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most cost-efficient method to build the structure. Component manufacturers can point out
whether their existing machinery can manufacture a part, or whether new robots or tools
will need to be purchased. By altering the design, say, by using a 6 millimeter fastener
instead of an 8 millimeter fastener, they may be able to produce the part with existing
machinery or manufacture the part faster, saving time and money.
Pittman and Fowler agreed that all engineers working on the 787 would work in Catia
V5—no substitutions. This is not as simple as it sounds. For starters, it requires a large
up-front investment. Boeing and its suppliers are paying an estimated $20,000 per seat
for the software, which, based on 6,000 engineers worldwide, works out to about $120
million. In addition, engineers do not always adapt well to being told what software to
use. Most have spent years learning how to use a specific software package, often
customizing it to meet their preferences and learning through experience exactly how
digital designs translate into actual engineering.
"We considered allowing our partners to use their own preferred applications, but we
decided it wasn't feasible because of [data] integration challenges," Pittman said. "It
wasn't a popular decision, and we really had to work on explaining why we’re doing it."
Boeing provided its suppliers with a financial incentive to get on board with Catia V5. "If
you use the common Catia tool, Boeing will provide you with the tool and the support for
free," says Barsamian, who trains Boeing engineers to use the software.
Another key plank in the company's strategy was ensuring software version control. Even
though all Boeing engineers and partners were starting off with the same version of the
various software packages, there is ample opportunity to lose control as updates are
released and new partners are brought on board. The team decided that software updates
would take place at four specified points in a year—referred to as Block Points—and that
all Boeing engineers working on the Dreamliner and all outside partners would receive
software updates at the same time.
Again, this understates the complexity of the task. For starters, the updