like MBSE operate. While EA connects technological solutions with broader business objectives, MBSE focuses on the technical implementation of those solutions within the product development lifecycle. Without the governance and strategic alignment provided by EA, MBSE’s capabilities cannot be effectively harnessed. Conversely, MBSE brings EA’s strategic vision to life by enabling precise, actionable insights through detailed models.</p><p dir="ltr">EA is essential in connecting technological solutions with broader business objectives, preventing the creation of operational silos. By bridging gaps between engineering, production, and business units, EA ensures the digital thread remains unified, supporting consistent data flow and collaboration across the organization.</p><p dir="ltr">By bridging gaps between engineering, production, and business units, EA ensures that digital threads remain unified, preventing operational silos. When paired with MBSE, they support a seamless flow of data and insights across the organization, forming a cohesive framework that optimizes lifecycle management and aligns every aspect of the product’s journey with organizational objectives.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Enhancing Lifecycle Management through MBSE and MDE</h3><p dir="ltr">To fully realize the potential of digital threads, aerospace companies need tools like MBSE and MDE that enhance lifecycle resilience and data consistency, providing critical frameworks for improving the reliability and efficiency of digital threads.</p><p dir="ltr">MBSE offers a system-centric approach to managing the product development lifecycle. By creating precise, detailed models, MBSE ensures that teams can collaborate effectively, sharing a common understanding of the project’s status and critically creating one configured, traceable, and controlled version of the design. This enhanced clarity reduces the risk of miscommunication and design errors.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">One example is Quest Global's collaboration with a leading aeronautics OEM to support advanced-generation military products with MBSE integration. Using MBSE, Quest Global effectively built a comprehensive architecture, conducted model building, and managed requirements decomposition. This approach enabled the team to create a detailed system-level view, significantly reducing design errors and enhancing collaboration. As a result, Quest Global helped the OEM achieve better decision-making and smoother project execution.</p><p dir="ltr">Building on the system-centric foundation established by MBSE, MDE introduces automation and efficiency to streamline processes further. It automates repetitive tasks and processes, thereby reducing human error and accelerating development timelines. This automation is especially valuable in maintaining data integrity across different project phases, from design to manufacturing and beyond. Combining automated workflows and consistent data flow ensures no critical information is lost during handovers between teams, leading to improvements in Right First Time (RTF) outcomes.</p><p dir="ltr">The synergy of EA’s strategic alignment, MBSE’s system thinking, and MDE’s automation tools in digital threads fosters a collaborative workflow that supports data integrity, optimized project timelines, and enhanced decision-making with accurate, real-time information.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Cybersecurity Considerations for Resilient Digital Threads</h2><p dir="ltr">While digital threads offer significant advantages, their interconnected nature can introduce vulnerabilities at different stages between design and operational deployment. In aerospace, these cyber threats can have far-reaching consequences, including data breaches, intellectual property theft, and compromised system integrity, potentially jeopardizing entire projects. As digital threads link sensitive design data with manufacturing and operational environments, it’s essential to mitigate these cybersecurity risks effectively.</p><p dir="ltr">Implementing robust encryption protocols is crucial to securing digital threads, ensuring that sensitive data remains protected throughout each phase of its lifecycle. Encryption guards against unauthorized access by making data unreadable without the appropriate keys, reducing the risk of interception during data transmission or storage. In addition, role-based access controls (RBAC) ensure that only authorized personnel can access specific parts of the digital thread, minimizing internal vulnerabilities.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds another layer of defense, requiring multiple forms of verification before granting access, which makes unauthorized entry far more challenging. Similarly, continuous monitoring systems play a vital role by providing real-time threat detection and response capabilities, allowing organizations to quickly identify and mitigate potential security breaches before they escalate. Together, these measures create a multi-layered defense strategy that protects the integrity and confidentiality of data across the digital thread. This ensures the digital thread remains resilient against external attacks and internal vulnerabilities.</p><p dir="ltr">By integrating cybersecurity measures directly into digital threads, aerospace firms can enhance security from the initial design phase, embedding protective protocols into every step of product development. This proactive approach reduces vulnerabilities and ensures that security is foundational rather than an afterthought. EA strengthens this approach by defining comprehensive security policies and enforcing them across the entire product lifecycle, thus creating a cohesive and exercisable framework that all stakeholders must follow. Complementing EA, tools like MBSE and MDE ensure consistency and traceability of data, while PLM and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems streamline operations and enable efficient data management. Together, these tools maintain the integrity of digital threads, reducing risks and ensuring robust protection throughout the lifecycle.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Long-Term Benefits of a Resilient Digital Thread</h2><p dir="ltr">A robust digital thread equips aerospace companies with the adaptability needed to respond to emerging technologies and market demands. Its scalability supports growth and innovation, ensuring that companies can continuously improve. By building resilient digital threads, organizations can optimize current operations, reduce product development lead time, reduce rework, and establish a solid foundation for future success, gaining a competitive advantage over those with fragmented systems.</p><p dir="ltr">Incorporating EA, MBSE, MDE, and cybersecurity practices into digital thread strategies enables aerospace companies to build a resilient, future-ready framework. Therefore, forward-thinking aerospace companies can optimize today’s operations by investing in comprehensive and secure digital threads while preparing for tomorrow’s challenges.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Interested in implementing resilient digital threads? Quest Global can be your strategic partner in navigating this transformation. With over two decades of experience in digital manufacturing, Quest Global provides turnkey solutions for aerospace manufacturing that support product lifecycle management, enabling OEMs to transform their business as the aerospace industry increasingly adopts Industry 4.0.</p>

How digital threads enhance lifecycle resilience, ensuring seamless data flow, robust cybersecurity, and adaptability to tackle supply chain disruptions and evolving aerospace challenges.

Connecting the Dots: Building Resilient Digital Threads for Aerospace Lifecycle Management

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The aerospace industry faces mounting pressures as systems grow increasingly complex while demands intensify for reduced cycle times and lower costs. To stay competitive, companies must adopt faster, more efficient design processes that can keep pace with these developing challenges. However, traditional approaches often struggle to deliver the required speed and accuracy.</p><p dir="ltr">Digital solutions, such as parametric modeling and optimization tools, are essential in this context as they enable engineers to create flexible and adaptive designs that can quickly accommodate changes and improve performance. These tools allow for rapid iteration and analysis of various design scenarios, enhancing decision-making and efficiency, ultimately streamlining the entire development process in an industry where precision and speed are critical.</p><p dir="ltr">Quest Global is a leader in digital thread integration and model-based systems engineering (MBSE). It provides tools and consultative services to assist companies in using a model-based approach. In the following sections, we'll explore how Quest Global's parametric modeling and automation tools can reduce design cycle times, improve accuracy, and accelerate the evaluation of critical aerospace systems.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Understanding Parametric Modeling in Aerospace Manufacturing</h2><p dir="ltr">Parametric modeling is a design approach that defines a component using parameters such as dimensions, shapes, and constraints. This automatically updates the model geometry whenever these parameters are modified, allowing for rapid and consistent iterations.[1]&nbsp;By establishing connections between different parts of the model, parametric modeling enables designers to create complex and adaptable designs.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Key Features of Parametric Modeling</h3><p dir="ltr">One of the primary advantages of parametric modeling is its ability to automate repetitive tasks. Engineers can quickly update designs by changing parameters without recreating the entire model from scratch. This greatly accelerates the design process and allows for more efficient exploration of design alternatives. Moreover, parametric models are data-driven, meaning they rely on input data to generate optimized designs that minimize errors and improve performance.[2]</p><p dir="ltr">Several well-known parametric design software packages are widely used in the aerospace industry, such as Dassault Systèmes' CATIA, Siemens NX, PTC Creo, and Autodesk Inventor. These tools provide extended features for creating, analyzing, and optimizing aerospace components and systems. They also streamline the design process and facilitate collaboration between teams.</p><h3 dir="ltr">The Role of Parametric Modeling in Aerospace</h3><p dir="ltr">In the aerospace industry, parametric modeling plays an important role in designing engines and airframes. These systems must meet stringent performance criteria, and parametric modeling provides the precise control needed to ensure accurate outputs. For instance, when designing complex parts such as rotors and casings, parametric modeling enables engineers to rapidly iterate on different configurations and assess their impact on overall performance.[3]&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Furthermore, this integrates with broader digital engineering tools, creating a connected digital thread that spans the entire product lifecycle. This connectivity allows traceability and changes to propagate throughout the design and manufacturing processes, ensuring consistency and reducing the risk of errors.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Key Benefits of Parametric Modeling in Aerospace Design</h2><p dir="ltr">The aerospace industry was one of the first to fully adopt parametric modeling, which&nbsp;has yielded numerous benefits. One of the most significant advantages is the faster design cycles. Engineers make real-time updates to their designs, which reduces the time required for each iteration. This capability allows for rapid exploration of design alternatives and enables teams to converge on an optimized solution much faster than traditional methods.</p><p dir="ltr">In addition to speed, parametric modeling also improves accuracy and precision throughout the design process. Automated processes and built-in constraints help minimize the risk of errors, assuring that models maintain a high degree of fidelity from concept to production.[4]&nbsp;This improved accuracy enables faster design verification, as virtual simulations can be conducted more confidently, hence reducing the need for physical prototypes.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Enhancing Cross-functional Collaboration and Flexibility in Design</h3><p dir="ltr">Parametric modeling boosts cross-functional collaboration. The integration of design and analysis tools within a parametric framework enables communication between teams, allowing engineers from different disciplines to collaborate more effectively. This helps identify potential issues early in the design process when they are less costly to address.</p><p dir="ltr">Another benefit is the flexibility it provides in the face of changing requirements. By updating values assigned to design parameters, engineers can accommodate new specifications without significant disruption to their workflows. This agility is particularly valuable in the aerospace industry as design changes are expected due to shifting customer needs or regulatory requirements.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Improving Cost Efficiency and Optimizing Resources</h3><p dir="ltr">Parametric modeling helps optimize resource utilization and reduce costs. By improving digital models, companies can minimize the need for expensive and time-consuming physical prototypes and testing. This reduction in physical resources allows for more efficient allocation of budget and personnel, ultimately leading to cost savings and faster time to market for new products.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Digital Design Case Study: Parametric Modeling and Optimization</h2><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMyNTM5NTE5MjY1LXNodXR0ZXJzdG9ja18yMjQwNzk1NDkzLmpwZWciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p dir="ltr">We know that efficiency and innovation are paramount in aerospace manufacturing. This case study highlights the collaboration between Quest Global and a leading aero-engine manufacturer. Quest Global's expertise in parametric modeling and automation tools improved the manufacturer's design processes.</p><p dir="ltr">The aero-engine manufacturer faced a significant hurdle in their design workflow. They aimed to substantially reduce the cycle time from conceptual design to optimized 3D models. To achieve this, they required a solution capable of utilizing meanline profiles from aerothermodynamic analyses, building conceptual rotor with aerofoil and casing models to efficiently explore the design space. Their existing methods required considerable engineer efforts and struggled to meet schedule demands. And hindered their ability to explore the design space required to achieve optimal rotor and casing designs.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Comprehensive Design Transformation through Automation and Standardization</h3><p dir="ltr">Recognizing the need for a comprehensive solution, the aero-engine manufacturer partnered with Quest Global. Quest Global deployed a dedicated team of 12 skilled engineers to support the manufacturer's future engine program. This specialized team worked closely with the manufacturer's engineers to understand their specific requirements and develop tailored strategies to facilitate their design processes.</p><p dir="ltr">Quest Global's approach centered on the development of standardized design methods and the implementation of advanced automation tools. By introducing automated geometry tagging and cross-section automation, they significantly reduced the manual effort required in the design process. Additionally, the utilization of Siemens NX parametric modeling tools enabled rapid iterations and integration of design updates, allowing engineers to explore a broader range of design options in a fraction of the time previously required.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Reducing Human Error in Design: Quest Global’s Automation Edge</h3><p dir="ltr">One of Quest Global's key differentiators was the implementation of automated meshing and boundary condition generation for gas turbine engine design. This eliminated the potential for human error and provided consistent, high-quality results. Moreover, their verification systems, built upon robust simulation frameworks, gave engineers the confidence to make data-driven decisions and optimize designs based on reliable performance predictions.</p><p dir="ltr">Perhaps most importantly, Quest Global focused on establishing strong connectivity between design processes and tools that facilitated automation and collaboration—Quest Global integrated parametric modeling with the manufacturer's existing design ecosystem.</p><p dir="ltr">The impact of the partnership with the aero-engine manufacturer was significant. The manufacturer achieved a remarkable 30% reduction in design cycle time by implementing parametric modeling and optimization tools. This allowed them to bring engine designs to market faster, gaining a competitive edge in the industry. Additionally, the improved design accuracy and the ability to rapidly evaluate complex system components contributed to enhanced product performance and reliability.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Leveraging Digital solutions for Aerospace manufacturing</h2><p dir="ltr">Quest Global's expertise extends beyond parametric modeling to digital twin technology. Integrating digital twins with parametric modeling makes it easy to gain insight and control over aerospace manufacturing processes. Digital twins are virtual replicas of physical systems, capturing real-time data and enabling engineers to monitor, analyze and optimize performance throughout the product lifecycle.</p><p dir="ltr">The synergy between digital twins and parametric modeling provides predictive capabilities for aerospace manufacturers. Engineers can anticipate potential issues, identify opportunities for improvement, and make informed decisions based on accurate, up-to-date information. This allows for implementing adaptive manufacturing processes, where production lines can dynamically adjust to changing conditions and minimize downtime.[5] Quest Global's expertise in this domain enables aerospace companies to lead in innovation, produce high-quality products, and continuously improve their processes.</p><h2 dir="ltr">References</h2><ol><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Monedero J. Parametric design: a review and some experiences. Automation in construction. 2000 Jul 1;9(4):369-77.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Schulze M, Neumann J, Klimmek T. Parametric modeling of a long-range aircraft under consideration of engine-wing integration. Aerospace. 2020 Dec 23;8(1):2.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Li W, Krist S, Campbell R. Transonic airfoil shape optimization in preliminary design environment. Journal of aircraft. 2006 May;43(3):639-51.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Shi R, Long T, Ye N, Wu Y, Wei Z, Liu Z. Metamodel-based multidisciplinary design optimization methods for aerospace system. Astrodynamics. 2021 Sep;5:185-215.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Sanchez F, Liscouët-Hanke S, Tfaily A. Improving aircraft conceptual design through parametric CAD modellers–a case study for thermal analysis of aircraft systems. Computers in Industry. 2021 Sep 1;130:103467.</p></li></ol>

Discover how parametric modeling enables faster iterations, improved accuracy, and optimized aerospace design and manufacturing performance.

Accelerating Aerospace Design with Parametric Modeling and Optimization

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Aerospace and defense (A&amp;D) manufacturing operates in one of the most regulated and complex environments, where precision, compliance, and safety are non-negotiable. Every component, from aircraft parts to defense systems, must meet rigorous standards, and a single defect can lead to costly rework, delayed timelines, and compliance failures that compromise safety. Despite advancements in manufacturing, non-conformance remains a pervasive challenge that disrupts production and drives up costs. Frequent quality issues, often stemming from the limitations of traditional methods and disconnected systems, have ripple effects throughout the supply chain, creating risks and eroding operational efficiency as production scales and becomes increasingly globalized.</p><p dir="ltr">Digital threads offer a transformative solution to these challenges. By creating an interconnected data flow that spans the entire product lifecycle, digital threads enable real-time quality control and predictive insights that empower manufacturers to detect, address, and even prevent non-conformances before they escalate. Quest Global is pioneering digital thread technology in A&amp;D manufacturing by integrating Model-Based Enterprise &nbsp;(MBE), digital twins, and predictive maintenance. Its approach targets zero defects and redefines quality management as a proactive, data-driven strategy that delivers unprecedented levels of control, reliability, and efficiency across the industry.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Quest Global’s Vision for Zero Defects in A&amp;D Manufacturing</h2><p dir="ltr">Quest Global combines cutting-edge technologies and industry-proven methodologies to set a new benchmark for precision in A&amp;D manufacturing. Their approach embeds continuous data flows and real-time feedback loops into production, enabling manufacturers to maintain rigorous quality standards without sacrificing speed or flexibility.</p><p dir="ltr">At the core of Quest Global’s strategy is the digital thread, a cohesive system that unites design, manufacturing, and maintenance processes into a single, continuous data stream. This interconnected framework addresses non-conformance by embedding real-time traceability and compliance verification directly into the manufacturing workflow, transforming quality management from a series of isolated checks into an integrated process. Through structured methodologies such as Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) and the 8D process, Quest Global systematically addresses quality issues at their source, preventing recurrence and ensuring comprehensive compliance.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">This application of digital threads allows A&amp;D manufacturers to identify and resolve quality issues proactively, building a foundation of precision and consistency across global supply chains. By bridging the gaps between design, manufacturing, and maintenance, digital threads provide a comprehensive view of the product lifecycle, facilitating a proactive approach to tackling non-conformance.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Digital Solutions Transforming A&amp;D Manufacturing</h2><p dir="ltr">Quest Global’s digital thread strategy is built on foundational technologies that address the complexities and precision demands of A&amp;D manufacturing. MBE is central to this approach, allowing engineers to create, test, and continuously update dynamic models. It enables real-time adjustments and validation throughout the design phase, which helps maintain precision and minimize the risk of errors that could cascade through the production process. Enhanced by parametric modeling, MBE provides flexibility in testing and refining designs well before they reach production, effectively reducing the likelihood of non-conformance issues at their earliest stages.</p><p dir="ltr">Digital twins complement MBE by bridging the gap between virtual design and physical production. Acting as real-time digital replicas of physical assets, digital twins provide a continuous, data-rich view of equipment performance and conditions. For A&amp;D manufacturers, this means instant insight into how assets behave under specific conditions, helping them identify and correct potential quality issues before they impact the final product.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">When coupled with predictive maintenance, digital twins go beyond monitoring by forecasting maintenance needs based on real-time data. Through advanced analytics and machine learning, digital twins enable manufacturers to anticipate failures, optimize equipment uptime, and prevent costly interruptions or defects in production.</p><p dir="ltr">Digital threads unify these core technologies into a single, interconnected data flow that spans the product lifecycle from design to manufacturing to aftermarket . This integration creates a “single source of truth” for all production data, allowing every team involved in the manufacturing process to work from the same, continuously updated information.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">As a result, it facilitates traceability and enforces consistency, ensuring quality standards are upheld at every stage. Any deviation from the design or production process is instantly visible, enabling swift corrective actions that uphold compliance and minimize costly rework. By embedding these digital solutions within the production workflow, Quest Global empowers A&amp;D manufacturers to achieve precision, enhance operational resilience, and build a robust, data-driven foundation for addressing non-conformance issues on a global scale.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Real-World Applications: The Benefits of Digital Threads in A&amp;D</h2><p dir="ltr">Traditional A&amp;D manufacturing has historically relied on manual inspections and outdated systems that struggle to keep pace with modern complexity. Quest Global’s digital thread approach replaces these inefficiencies with an automated, interconnected solution. This shift from reactive to proactive quality management empowers manufacturers to pinpoint potential issues long before they manifest, dramatically reducing the need for rework and ensuring high compliance rates.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Case Study: Streamlined Production Support for Aerospace Manufacturing</h3><p dir="ltr">An aerospace client sought to revamp their producibility flow line to improve efficiency and reduce non-conformance. Quest Global established a dedicated cross-functional team, to manage the overall operations and flowlines. Through data visualization tools, , Quest Global enabled real-time tracking of KPIs &nbsp;that helped identify and eliminate bottlenecks methodically.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">This structured approach allowed for proactive root cause analysis, enabling effective trend analysis and forecasting of quality issues. Quest Global’s solutions achieved a 30% reduction in non-conformance on key products and a 65% reduction in backlog. Further, Quest Global enhanced the client’s real-time monitoring capabilities with a whiteboard-to-digital transformation, improving the quality of Non Conformance origination data by greater than 95% &nbsp;and total resolution time (TRT) within one day, leading to improved quality and efficiency across the production process.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Case Study: Predictive Quality Management with Data-Driven Insights</h3><p dir="ltr">Another aerospace manufacturer faced high costs of poor quality (CoPQ) and frequent production delays due to inconsistent quality management across a globally distributed supply chain. To address these challenges, Quest Global implemented a predictive quality management solution that combined DMAIC methodology, real-time data analytics, and machine learning.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">This solution utilized correlation and regression analysis to build relation of process variables . By streamlining non-conformance management and enhancing the client’s ability to forecast issues, Quest Global reduced non-conformance rates by 28% and improved TRT by 50%, leading to $2.4 million in annual savings. Additionally, the solution helped improve productivity by 22% significantly enhancing overall production reliability.</p><p dir="ltr">These case studies highlight how Quest Global empowers manufacturers to reduce non-conformance, streamline production, and achieve substantial cost savings, setting a new standard for operational efficiency and reliability in the industry.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Pioneering a Digital-First Future in Aerospace Manufacturing</h2><p dir="ltr">Quest Global envisions a future where digital threads, automation, and AI-driven systems become fundamental to A&amp;D manufacturing. By transforming quality management into a strategic advantage, Quest Global’s digital solutions empower manufacturers to uphold rigorous standards without compromising efficiency.</p><p dir="ltr">This seamless, digital-first approach positions quality control as a competitive differentiator, enabling A&amp;D manufacturers to proactively address challenges, optimize production, and ensure consistent compliance throughout the supply chain. By unifying each phase of production within a data-centric framework, Quest Global’s digital thread solutions reduce non-conformance, improve transparency, and integrate predictive insights that strengthen operational resilience and overall efficiency.</p>

Aerospace and defense manufacturing faces strict quality demands where non-conformance disrupts efficiency. Read how Quest Global is leading the transformation to a more proactive, data-driven approach that delivers unprecedented levels of control, reliability, and efficiency across the industry.

Leveraging Digital Threads to Minimize Non-Conformance in A&D Manufacturing

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">As aerospace and defense manufacturing targets higher precision and efficiency, digital twin and digital thread technologies are quietly reshaping how products move from design to the real world. These advancements enable companies to bridge the gap between design and production, driving down cycle times while improving innovation, safety, and adaptability. With the aerospace and defense (A&amp;D) sector transitioning to digital-first methodologies, the need for seamless integration of these technologies has never been more critical.</p><p dir="ltr">A&amp;D manufacturers today must meet tighter production schedules, ensure greater accuracy, and create systems that can evolve in real time to changing conditions. Digital twins and digital threads serve as a single source of truth, ensuring interoperability across the lifecycle of each asset—from requirements capture to assembly and certification. In this context, these technologies are pulling the strings to improve operational efficiency and deliver data-driven insights. Companies that embrace these tools are positioning themselves to lead the next generation of A&amp;D engineering.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Digital Twin and Digital Thread in Aerospace and Defense</h2><p dir="ltr">The A&amp;D sector stands to benefit greatly from innovations like digital twins and digital threads, especially with its demand for precision and safety. As&nbsp;A&amp;D products&nbsp;shifts towards mechatronics, digital twins allow system integration across mechanical, electronic, and software components, capturing real-time data to provide actionable insights into performance and condition. This helps implement&nbsp;smart manufacturing,&nbsp;remote asset monitoring,&nbsp;robust configuration &amp; traceability, predictive maintenance, reducing unplanned downtime and extending equipment lifespan.</p><p dir="ltr">Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) frameworks combined with digital threads help to standardize workflows from CAD/CAE to CAM/CMM, supporting both new product introduction and industrialization. In defense, digital twins allow for real-time operational readiness assessments of critical assets like fighter jets, naval vessels, and unmanned systems, while digital threads ensure system integrity and a continuous data flow across the entire lifecycle—from mission planning to post-deployment sustainment.</p><p dir="ltr">These technologies are applicable across multiple domains—land, air, maritime, and space—to optimize design, improve maintenance, and ensure peak performance in all environments. They also support the global nature of defense contracts, with embedded Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) and annotations overcoming language barriers in multinational operations.</p><p dir="ltr">As companies look to optimize performance and reduce cycle times, adopting these technologies is helping them achieve significant operational improvements, thus creating more cohesive, data-driven systems for better decision-making and long-term sustainability.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Industry Insights: Driving Innovation through Digital Integration</h2><p dir="ltr">Quest Global has worked across various A&amp;D projects, helping companies integrate digital thread strategies to accelerate timelines and enhance efficiency. In the defense space, this integration enables complex systems, such as military aircraft and missile defense platforms, to move seamlessly from concept to deployment while maintaining mission-critical performance and security. By digitizing Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) and augmenting them with simulations through Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), digital twins streamline production and enable maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) with enhanced accuracy.</p><p dir="ltr">In a project with a leading aeroengine OEM for the US Department of Defense (DoD), Quest Global’s design thread expertise, particularly in MBSE, was critical in connecting systems architecture and accelerating the design process. In another project, they helped reduce manufacturing design cycle times by 30% using adaptive closed-loop manufacturing, predictive analytics, and supply chain connectivity. This digital twin initiative improved the overall efficiency by 44%, demonstrating the power of real-time simulations and predictive analytics in reducing non-conformance and optimizing manufacturing.</p><h2 dir="ltr">The Industry-Wide Impact of Digital Twin and Digital Thread Technologies</h2><p dir="ltr">Digital twins and digital threads enable companies to create continuous, data-driven feedback loops that enhance decision-making, streamline operations, and reduce inefficiencies and complexities. By embedding real-time insights into their processes, A&amp;D manufacturers can optimize performance at every stage of the product lifecycle, from design to production and maintenance.</p><p dir="ltr">Digital twins, in particular, allow manufacturers to simulate different scenarios and test outcomes without needing physical prototypes. This helps reduce risk, accelerate time-to-market, and improve overall system reliability. With digital twins, we’re seeing a shift from reactive to proactive management in aerospace manufacturing. It goes beyond preventing failures toward continuously improving processes, shortening design cycles, and enabling adaptive manufacturing that responds in real time to operational data.</p><p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, digital threads ensure that data remains connected and accessible throughout the entire lifecycle, bridging gaps between traditionally siloed systems. This interconnectedness fosters collaboration and allows for more informed decision-making, helping companies meet the growing demands for efficiency, sustainability, and speed. In A&amp;D, real-time data integration supports faster response times and optimizes product performance under changing geopolitical scenarios, empowering&nbsp;OEM’s &amp; Global Supply chain&nbsp;to maintain readiness in dynamic environments.&nbsp;Digital manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technologies also foster increased awareness and improvement toward Health and Social care (HSC).</p><p dir="ltr">As the A&amp;D industry embraces digital technologies, manufacturers are empowered to optimize their operations and properly position themselves to innovate and adapt to future challenges, laying the groundwork for smarter, more responsive manufacturing ecosystems.</p>

Bridging Design and Production: Why Digital Twin and Thread Are Vital for Aerospace Innovation

Harnessing the Power of Digital Twins for Seamless Digital Thread Integration

<section id="isPasted"><p><strong>Imagine you have a virtual copy of your own body. This digital twin, an accurate computer model, can help doctors better understand your health, personalize treatments, and intervene earlier to prevent more significant problems. What sounds like science fiction now is becoming more and more of a reality, and in the (distant) future, it could revolutionize healthcare.</strong></p><p><strong>Source: <a href="https://www.catharinaziekenhuis.nl/actueel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Catharina Ziekenhuis Eindhoven</a> / Geert Piek</strong></p></section><section tabindex="-1"><p>A digital twin is actually a kind of digital version of yourself, based on data from your body, but also on information from many other people. This technology is already being used in sectors such as industry and urban planning, where these virtual copies can be used to predict how machines or traffic systems will behave, for example.</p><p>Now, this technique is also increasingly finding its way into healthcare.</p><h2 id="isPasted"><strong>What does this mean for the patient of the future?</strong></h2><p>Lukas Dekker, cardiologist-electrophysiologist at the Catharina Hospital and professor at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), explains: “In the future, we will be able to provide tailor-made care with the help of a digital twin.”</p><p>“This means that we are better able to determine the best treatment for each patient, instead of giving everyone the same standard of care. This not only makes healthcare more personalized but also more efficient and affordable. We move away from the idea of&nbsp;<em>one size fits all</em>.”</p><p>A digital twin is not a simple model that doctors use to try out surgeries in advance but a smart collection of data that uses real-time information to simulate and predict your health. “We combine medical scans, data on how your body moves and how it responds to treatments. This allows us to calculate, for example, how your heart functions,” says Dekker.</p><h3><strong>Saving lives</strong></h3><p>This opens the door to new possibilities. Let's say you've had a heart attack. With a digital twin, doctors would be able to predict who has an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias after such an attack. That can save lives.</p><p>Carlijn Buck, PhD candidate in cardiovascular biomechanics, is working on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.catharinaziekenhuis.nl/kan-data-voorspellen-wie-na-een-infarct-hartritmestoornissen-ontwikkelt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">the development of digital twins of heart patients within the COMBAT-VT project</a>. “It's still a long way off to make a complete digital copy of the body, but the first versions of digital twins of the heart have already been created,” she says. “The next step is for such a model to adapt as new data comes in, and then quickly predict whether something will go wrong.”</p><p>This means that doctors can predict your health better and better without you having to go to the hospital constantly. “In the future, more and more devices you wear – such as smart watches or heart monitors – will pass on data to your doctor.”</p><p>“They can then monitor your health remotely and intervene if necessary,” explains Dekker. “When something is measured, you don't just want the data in question to be analyzed, but also to be analyzed in a certain context. After all, one person differs significantly from another, whether that is due to age, weight, or medical history.”</p><h3 id="isPasted"><strong>No unnecessary burden on healthcare</strong></h3><p>One of the most significant advantages of a digital twin is that it helps doctors estimate when you need what type of medical care. “Some patients may need to be checked more quickly than others. With a digital twin, we can better assess this in the future and offer tailored care,” says Dekker.</p><p>This also means that the healthcare system is not unnecessarily burdened. “Not every patient needs a complicated model,” Buck explains. “For some patients, a simple risk model is sufficient, based on data such as age and weight. But if there is a high risk, we can create a more detailed model to get a better understanding.”</p><p>She explains that this requires more complicated data, such as an MRI scan of the heart. This means more impact for the patient, a more labor-intensive job for the medical engineer who assembles the twin, and higher healthcare costs. “So if you don't need such a detailed model, you shouldn't do it.”</p><h3>Human side remains crucial</h3><p>Creating&nbsp;a digital twin is an intensive process in which technicians and doctors work closely together. The technician builds the twins while the doctor determines how they will be used in practice. “For example, in the case&nbsp;<a href="https://www.catharinaziekenhuis.nl/behandelingen/ablatie/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">of ablation</a>, a procedure to treat cardiac arrhythmias, the model could help determine when and how the heart can best be treated,” says Buck.</p><p>But, she emphasizes, a digital twin does not replace the doctor. “The model doesn't tell you how you feel or how you view surgery. It can't take the context into account; it's only useful for what it's made for. It is, therefore, a tool for the doctor to provide the best possible care. The human side and the overall context remain crucial, and that’s why we will still need a doctor.”</p><h3><strong>Enormous possibilities</strong></h3><p>Although the technology is still in the early stages of development, the possibilities of digital twins are enormous. The combination of data, technology and medical expertise ensures that we can provide more and more tailor-made care in the future.</p><p><em>The COMBAT-VT project falls under the umbrella of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-groups/eaisi/eaisi-business-operations/eindhoven-medtech-innovation-center/" target="_blank">Eindhoven MedTech Innovation Center (e/MTIC),</a> a large regional partnership in the field of medical technology between TU/e, Philips, and the Catharina Hospital, Maxima Medical Center, and Kempenhaeghe. A crucial collaboration for this research is combining input from healthcare with technological developments.<br></em></p></section>

Lukas Dekker and Carlijn Buck in consultation with their digital twin. Photo: Catharina Ziekenhuis Eindhoven

Researchers Lukas Dekker and Carlijn Buck of TU/e and the Catharina Hospital are investigating how they can provide better-tailored care to heart patients through smart modeling, thanks to a digital twin of each patient.

Digital twins will help to tailor healthcare more in the future

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">What if machines could intelligently and automatically adapt to the needs of industrial workers and integrate themselves in the human interaction loop, rather than expecting the worker to become trained about their intricacies?&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">What if digitally enabled industrial production systems could prioritize sustainability and social performance in addition to maximizing production efficiency and optimizing production costs? &nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">This could unlock a new era for industrial production that delivers business and societal benefits at the same time. Imagine a world where digital manufacturing systems will be fundamentally designed to be human-centric and sustainable. This is not the distant future: It is the dawn of Industry 5.0, the next evolutionary step after Industry 4.0 and Cyber Physical Production Systems, where industrial production innovations meet empathy in order to craft a new wave of smarter, cost-effective, sustainable and human centric solutions to the benefit of both consumers and industrial organizations.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Introducing Industry 5.0</h2><p dir="ltr">Industry 5.0 focuses on sustainability and the collaboration between humans and smart systems towards shaping an industrial future that's not only productive but also inclusive and environmentally conscious. Similar to Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0 relies on the deployment of cyber physical systems and their integration with advanced digital technologies. As such it is a continuation of Industry 4.0 towards a more responsible, sustainable and humanized use of manufacturing. The main characteristics of Industry 5.0 production systems are:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Human-Centric Design: Industry 5.0 places the well-being, creativity, and capabilities of human workers at the heart of technological innovation.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Customization in Production: In the scope of Industry 5.0, the vision of mass customization is realized based on highly personalized products and services that meet the unique demands of consumers.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Sustainable Practices: Industry 5.0 is about manufacturing processes that minimize environmental impact, reduce waste, and promote the recycling of resources.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Cobots (Collaborative Robots): Industry 5.0 relies on co-bots i.e., robots designed to interact and work alongside human colleagues, as opposed to replacing them, which is the case with fully autonomous industrial robots.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Flexibility and Resilience: The production systems of the Industry 5.0 era must adapt swiftly to market changes based on agility that combines the best of machine precision and human intelligence.</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">Overall, Industry 5.0 extends the digital transformation initiated by Industry 4.0 based on a layer of advanced personalization and environmental stewardship. It is a paradigm shift that recognizes not only the value of efficiency but also the humans’ role in complementing technology with creativity, contextual understanding, and moral judgment.</p><p dir="ltr">To stay ahead in this transformation modern industrial organizations must embrace cutting-edge electronic components and semiconductor products. The latter are among the main building blocks that drive innovation, including for example sensors enabling precision in cobots to chips processing vast amounts of data towards smarter decisions for sustainable products and practices. The components and semiconductors used to support Industry 5.0 advancements are gradually becoming more sophisticated as high-quality and sustainable technologies are required. For instance, semiconductor innovation is driving the efficiency of energy use in production processes, which contributes to the Industry 5.0 sustainability ambition. Moreover, electronics that push the boundaries of what's possible in automation and machine intelligence are foundational for companies that develop advanced personalization and customization services.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Technology Enablers and Integration Challenges </h2><p dir="ltr">Industry 4.0 has been built upon cyber-physical production systems that are powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT, and advanced robotics. For over a decade, such systems have boosted the automation and optimization of manufacturing processes. For instance, AI systems are instrumental in support predictive maintenance and production scheduling optimization use cases. At the same time, IoT and advanced robots facilitate the convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT), which enables digitally controlled applications like digital twins.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Industry 5.0 builds on the above-listed technologies, yet it also elevates their role to support human centricity and sustainability. As a prominent example, Industry 5.0 leverages "Trusted AI" and "Explainable AI" (XAI) technologies, which integrate ethical principles (e.g., fairness, transparency) into AI systems. Trusted AI and XAI technologies enable AI systems to make decisions that are comprehensible and justifiable to human workers. As another example, state of the art IoT infrastructures evolve in Industry 5.0 to support user-centric digital networks. This enables real-time IoT communications are not only device-centric but also augmented for direct human interaction in ways that enhance machine-to-human collaboration. Moreover, conventional robotics are nowadays integrated with sensory and cognitive technologies to enable cobots and Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC). Cobots work side-by-side with humans towards merging human intuition and empathy with robotics automation capabilities.</p><p dir="ltr">Moreover, Industry 5.0 embraces new technological advancements such as the Digital Product Passport (DPP). A DPP resembles a secure decentralized digital twins’ infrastructure which can track a product's lifecycle journey. It provides detailed data on the origin, components, materials, and assembly process of products, towards boosting supply chain integrity and ecological consciousness.</p><p dir="ltr">Considering these technologies, the implementation and integration of state of the art Industry 5.0 is much more challenging than the integration of systems of earlier generations. The integration challenge lies in the need to blend heterogeneous technologies, while considering the workers’ profile and sustainability parameters. For example, digital twin implementations must be worker centric based on the consideration of workers’ digital profiles. This enables human-centred digital twins that are typically difficult to design and integrate. As another example, the integration of a DPP infrastructure is typically complex as it federates heterogeneous data sources and services from different actors of the manufacturing chain. &nbsp;Overall, the integration of diverse systems in ways that balance automated efficiency and the creative value that human workers provide is one of the main challenges of Industry 5.0.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Industry 5.0 Use Cases</h2><p dir="ltr">Industry 5.0 enables a wide range of use cases that were hardly possible few years ago, including:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Enhanced Customization and Personalization of Products: Industry 5.0 leverages AI-driven analytics and flexible manufacturing systems to provide a superior degree of product customization, which would traditionally be cost-prohibitive and logistically complex. To this end, machine learning algorithms are used to analyse consumer profiles and preferences towards tailored products at an individual level. Moreover, 3D printing technologies can be integrated with AI to enable just-in-time manufacturing of customized parts in ways that reduce waste and optimize resource use.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Sustainable Manufacturing Use Cases: Industry 5.0 enables the implementation of sustainable manufacturing practices. For instance, DPPs enable transparent tracking of the ecological footprints of products, which is a key for adherence to environmental standards. Furthermore, AI can optimize energy use and automate waste management based on predictive scheduling of machinery maintenance that minimizes downtime and resource depletion. Likewise, AI-enhanced logistics enable eco-friendly supply chain management through optimization of routes and reduction of carbon emissions.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Improved Quality and Innovation through Human Insight and Machine Precision: Industry 5.0 fosters the interplay of human experience and robotic accuracy. For example, in quality control, AI algorithms for rapid and precise anomaly detection are combined with human oversight that can provide a better understanding of varied quality issues that may not be immediately apparent to AI. This symbiosis enhances the product innovation cycle and quality assurance processes, leading in higher production standards and innovative product features.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Anticipating and Meeting the Changing Needs and Expectations of Consumers: Predictive analytics and real-time data processing enable anticipatory models that forecast consumer trends and market demands. AI systems can integrate these insights with dynamic production planning tools to adapt manufacturing processes in near real time. This is a key to fast responsiveness to market fluctuations and consumer demands.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Human-Robot Collaboration: There are several Industry 5.0 applications based on cobots. As a prominent example, in automotive assembly, cobots perform heavy lifting and precision tasks, which reduces ergonomic risk to human workers. At the same time, humans provide critical quality assurance and fine adjustments, which optimizes the assembly process.</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Best Practices for Industry 5.0 Adoption and Deployment<br><br></h2><p dir="ltr">Industrial organizations wishing to adopt, deploy, and fully leverage Industry 5.0 had better consider the following best practices:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Integration of Human-Centric Technology Solutions towards a smooth transition: Integrating human-centric technology asks for a structured framework that begins with an identification of the specific needs and capabilities of the human workforce which can be enhanced through technology. Accordingly, there is a need for a comprehensive technological audit that documents the digital maturity of the industrial organization and identifies gaps where human-centric technology can be beneficial. This is a key for designing interfaces and applications that prioritize ease of use, accessibility, sustainability and ergonomic principles. The next step involves the implementation of pilot projects to validate the effectiveness and acceptance of proposed solutions. The latter must be refined iteratively based on stakeholders’ feedback. This requires continuous dialogue between technology designers and end-users to foster innovation and inclusivity.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Strengthening the Human Factor through upskilling and reskilling: Industry 5.0 is hardly possible without a strategic commitment to develop the workforce's skillset to thrive alongside advanced technologies. This involves assessing the skill gaps that may emerge as a consequence of new technology adoption, as well as crafting tailored training programs. It is also essential to promote a culture of lifelong learning and adaptability, which ensures that employees adopt new technologies as an opportunity for growth.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Measuring Economic Performance and Sustainability: Industry 5.0 organizations must adopt a dual-lens approach to performance measurement that encompasses both economic viability and sustainability metrics. This includes incorporating sustainability objectives into the core strategic planning and performance evaluation frameworks. Moreover, it entails the use of advanced data analytics to monitor and optimize resource utilization, energy consumption, and waste generation. Note also that sustainability and economic performance reporting must be transparently to stakeholders in order to foster trust and reinforce commitment to ethical practices.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Human Centricity by Design: Designing systems and processes with a human-centric approach ensures that technological advancements do not detract from the welfare and productivity of the workforce. This entails embedding ergonomic design principles across technological interfaces and work environments to enhance safety and comfort, while prioritizing the development of technologies that augment human abilities and creativity. A good practice is also to engage workers in the design and innovation process towards ensuring that their insights shape the development of technologies and work practices.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Sustainable by Design Production: A 'Sustainable Production by Design' philosophy integrates sustainability considerations into every stage of the product lifecycle, from conception to disposal. Relevant strategies include: (i) Selecting materials and product configurations that lead to eco-friendly products; (ii) Leveraging digital twin technology for optimizing product designs with minimal material waste and energy usage; (iii) Adopting circular economy principles, such as designing for disassembly and recyclability that minimize the environmental footprint; (iv) Employing lifecycle assessment tools to evaluate and mitigate the environmental impact of products and operations.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Keeping up with Future Trends like AI Advancements and Sustainable Technologies: Staying abreast of technological advancements is crucial for maintaining competitiveness and sustainability in Industry 5.0. This requires: (i) Investing in research and development (R&amp;D) and establishing partnerships with academic and industry leaders to tap into emerging technologies; (ii) Adopting a proactive approach to technology scouting to anticipate technological breakthroughs and their implications; (iii) Cultivating a culture of innovation that encourages experimentation and the exploration of novel applications of Industry 5.0 concepts.</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h2><p dir="ltr">Overall, Industry 5.0 introduces a transformative convergence of advanced digital technologies with human-centric design and sustainability principles. This convergence recalibrates the industrial fabric towards personalization, circularity, and enhanced collaboration. It also asks for the strategic integration of AI, IoT, and cyber-physical systems in ways that augment human expertise and innovation. Industry leaders must embrace these principles towards the dual objective of optimizing economic growth and environmental performance.&nbsp;</p>

Industry 5.0 envisions a future where machines adapt to workers’ needs, integrating seamlessly into human workflows. In this new era, digital manufacturing systems will focus on sustainability and social impact alongside efficiency and cost-effectiveness. 

Industry 5.0: Evolving Digital Industry Towards Maximum Societal Value

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">As aerospace and defense projects grow in complexity, the industry faces a need for new methodologies to manage complex system architectures and facilitate design validation processes. Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is addressing these challenges by moving organizations from document-based systems to a model-centric approach.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">One key player driving this transformation is Quest Global, a leading engineering services provider renowned for its pioneering role in digital thread integration across the aerospace and defense industry. Quest Global has established itself as a trusted partner, helping major aerospace organizations adopt Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and leverage digital thread solutions to enhance project efficiency, system accuracy, and cross-functional collaboration. Their expertise in integrating MBSE techniques has enabled aerospace companies to meet modern challenges head-on, significantly improving project outcomes.</p><p dir="ltr">This article explores how MBSE connects design processes and tools to enable greater flexibility, accuracy, and efficiency in aerospace and defense projects. It also highlights Quest Global's role in leading this transformation, providing case studies on successful implementation to illustrate its real-world applications and benefits across all development stages.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Why the Shift from Document-Based to Model-Based Systems Engineering?</h2><p dir="ltr">MBSE is a systems engineering methodology that fundamentally improves how complex systems are developed and managed throughout their entire lifecycle. At its core, MBSE allows for an authoritative source of truth (ASoT) for systems, depicting components as interconnected blocks with defined boundaries and interfaces. This visual representation aids both technical and non-technical stakeholders in understanding complex systems. For example, in developing a new turbofan engine, MBSE can map interactions between the engine and external systems like avionics and flight controls.</p><p dir="ltr">One of the key features of MBSE is its centralized model-based approach. In MBSE, a well-structured model provides a graphical representation of processes, structures, and workflows, making it easier to understand and manage. In this approach, changes made within a model propagate automatically, ensuring consistency and reducing labor.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Benefits of MBSE in Aerospace</h2><p dir="ltr">Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) significantly enhances efficiency by streamlining the development process, leading to reduced time to market and faster product launches. This approach also contributes to substantial cost reductions by leveraging models effectively to identify and address inefficiencies early in the development cycle.</p><p dir="ltr">A core objective of MBSE is to improve product quality by enhancing system design and reducing defects. Executives can monitor this improvement through key metrics, such as defect rates and performance indicators, reflecting the quality of systems engineering outputs. Additionally, MBSE fosters stakeholder satisfaction through improved communication and collaboration across teams.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Assessing the return on investment (ROI) of MBSE is crucial for understanding its financial impact. Executives should evaluate cost savings from reduced errors, increased productivity from streamlined processes, and improved product quality that leads to better market performance. Furthermore, it is essential for MBSE initiatives to align with the organization’s strategic goals. Evaluating the extent to which MBSE contributes to long-term success ensures that it serves as a strategic enabler, supporting the organization's vision and mission.</p><h2 dir="ltr">From Complexity to Clarity: Streamlining Aerospace Design with MBSE</h2><p dir="ltr">The use of a digital modeling approach significantly enhances system architecture in aerospace projects, offering improved visualization and analysis. Digital models provide a clear and cohesive representation of complex systems, enabling engineering teams to better understand and navigate the intricacies of the design architecture.</p><p dir="ltr">Quest Defense (QDSS), the US subsidiary of Quest Global, has been instrumental in helping its clients navigate the complexities of MBSE implementation. Recent projects have demonstrated Quest Defense's capability to streamline systems engineering processes and deliver tangible ROI for its clients.</p><p dir="ltr">A prime example of this is the F-35 program, in which QDSS was a key partner. Despite its success, the F-35 program initially faced numerous challenges, including significant budget overruns and delays. Some of the key challenges included maintaining and evolving unified systems engineering artifacts, traceability, communications, incomplete validation and verification requirements, as well as not reusing systems developed in earlier programs.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Learning from past challenges, the Department of Defense (DOD) has issued a mandate to build a systems engineering infrastructure using MBSE to address the shortcomings of classical systems engineering methods. MBSE artifacts serve as the Authoritative Source of Truth (ASoT), ensuring consistency throughout the program, reducing the risk of systems architecture divergence, better documenting V&amp;V requirements, and improving communication. Additionally, MBSE facilitates the creation of reusable models for future development, borrowing principles from object-oriented software design. The F-35 was therefore developed as an entirely bespoke effort, with everything built from the ground up. This approach highlighted the need for a more efficient system. This approach allowed for the incorporation of reusable components into new projects, thereby decreasing development time, costs, and risks.</p><p dir="ltr">With QDSS’ support, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) experienced accelerated project timelines, significant reductions in design and development costs, and improved system strategies and architectures. QDSS’ digital thread integration enabled a streamlined flow of data across the entire development process, enhancing system traceability and ensuring real-time updates in response to design changes.</p><h2 dir="ltr"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMwMjkxNDM5Njg3LXNodXR0ZXJzdG9ja18yMjQwNzk1NTQxLmpwZWciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></h2><h2 dir="ltr">MBSE’s Strategic Edge in Aerospace and Defense Engineering</h2><p dir="ltr">The success of the F-35 program highlights the many benefits of adopting a MBSE approach for aerospace and defense manufacturing. Some other key advantages include:&nbsp;</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Enhanced Traceability and Consistency:</strong> MBSE ensures that all changes are automatically updated throughout the system, maintaining consistency and reducing manual effort.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Improved Communication:</strong> The graphical nature of MBSE models facilitates better communication among stakeholders, including non-technical personnel, by providing clear visualizations of system interactions.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Reuse of Models:</strong> Models can be stored in libraries and reused in future projects, significantly reducing development time and costs. This is particularly beneficial in A&amp;D, where similar components like turbines or engines can be repurposed with minimal modifications.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Reduced Risk of Overruns</strong>:&nbsp;MBSE provides a clear and consistent roadmap that mitigates risks associated with budget overruns and project delays.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Seamless Independent Validation and Verification:</strong> Independent Validation &amp; Verification (IV&amp;V) is critical to any systems engineering process. Validation ensures that the correct system is being built according to requirements (validating against the CONOPS), while Verification ensures that the system is being built correctly (meeting the requirements). MBSE supports IV&amp;V by mapping these cases both graphically and tabularly, creating clear linkages between requirements, validation, and verification. This reduces errors and simplifies the verification process to ensure the system works and that test cases are included in the model.</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Addressing MBSE Implementation Issues</h2><p dir="ltr">Transitioning to MBSE is not without its challenges. Organizations often face resistance due to the significant paradigm shift required. Key challenges include:&nbsp;</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Organizational Buy-In:</strong> Senior management must be convinced of MBSE's benefits, necessitating a top-down approach to implementation.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Training and Education</strong>:&nbsp;Employees need to learn a new vocabulary and syntax, transitioning from text-based documentation to graphical models. Comprehensive training is essential to facilitate this shift.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Infrastructure and Tools:</strong> Implementing MBSE requires substantial investment in tools and IT infrastructure. Tools like Cameo can be expensive, and setting up the necessary back-end support involves additional costs.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Cultural Resistance:</strong> There is often resistance from experienced personnel accustomed to traditional methods. Younger employees may adapt more readily, but older staff may see little value in changing established practices.</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Navigating MBSE Hurdles in Complex Engineering Projects</h2><p dir="ltr">In order to ensure a successful MBSE implementation, A&amp;D organizations can take several steps and consult partners like Quest Global to facilitate a smooth transition through the following strategies:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Develop Systems Engineering Fundamentals:</strong> Establishing a solid systems engineering process is crucial before transitioning to MBSE. This includes developing a requirements definition and management process, configuration management, and validation and verification methods.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Evangelize MBSE Benefits</strong>: Clearly communicate the advantages of MBSE to all stakeholders, emphasizing improved efficiency, traceability, and reduced risk. Projects using an MBSE approach cost 55% less than projects using a traditional SE approach. In addition, projects using an MBSE approach delivered on time 62% of the time, compared to 59% of the time with a traditional SE approach, and up to 70% of defects have been identified during the modeling and simulation stage.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Provide Comprehensive Training:</strong> Invest in training programs to help employees understand and adopt MBSE practices.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Invest in the Right Tools:</strong> Carefully select and invest in MBSE tools and infrastructure, ensuring compatibility and scalability for future projects.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Build a Culture of Continuous Improvement:&nbsp;</strong>Encourage a culture that values continuous improvement and adaptation to new methodologies. This includes fostering collaboration and open communication among all team members.</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Facilitating MBSE Adoption In Aerospace and Defense</h2><p dir="ltr">The future of MBSE in the A&amp;D sector looks promising, with increasing mandates for its adoption to avoid past pitfalls and improve project outcomes. Quest Global expertise in implementing systems engineering processes extends beyond just technical implementation. They work closely with clients to address organizational and cultural challenges, providing comprehensive training and support to ensure seamless integration of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and digital threads. As organizations continue to recognize the benefits of MBSE, its implementation will become more widespread, leading to more efficient and effective systems engineering processes.</p><h3 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">References</h3><p dir="ltr">1. Systematic Literature Review: How is Model Based Systems Engineering Justified? Edward R. Carroll and Robert J. Malins, SANDIA REPORT SAND2016- 2607 Unlimited Release March 2016.</p>

Explore how MBSE can be used to optimize system architecture, streamline design validation, and facilitate collaboration in aerospace projects.

From Documents to Models: Improving System Architecture and  Design Validation in Aerospace With Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The rapid technological advancements present huge challenges to the Defense &amp; Aerospace industry. As the demand for innovations rises, companies are under considerable strain to deliver advanced technologies while navigating strict timelines. Moreover, the increasing complexity of aerospace systems has made managing design, production, and operational challenges more critical than ever.</p><p dir="ltr">Companies adjust their procedures to ensure efficient and effective project execution for rising complexities and smooth system integration. Simultaneously, the industry is grappling with growing regulatory and cost pressures, as there is a heightened emphasis on reducing development times, to meet the rapidly evolving customer needs, while meeting defense and safety requirements. This balance between innovation and financial restrictions has become the industry's hallmark.</p><p dir="ltr"><span contenteditable="false" draggable="true" class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable"><iframe id="JotFormIFrame-243114034803343" title="Quest Global Form [Webinar 1]" allowtransparency="true" src="https://form.jotform.com/243114034803343" frameborder="0" style="min-width:100%;max-width:100%;height:1230px;border:none;" scrolling="yes" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"> </iframe></span></p><h2 dir="ltr">Challenges Faced by the Defense &amp; Aerospace Industry</h2><p dir="ltr">Defense &amp; Aerospace programs often face the daunting task of delivering every more sophisticated systems at reduced cost and time. This demand to reduce costs and accelerate development cycles while maintaining the highest standards of quality and performance is a significant hurdle for companies operating in this sector.</p><p dir="ltr">In addition to these challenges, integrating new technologies into existing systems adds still another degree of difficulty. Companies have to incorporate these innovations while guaranteeing compatibility and best performance across all components.<sup>[1]</sup> This is further compounded by the need to manage and coordinate large, multi-functional teams, often spread across different locations and disciplines.</p><p dir="ltr">Moreover, legacy systems and outdated processes often hinder many organizations. These limitations can impede the adoption of modern digital engineering practices, which are crucial for staying competitive in today's fast-paced environment. Also, there is a growing need for real-time, accurate data throughout the product lifecycle, from design to operation, to enable data-driven decision-making and optimize performance.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://form.jotform.com/243114034803343" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI5NjAxNjA2NDQyLTUgKDEpLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></a></p><h2 dir="ltr">Digital Solutions in Aerospace Engineering</h2><p dir="ltr">To counter the challenges discussed above, Defense &amp; Aerospace companies are increasingly turning to more integrated and digitalized product design and development solutions to. One such approach is implementing an integrated digital thread, which enable uninterrupted information flow throughout the concept, design, production, and operational stages. By creating a cohesive digital ecosystem, Defense &amp; Aerospace companies can improve collaboration, optimize processes, reduce rework and maintain data consistency across the entire product lifecycle.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)</h3><p>Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is a powerful tool for managing the complexity of modern aerospace systems. By leveraging MBSE, engineers can create extended digital models that integrate various subsystems and components, allowing for efficient system design, simulation, and validation. This approach emphasizes using models as a central means of communication, analysis, and decision-making throughout the product lifecycle to detect potential issues early, reduce the need for physical prototypes, and facilitate better decision-making throughout development processes.<sup>[2]</sup> Additionally, MBSE facilitates collaboration among various stakeholders, assuring everyone works towards a shared understanding of the system's requirements and design.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 832px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI5NTk4NDg3NDU1LWZvdXIgcXVhZHJhbnRzIG9mIHRoZSBNQlNFIG1vZGVsLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">The four quadrants of the MBSE model process of system development from conceptualization to realization. Image credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://protect.checkpoint.com/v2/___https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/blog/introduction-model-based-systems-engineering-mbse/___.YzJ1OnF1ZXN0Z2xvYmFsOmM6bzoxNjJiNGNiOTM2NDJlYjYzZDA2YWFmMjBjZDYyMDdiNzo2OmVlMjk6YmY1MjllYjdmOWI5NWNjYjU0YzQwZjhjODMwYTJkMzEyMzVhZjBhN2MyZDU2OTQ3NWM4YTE5MjRjMGM3YzZkMDpwOlQ6Tg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Carnegie Mellon University.</a><br></span></span></span></p><h3 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Digital Twins</h3><p dir="ltr">Digital twins—virtual replicas of physical systems are modifying how aerospace companies approach predictive analytics, optimization, and lifecycle management. By continuously collecting and analyzing data from sensors embedded in aircraft and other aerospace systems, digital twins provide real-time insights into system performance, facilitating proactive maintenance, improved efficiency, and heightened safety.<sup>[3]</sup> Digital twins also provide virtual testing and simulation, reducing the need for costly physical tests, hence accelerating the development approach.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Automation and Parametric Modelling</h3><p dir="ltr">Using automation tools is also a crucial digital solution, such as parametric modeling, which is essential in speeding up the design processes and optimizing performance in the aerospace industry. By altering parameters, designers can quickly explore various design options without having to start from scratch each time. It enables rapid prototyping and iteration, leading to the identification of optimal solutions and reduced time to market.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chain</h3><p dir="ltr">The manufacturing sector is seeing a substantial transition with the use of Industry 4.0 technologies, including the Internet of Things (IIoT), big data analytics, and automation. These technologies facilitate the establishment of intelligent factories, wherein machines are outfitted with sensors that gather real-time data, thereby enabling communication between machines and between machines and humans. This data can be analyzed to predict and prevent equipment failures, optimize processes, and improve overall efficiency.</p><p dir="ltr">Augmented Reality (AR) is another key technology in Industry 4.0, bridging the gap between the physical and digital experiencs. AR enables technicians and engineers to access real-time information about complex machinery and equipment through wearable devices or mobile apps, thereby reducing the dependence on cumbersome manuals. The implementation of AR can significantly reduce installation and maintenance time, minimize errors and rework, and improve safety of the factory floor.</p><p dir="ltr">Quest Global is driving digital transformation in the manufacturing industry, providing solutions like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.quest-global.com/solutions/ar360/">Quest Global AR360</a>. This platform helps companies develop, deploy, and manage AR applications for various industries, enabling them to reinvent training content, improve classroom experiences, and reduce dependency on field machines. By leveraging AR and other Industry 4.0 technologies, manufacturers can increase production, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency, positioning for success in the era of smart manufacturing.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Cross-Industry Best Practices</h3><p dir="ltr">Aerospace companies are also increasingly looking to adjacent industries, such as automotive and defense, to learn from their digital transformation experiences and adopt best practices to facilitate their digital journey.<sup>[4]</sup></p><h2 dir="ltr">Case Study: Digital Engineering for UK Defense (Project Agnostics)</h2><p dir="ltr">Quest Global is a leading global engineering services provider at the forefront of driving digital transformation in the Defense &amp; Aerospace industry. One such example is Quest Global's collaboration with a leading aerospace and defense company to support the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) development for the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD). The FCAS program aimed to deliver a next-generation air defense system that would ensure the UK's air superiority for decades to come.</p><p dir="ltr">The FCAS project also faced several other key challenges, including tight timeframes, budget restrictions, and the inherent complexity of developing a state-of-the-art defense system at "half time and half cost." Additionally, integrating advanced digital engineering tools was important to ensure collaboration and efficient project execution.</p><p dir="ltr">Quest Global and its partner therefore created a digital engineering solution designed to address these challenges. It advanced the project by contributing as a thought leader and implementation catalyst. The team is collaborating with the customer to discover how digital technologies may improve procedures, lower costs, and speed up development.</p><p dir="ltr">To ensure the successful implementation of this digital engineering approach, Quest Global deployed a cross-functional team of 25 highly skilled engineers. This team combined expertise from across industries, including aerospace and defense, to create a robust and innovative digital engineering environment. The team significantly reduced project timelines and improved efficiency across the board by using advanced digital tools and best practices.</p><p dir="ltr">Quest Global's approach to digital engineering, which combines deep domain expertise with cross-industry best practices, is expected to be a key differentiator in the success of the FCAS project. The company's thought leadership and innovative solutions, tailored to the specific needs of the client, aim to deliver tangible results in terms of cost reduction and timeline acceleration.</p><p dir="ltr">By working towards the goal of reducing costs without compromising quality, Quest Global is demonstrating the potential of digital technologies to transform the aerospace industry. If successful, the substantial reduction in project development times could set a new standard for efficiency in the sector, paving the way for faster, more agile development processes in the future.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion: Future Directions for Aerospace Engineering</h2><p dir="ltr">As the aerospace industry evolves, it is expected to increasingly adopt digital thread technologies, which enable easy integration and flow of data across the entire product lifecycle. The digital threads will be necessary for simplifying real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and enhanced lifecycle management of aerospace products. By using the digital threads, organizations can achieve improved efficiency, safety, and performance.</p><p dir="ltr">Looking ahead, the emphasis on cost and time reduction will remain a top priority for the aerospace industry, particularly in the defense sector.<sup>[5]</sup> Future projects will focus on delivering highly sophisticated systems within ever-tightening timeframes, driving the need for even more advanced digital engineering solutions and agile development methodologies.</p><p dir="ltr">The success of aerospace companies will be increasingly dependent on their capacity to acquire collaborative digital ecosystems. Organizations can accelerate decision-making, enhance innovation, and dismantle silos by establishing environments in which data circulates effectively across functions and teams. This shift towards increased collaboration and data-driven insights will be essential in addressing the numerous challenges faced by the aerospace industry.</p><h2 dir="ltr">New Webinar: Unlocking the Potential of Digital Twins for Aerospace Manufacturing</h2><p>Register for Quest Global’s upcoming webinar “Unlocking the Potential of Digital Twins for Aerospace Manufacturing” on December 12th to learn more about how Quest Global provides digital engineering solutions to the aerospace industry, gain key insights, engage with industry experts, and ask questions.</p><p><a href="https://form.jotform.com/243114034803343" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="button-main-action">register here</a></p><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">References</h2><p dir="ltr">1. Terrile RJ. Pathways and challenges to innovation in aerospace. In2010 IEEE Aerospace Conference 2010 Mar 6 (pp. 1-7). IEEE. (Accessed on September 20, 2024)</p><p dir="ltr">2. Uckun S, Kurtoglu T, Bunus P, Tumer I, Hoyle C, Musliner D. Model-based systems engineering for the design and development of complex aerospace systems. SAE Technical Paper; 2011 Oct 18. (Accessed on September 20, 2024)</p><p dir="ltr">3. Xiong M, Wang H. Digital twin applications in aviation industry: A review. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. 2022 Aug;121(9):5677-92. (Accessed on September 21, 2024)</p><p dir="ltr">4. Thompson R, Patel S. Cross-industry learning: Best practices from automotive to aerospace. J Eng Manag. 2022;35(3):245-60. (Accessed on September 23, 2024)</p><p dir="ltr">5. Patel, Jay. Future of Aerospace Industry with Opportunities and Challenges. 10.13140/RG.2.2.16721.51049. (Accessed on September 23, 2024)</p>

Defense & Aerospace companies are turning to digital engineering solutions to deliver advanced technologies while meeting strict timelines and budgets.

Addressing Challenges in the Defense & Aerospace Industry with Digital Engineering Solutions

<div data-message-author-role="assistant" data-message-id="678dcb21-279e-4b73-b592-a9c0fa9c4417" dir="auto" data-message-model-slug="gpt-4o" id="isPasted"><p>The aerospace industry faces growing challenges, from managing complex supply chains and rising operational costs to meeting stringent regulatory demands—all while striving for greater safety, efficiency, and cost reduction. Traditional methods are falling behind, resulting in lengthy design cycles, costly prototyping, and interoperability issues. To stay competitive, companies are increasingly adopting digital twin and digital thread technologies to drive innovation and operational excellence.&nbsp;</p><p>In the new webinar "<strong>Unlocking the Power of Digital Twins for Aerospace Manufacturing,</strong>" Quest Global, with over two decades of experience in digital transformation of both aerospace and defense manufacturing, will share expert insights on how these technologies are transforming the industry. By attending you will learn actionable strategies to integrate these cutting-edge tools into your own processes, enabling faster design cycles, smarter production methods, and enhanced regulatory compliance. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn from Quest Global’s real-world success stories and drive your operational success:</p></div><h3 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Event Details:</h3><ul><li dir="ltr"><h3><p dir="ltr">Topic: Unlocking the Potential of Digital Twins for Aerospace Manufacturing</p></h3></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Date</strong>: 12th of December 2024</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Time</strong>:&nbsp;8:00 am PDT | 11:00 am EDT | 17:00 CEST</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Location</strong>: Online (via Zoom).&nbsp;</p></li></ul><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><div data-message-author-role="assistant" data-message-id="dcaa0b5a-cf2d-4bc8-bf4c-6561c07f5a4e" dir="auto" data-message-model-slug="gpt-4o" id="isPasted"><h3>Leading the Transformation in Aerospace Innovation: How Quest Global is Revolutionizing Aerospace with Scalable Digital Solutions</h3></div><p dir="ltr">Spearheading this digital transformation across two decades, Quest Global has a proven track-record of successful implementation of scalable digital solutions in the aerospace and defense industry. In this webinar Head of Engineering, Nick Charles and Head of Advanced Manufacturing CoE Vijay Anand, from Quest Global will sit down with tech writer Samir Jaber to unpack how aerospace manufacturers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are leveraging digital twin technology and digital threads to enhance operational efficiency.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Leveraging cutting-edge technology for aerospace manufacturing</h3><p dir="ltr">Join us for an insightful webinar as we explore how&nbsp;digital thread&nbsp;and&nbsp;digital twin&nbsp;capabilities are revolutionizing the Aerospace and Defense (A&amp;D) ecosystem by enabling early identification of design issues, ensuring interoperability and interface verification of parts and systems, and conducting simulations for verification and validation. They also support virtual training, assess maintainability, optimize manufacturing methods, and facilitate the use of Virtual and Smart Factories, ultimately offering a path to increased efficiency and regulatory compliance.</p><p dir="ltr">Discover how these advancements are shaping the future of the industry and driving operational excellence:</p><h3 dir="ltr">Who Should Attend?</h3><p dir="ltr">This webinar is designed to provide <strong>aerospace engineers, manufacturing professionals,</strong> and <strong>decision-makers</strong> looking to optimize their production processes with actionable insights into the transformative power of digital twins. By attending, you'll gain practical knowledge on using digital twin technology to boost efficiency, reduce costs, and improve overall aerospace operations, making it a must-attend event for those looking to stay competitive in the industry.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Why you should attend:</h3><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Learn Cutting-Edge Techniques:&nbsp;</strong>Discover how digital twins can transform aerospace manufacturing by reducing non-conformance, improving process efficiency, and optimizing designs with predictive analytics.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Enhance Decision-Making:</strong> Understand how integrating digital twins into aerospace supply chains enables real-time decision-making for better outcomes and reduced downtime.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Gain Competitive Advantage:</strong> Stay ahead by learning to leverage digital twins to streamline operations, boost productivity, and drive innovation in the aerospace industry.</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Explore more details of the webinar below:</h2><p dir="ltr"><strong>Date</strong>: Thursday, December 12, 2024</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Time</strong>: 8:00 am PDT | 11:00 am EDT | 17:00 CEST</p><p dir="ltr">This webinar will cover how digital twins and digital threads are revolutionizing aerospace manufacturing by bridging the gap between design and production. Nick Charles, Head of Engineering at Quest Global, and Head of Advanced Manufacturing CoE Vijay Anand, will share expert insights on the importance of real-time synchronization and collaboration using these technologies. The session will include a case study demonstrating a successful implementation that led to significant reductions in cycle times and improved efficiency. By attending you will also gain actionable insights on how to begin integrating digital twin and digital thread solutions into their own operations, streamlining processes and fostering innovation.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Key insights include:</h3><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Cutting the Design Cycle</strong>: Learn how digital twins help identify design issues early, verify interfaces, and conduct simulations of environmental behaviors and characteristics, drastically reducing design times and errors.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Optimizing Manufacturing Methods</strong>: Discover how digital twins can improve the design of manufacturing tools and methods, enabling the use of Virtual and Smart Factories to boost production efficiency.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Enhancing Predictive Maintenance:</strong> Gain insights into how digital twins enable real-time data analytics, helping to predict and prevent failures, extending equipment lifespan, and optimizing operational efficiency.</p></li></ul><h3>Speaker details</h3><table style="width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 50.6024%;"><p id="isPasted"><strong>Nick Charles</strong></p><p>Head of Engineering - UK Defense at Quest Global</p>Nick Charles is the Head of Engineering (UK Defence) at Quest Global and a seasoned engineering leader with extensive experience in the aerospace and defense sectors. Previously, he served as VP and Senior VP at Ultra Maritime, leading a team of over 800 engineers across five countries. Was responsible for challenging engineering projects and drove major improvements in engineering processes, team development, and risk management</td><td style="width: 49.3976%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMxMzI5NTIwODI1LW5pY2stY2hhcmxlcy1xdWVzdC1nbG9iYWwuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 331px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 50.6024%; vertical-align: top;"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI5NTk3MTYxMzY5LVZpamF5LUFuYW5kLVFHLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 315px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></td><td style="width: 49.3976%; vertical-align: top;"><p id="isPasted"><strong>Vijay Anand R (VJ)</strong></p><p>GM – Head of Advanced Manufacturing CoE at Quest Global</p>VJ is Head of Advanced Manufacturing CoE of Quest Global based out of Derby, UK.<br>He is a veteran of Manufacturing Engineering for over 30 Years, both with Traditional and Digital manufacturing.<br>He is heavily influenced by Toyota way of working and embraced the same in his roles at Quest Global while managing Global manufacturing team and solutions for major Aerospace &amp; Defense, Energy and Transportation customers till date.<br>He has been instrumental in setting up a Digital Manufacturing Lab in partnership with Siemens to Design, Develop and Simulate the manufacturing and assembly operations. He also represented Quest Global for a Major Aero Engine customer’s Digital Manufacturing Focus Group conferences held at various global locations.</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 50.6024%; vertical-align: top;"><p id="isPasted"><strong>Luke Logan</strong></p>Luke Logan is a seasoned business leader with a significant career in engineering and technology. With over three decades of senior executive experience, Luke has led global teams and managed major projects at Rolls-Royce plc, BAE Systems plc, and Weir Group plc—three of the world's leading engineering and technology companies. His broad expertise across sectors such as Civil Aerospace, Defence, Power, and Industrial Equipment enables him to share a wealth of insights and foster diversity of thought.<br>Now, as an independent advisor and consultant, Luke applies his extensive experience to support the growth and development of his clients' businesses. He is deeply committed to diversity &amp; inclusion, innovation, and aligning engineering professionalism with business success and sustainability. Luke is a Fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, and the Royal Aeronautical Society.<br></td><td style="width: 49.3976%; vertical-align: top;"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMxOTMyMDkwODQ3LUlNR18zNTM4LmpwZWciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 346px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></td></tr></tbody></table><h3>Stay ahead of the curve in aerospace manufacturing</h3><p>Register now to learn how integrating digital twins and digital threads can revolutionize your manufacturing processes, improve collaboration, and maintain competitiveness in the evolving aerospace landscape.</p>

Register for the new webinar with Quest Global to discover how digital twins are revolutionizing aerospace manufacturing by cutting design cycles, driving predictive maintenance, and improving manufacturing efficiency.

Unlocking the Potential of Digital Twins for Aerospace Manufacturing: New Webinar

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The upcoming ATCx Digital Twin 2024 event by Altair taking place virtually on October 17, 2024, is an essential opportunity for engineering professionals to delve into the core of digital twin technology and engage with industry leaders in simulation and product design.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The event will provide a comprehensive overview of digital twin technology in various sectors including product design and development as well as general operations. It will also demonstrate the advantages of digital twins across industries including presentations on digital twins for product design &amp; development among others. Attendees will learn how Altair's digital twin solutions use AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology to combine simulative and real-world data.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://events.altair.com/atcx-digital-twin/?utm_campaign=CORP-2024-10-ATCx-CVG-Digital-Twin&utm_source=wevolver.com&utm_medium=sponsored-article&utm_content=atcx-digital-twin-2024-wevolver-sponsored-premium-article" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" id="isPasted" class="button-main-action">Register for the event here</a></p><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">What to Expect from the ATCx Digital Twin Event 2024</h2><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">This global virtual gathering, set for October 17, 2024, is designed for professionals motivated to leverage digital twin technology to measurably improve product design, development, and operations. It is organized to offer a rich learning experience through Altair customer use cases from Net One Systems, Made, CNH Industrial, and others, as well as a high-level fireside chat, and a panel with forward-thinking industry leaders.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Attendees will get a first-hand experience of how Altair customers use simulation, AI, and data analytics to create dynamic virtual representations that improve real-world outcomes.</p><p dir="ltr">The event will highlight new trends, tools, and issues in incorporating digital twins into various industries' workflows, ensuring attendees are knowledgeable about using this technology and its added value throughout all stages of a product’s lifecycle - from design, via commissioning, to operation and maintenance.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Don't miss this unparalleled opportunity to stay at the forefront of digital transformation in engineering.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://events.altair.com/atcx-digital-twin/?utm_campaign=CORP-2024-10-ATCx-CVG-Digital-Twin&utm_source=wevolver.com&utm_medium=sponsored-article&utm_content=atcx-digital-twin-2024-wevolver-sponsored-premium-article" target="_blank" class="button-main-action">Register here</a></p><h3 dir="ltr">Key Event Highlights</h3><ul><li dir="ltr"><strong>Expert Insights:&nbsp;</strong>Learn from industry leaders how simulation, AI, and data analytics are revolutionizing product design and operational efficiency. This aspect will cover topics like integrating AI and data analytics with simulation to create more precise and efficient digital twins.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Diverse Tracks:</strong> Participate in specialized tracks from various industries. These tracks will offer useful insights, helping attendees understand the application and benefits of this technology in particular sectors.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Global Accessibility:</strong> Join from any time zone with live audio translations available in eight languages. The event is designed to be all-inclusive.</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr">Featured Tracks and Their Impact</h3><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Digital Twin for Product Design &amp; Development</p><p dir="ltr">Product design and development is a niche that conventionally requires production of multiple iterations of the same product in a bid to get the best functional prototype. However, with digital twins, businesses can leap over the constraints that come with this. Some benefits digital twins bring to product design and development include timeline and cost reduction, testing out product system dynamics for scenarios that cannot be simulated in real time, and accelerating design optimization.</p><p dir="ltr">Digital Twin for Operations</p><p dir="ltr">Digital twins are transformative in operations too. It helps to improve efficiency by:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Providing better monitoring and control: Digital twins can offer real-time monitoring and control capabilities to enable swift responses.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Maximizing system life and avoiding failures with predictive analytics:&nbsp;Businesses can detect anomalies and perform maintenance to avoid future failures. This proactive maintenance and management can help maximize the system's life.</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">Don’t miss this chance to advance your expertise and network with top professionals. Register now to secure your spot and be a part of the future of digital twin technology.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Visit <a href="https://events.altair.com/atcx-digital-twin/?utm_campaign=CORP-2024-10-ATCx-CVG-Digital-Twin&utm_source=wevolver.com&utm_medium=sponsored-article&utm_content=atcx-digital-twin-2024-wevolver-sponsored-premium-article" target="_blank">Register for ATCx Digital Twin 2024</a> to register.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI1MzYzMzY5MjYyLUNPUlBfRXZlbnRfRGlnaXRhbF9BVEN4X0RUXzk1MHg0MDBfcmlnaHRfNi5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><h2 dir="ltr">Why should you attend?</h2><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The ATCx Digital Twin 2024 event is a key opportunity to dive into the latest developments in digital twin technology. Altair, known for its leadership in simulation, AI, and high-performance computing, will be showcasing how these technologies are being used to create real-time digital twins that solve real-world problems across different industries.</p><p dir="ltr">The event will feature insights from experts who are using digital twins to improve product design and operations. It will also highlight how Altair’s tools—spanning simulation, AI, and IoT—help create digital twins that fit into existing workflows. It’s a great chance to catch up on the latest trends and see how these innovations are making a difference.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Who Should Attend?</h3><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">This event is perfect for:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Mechatronic Engineers</strong> interested in the latest tech developments in manufacturing, heavy-equipment, and high-tech fields.&nbsp;</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Engineering managers</strong> who want to reduce time-to-market through simulation and workflow efficiency.&nbsp;</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Operations Managers</strong> with the goal of maximizing asset availability and optimizing specific KPIs of systems in operation.</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">Attendees of the ATCx Digital Twin 2024 event will gain actionable insights and practical skills to embark on or advance their digital twin journey. Through real-world customer examples, discover:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Strategic Justification:&nbsp;</strong>Understand why adopting digital twin technology is crucial and learn about the quantifiable business benefits it offers.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Implementation Roadmap:</strong> Gain clarity on how to initiate your digital twin projects, including identifying the essential 'building blocks' tailored to different development phases.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Value Creation:</strong> Learn strategies to generate short-term value, overcoming common challenges in starting and scaling digital twin initiatives.</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">Altair’s customer stories will provide a roadmap, demonstrating how to effectively combine various elements to achieve tangible business outcomes.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The global virtual event ATCx Digital Twin set for October 17, 2024, is designed for professionals motivated to leverage digital twin technology to measurably improve product design, development, and operations. It is organized to offer a rich learning experience through Altair customer use cases from Net One Systems, Made, CNH Industrial, and others, as well as a high-level fireside chat, and a panel with forward-thinking industry leaders.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://events.altair.com/atcx-electronics-for-engineers-2024/?utm_campaign=CORP-2024-09-ATCx-SIM-Electronics&utm_source=wevolver.com&utm_medium=sponsored-article&utm_content=atcx-electronics-2024-wevolver-sponsored-article" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="button-main-action">Register now</a></p></td></tr></tbody></table><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Digital twin case studies and applications successes</h2><h3 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Digital Twin for designing durability of vehicle fleets</h3><p dir="ltr">In this use case, a digital twin solution, powered by AI, is used to predict the damage status of vehicle fleets based on data from on-board sensors that track load conditions. This allows fleet operators to tailor maintenance schedules to the actual condition of each vehicle, preventing unnecessary maintenance on less damaged vehicles and ensuring timely repairs for more worn ones.&nbsp;</p><h4 dir="ltr">Customer Challenges:</h4><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Durability evaluations are delayed by long simulation times.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Real-time damage data is lacking, leading to costly maintenance schedules.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Without a solution, longer product development cycles and higher costs occur.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Unnecessary maintenance increases expenses due to labor, parts, and vehicle downtime.</p></li></ul><h4 dir="ltr">Optimizing Design for Reduced Costs and Downtime</h4><p dir="ltr">Altair’s digital twin solution stands out due to its unique AI-based reduced-order modeling (romAI) capabilities, which streamline the process compared to other solutions. Its ease of use, combined with Altair’s technical expertise and willingness to collaborate closely with customers, makes them a compelling partner for businesses looking to enhance their maintenance strategies.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Digital Twin for Manufacturing Operations&nbsp;</h3><p dir="ltr">In this use case, a digital twin solution for manufacturing operations is implemented for Patrone and Mongiello’s sheet metal forming press. By integrating signals from various sensors and combining them with real-time models of the forming process, the digital twin leverages AI and physics-based simulations to accurately monitor and control the press. This enables the customer to speed up the try-out process after changing material coils, improving productivity and reducing waste by over 15% through precise adjustments for varying material properties and operating conditions.</p><p dir="ltr">Customer Challenges:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Long turnaround times for machine recalibration when new material coils are introduced.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Lack of real-time insights into the quality of finished products.</p></li></ul><h4 dir="ltr">Enhancing Manufacturing Operations with a comprehensive solution</h4><p dir="ltr">Altair’s digital twin platform offers a holistic solution that spans from simulation to data integration tailored to the customer’s needs. With expertise in simulation, AI, and machine learning, Altair uses a tailored, cutting-edge approach to improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing waste.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Digital Twin for Thermal Battery Maintenance&nbsp;</h3><p dir="ltr">In this project, a digital twin solution was applied to optimize the thermal management of battery packs in electrified vehicles. By using sophisticated control algorithms for the cooling circuit, the energy demand of the cooling pump was reduced, resulting in a 5-mile range increase for the vehicle. Additionally, the implementation of a continuous engineering workflow allowed for greater integration of multidisciplinary simulations, eliminating silos and enabling a smoother product introduction. Addressing thermal issues early in the design phase significantly reduced problems later in development.</p><p dir="ltr">Customer Challenges:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Managing small, high-capacity battery packs to maintain long-lasting high performance.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Ensuring proper temperature and load management to optimize battery efficiency.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Structural integration that prevents cell damage while keeping the design lightweight.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Monitoring and controlling the battery as a complete system to avoid damage and increase efficiency.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Development goals often conflict, requiring advanced simulations to address electrical, thermal, structural, and control challenges simultaneously.</p></li></ul><h4 dir="ltr">Extending Electric Vehicle Range with Optimized Cooling Strategies</h4><p dir="ltr">Altair’s easily combinable tools for Multiphysics design offered an ideal solution, integrating thermal and structural simulations with model-based system simulations. This approach helped predict vehicle range, manage battery performance, and overcome complex, multidisciplinary challenges, providing an advanced, system-level approach to thermal battery management.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Grow your Digital Twin Knowledge</h2><p dir="ltr">If you are looking to learn about innovative technology in high-tech industries or want to increase workflow efficiency and reduce the time-to-market span through the application of digital twins, the ATCx Digital Twin 2024 is an event to attend.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://events.altair.com/atcx-digital-twin/?utm_campaign=CORP-2024-10-ATCx-CVG-Digital-Twin&utm_source=wevolver.com&utm_medium=sponsored-article&utm_content=atcx-digital-twin-2024-wevolver-sponsored-premium-article" target="_blank" class="button-main-action" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register for the event now.</a></p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr"><em>This article was contributed to by&nbsp;</em><span translate="no" tabindex="-1" id="isPasted"><span name="Mayor Philemon (Google Docs)" data-hovercard-id="comments-noreply@docs.google.com" data-hovercard-owner-id="97"><em>Philemon&nbsp;</em><span translate="no" tabindex="-1"><span name="Mayor Philemon (Google Docs)" data-hovercard-id="comments-noreply@docs.google.com" data-hovercard-owner-id="97"><em>Mayor.</em></span></span></span></span></p>

Global virtual event. October 17, 2024

Discover the Power of Digital Twins at ATCx Digital Twin Global Virtual Event, 2024

<p id="isPasted"><strong>Research Facility 2.0 (RF 2.0) is an EU-funded research project aimed at making the operation of particle accelerators and other large-scale facilities more resource-efficient. Since the beginning of the year, ten European project partners coordinated by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), have been working on optimized components and digital solutions to reduce the energy consumption of accelerator systems. The European Commission (Horizon Europe program), and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation are funding the project with a total of EUR 5.6 million over three years. The KITTEN test center at KIT plays a central role in the RF 2.0 project: It hosts researchers that are working on the analysis of important parameters and the development of realistic demonstrators.&nbsp;</strong></p><p>Particle accelerators not only play an important role in numerous fields of research. Thousands of such accelerators are in use worldwide for industrial and medical applications, for example in material testing or radiotherapy. These high-performance facilities are real energy guzzlers: The annual energy consumption of large plants often amounts to several hundred gigawatt hours (GWh). This compares to the energy consumption of small- or medium-sized European cities. Previous approaches targeted reducing energy consumption and the carbon footprint of particle accelerators or using more sustainable materials, but were limited to specific technical issues. The RF 2.0 project, in contrast, uses a comprehensive approach to making particle accelerators more energy-efficient.&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>The Objective: Operating Accelerators with Renewable Energies</strong></h2><p>“We bring expertise in physics and energy technology together. It is our vision to operate particle accelerators safely, stably, and with nothing but renewable energy, to make them as independent as possible from the public power grid and create less impact on the environment,” says Professor Giovanni De Carne from the Institute for Technical Physics at KIT. De Carne is the RF 2.0 project coordinator and initiated the project together with Professor Anke-Susanne Müller, Head of the Institute for Beam Physics and Technology (IBPT) at KIT. A total of ten partners are working together on RF 2.0, including five of the largest particle accelerator facilities in Europe – ALBA Synchrotron (Spain), CERN, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY in Hamburg, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, and MAX IV Laboratory (Sweden) – supported by specialized technology companies.&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>Realistic Tests with a View to Energy Efficiency and Grid Stability</strong></h2><p>A key element of the project is the KITTEN test center. The acronym stands for “KIT Testfeld für Energieeffizienz und Netzstabilität in großen Forschungsinfrastrukturen” (KIT test field for energy efficiency and network stability in large-scale research infrastructures). KITTEN integrates the KARA research accelerator and the Energy Lab at KIT. “This infrastructure enables us to create a real-life environment for investigating and testing energy efficiency and network stability in large-scale research infrastructures,” says De Carne. The analysis phase is currently underway. “Particle accelerators always require a very high, constant power supply that must be free from interference. This challenge could not be met in terms of voltage qualities so far due to a lack of flexibility. We use our tests to get a deeper understanding of correlations, create mitigation strategies (i.e. approaches to reduce negative effects and lower the projected costs), analyze the CO2 footprint of the equipment, and create a sustainability matrix.”&nbsp;</p><p>Building on the results, the elaboration of solutions for more energy-saving technologies with better efficiency is on the agenda. The focus is on four areas: new, highly efficient components; implementation of digital solutions for optimized operating periods, faster start-up and shutdown processes for improved design and operation; integration of low-carbon technologies by using renewable energies and energy storage systems as well as higher energy consumption flexibility through dynamic monitoring and control systems. &nbsp;</p><h2><strong>More Efficiency Thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Twins </strong></h2><p>Demonstrator projects conducted in cooperation with the project partners help the research team to test and validate specific approaches under realistic conditions. “For example, we are working on AI-based solutions for more efficient and flexible operation of accelerators. We are further developing a digital twin that will enable us to validate new energy technologies faster in the future,” De Carne explains. One of the projects will tackle the flexibilization of data centers to better accommodate the fluctuation in the yields from renewable energies. Another project is aimed at testing measurement systems that detect disruptions in the grid and enable faster reactions to such fluctuations.</p><p>“All of these research activities are clearly transfer-oriented,” says De Carne. “The involved technology companies seek to develop market-ready products from the solutions we are working on together.” The range of possible applications is not limited to particle accelerators for research purposes. “Other areas that consume much energy will also benefit from our concepts – be it MRT equipment in hospitals, heavy industry plants for steel and cement production, or data centers that can be operated with more energy efficiency.”</p><h2><strong>The Next Milestone: KARA Dashboard Makes Results Freely Accessible &nbsp;</strong></h2><p>Currently, De Carne and his team are developing an open dashboard for the Karlsruhe research accelerator. Its goal is to make the data and results obtained accessible to external researchers and developers in the best possible way. They will not only see the energy consumption of the accelerator and the CO2 footprint in real-time, but also the effects of the alternative solutions tested.&nbsp;</p>

One example of the KIT research on resource-effective technologies for future accelerators is the linear accelerator FLUTE. (Photo: Markus Breig, KIT)

Research Facility 2.0 (RF 2.0) is an EU-funded research project aimed at making the operation of particle accelerators and other large-scale facilities more resource-efficient. 

Project RF 2.0: Research for More Sustainability in Particle Accelerators

<table style="width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 100%;"><h2><br>New whitepaper: AR as a Booster for Industry 4.0</h2><p dir="ltr">Augmented Reality (AR) is not just a tool; it's a transformative force that is reshaping many processes in business. Production companies, in particular, benefit from AR because they can leverage its benefits along their entire value chain, from product development to manufacturing, logistics, marketing, customer service, and employee training.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">In the recent white paper from HoloLight, 'AR as a Booster for Industry 4.0,' you can explore the ways in which AR can have a significant transformative impact.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Key highlights of the whitepaper:</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Learn how companies can use AR to increase the quality and productivity of their entire process chain</li><li dir="ltr">Understand what a consistent Augmented Reality strategy can look like and how to implement one.</li><li dir="ltr">Discover how well-known companies are already successfully using AR through detailed case studies.&nbsp;</li></ul><p dir="ltr">Don't miss out on these valuable insights. Get your copy of the white paper now by filling out the simple form below.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr"><span contenteditable="false" draggable="true" class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable"><iframe id="JotFormIFrame-241713238748360" title="Hololight Form" allowtransparency="true" src="https://form.jotform.com/241713238748360" frameborder="0" style="min-width: 100%; max-width: 100%; height: 380px; border: none;" scrolling="no" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span> </iframe></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">How can Augmented Reality (AR) enhance business operations? Is it beneficial for small to mid-sized companies?</p><p dir="ltr">In the midst of a global pandemic, Tipteh, a machine builder and system integrator based in Belgrade, Serbia, began exploring how immersive technologies could facilitate collaboration among its engineers and engage with customers while adhering to social distancing measures.</p><p dir="ltr">AR has the potential to assist small—to mid-sized businesses in various ways, from collaboration to faster design cycles to encouraging new ideas and methods of working. In this article, we showcase how one European machine builder managed all three by using Hololight solutions.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">A New Way of Engineering</h2><p dir="ltr">Tipteh is an industrial automation specialist with about 90 employees and more than 4000 customers worldwide. The team faces the constant challenge of creating effective and efficient solutions quickly. The road from an idea to a real machine that will fulfill customer needs and requests is very complex and often involves many iterations.</p><p dir="ltr">“To avoid extra costs and save time, we needed a tool that would give our designers a complete insight into the machine design through a real 3D view,’ explains Mileta Vracar, Development Manager Engineering at Tipteh.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">In order to meet Tipteh´s high standards for its engineering process, the collaboration solution they were looking for also needed to be able to visualize as many details as possible to help engineers collaborate on the 3D model with no errors or misunderstandings. It was essential to fulfill all ergonomic requirements during the designing phase. “Especially because we were in the time of a global pandemic we were reliant on an innovative solution to collaborate without traveling, while saving time and resources. We liked Hololight Space instantly when we tried it,” Vracar further comments.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Faster Design Times with AR</h2><p dir="ltr">The Hololight Space now enhances collaboration and synchronization within Tipteh´s industrial designer team. When designing complex machines with 3D CAD tools engineers sometimes struggle to picture the design in their minds and understand the real dimensions and positions. With robot-based solutions, these challenges are getting even harder. Perfect designs with zero errors or problems become a necessity to keep the engineering process efficient. Engineers need to see how all the parts are fitted in a real 3D environment.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">With <a href="https://hololight.com/products/hololight-space-enduser-application/" target="_blank">Hololight Space</a> the engineers are looking at how designed parts are fitted together and if there are potential problems. Understanding all aspects of the 3D model helps to recognize any mistake or problem early on and prevents costly errors in production or machine failures. Checking safety requirements and ergonomic issues during the designing process by experts in the field is also very important. Same as preparing the installation team so they can build the machine in the fastest and most efficient way.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Incorporating Clients and Business Partners</h3><p dir="ltr">Incorporating clients and business partners into the design process through Augmented Reality (AR) can significantly enhance collaboration and satisfaction. AR tools allow engineers to present design concepts in a highly interactive and immersive manner, making it easier for clients to visualize and understand complex projects. This technology enables real-time feedback and iterative design improvements, ensuring that client requirements are met accurately.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Tipteh uses Hololight Space to show customers and partners design concepts in progress. Engineers and customers jointly sketch, discuss and further develop designs or ideas in Augmented Reality.&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p dir="ltr">“Hololight Space helps collaboration and coordination in our design team and we avoid costly errors before production. We also needed to incorporate our partners in the designing process to actively present stages during specific machine designs.” - Mileta Vracar, Development Manager Engineering at Tipteh</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr">The customer can give feedback on whether the design meets his requirements and also see – using a HoloLens 2 for example – the digital twin in the real production environment. In turn, Tipteh´s engineers can plan and develop in a more targeted manner. “With this approach we are saving costs in the right place and make our customers more satisfied,” says Vracar.</p><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzIwNTI4OTUwODk0LWhvbG8yLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><h3 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Augmented Reality as a Key Technology</h3><p dir="ltr">Now, all of Tipteh´s engineering teams have used Hololight Space to exchange ideas and show their work to see how it interconnects to other parts of the design. “Our employees find Hololight Space very intuitive and easy to use. Hololight also responded super-urgent to any request for training and support,” Vracar notes. “The implementation of Mixed Reality on HoloLens 2 with Hololight Space was new for our company and now is becoming an integral part of our designing process.” Thus, for the future Tipteh also plans to use the technology in integration and retrofitting of existing machines.</p><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Learn more about the imapct of AR from Hololight's recent whitepaper.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Key highlights of the whitepaper:</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Learn how companies can use AR to increase the quality and productivity of their entire process chain</li><li dir="ltr">Understand what a consistent Augmented Reality strategy can look like and how to implement one.</li><li dir="ltr">Discover how well-known companies are already successfully using AR through detailed case studies.&nbsp;</li></ul><p dir="ltr">Don't miss out on these valuable insights. Get your copy of the white paper now by filling out the simple form below.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><span contenteditable="false" draggable="true" class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable"><iframe id="JotFormIFrame-241713238748360" title="Hololight Form" allowtransparency="true" src="https://form.jotform.com/241713238748360" frameborder="0" style="min-width: 100%; max-width: 100%; height: 380px; border: none;" scrolling="no" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span> </iframe></span></p><p><br></p>

From avoiding costly mistakes to faster design decisions and stronger customer relationships: How Hololight Space plays a big role in the product development process for global engineering company Tipteh. 

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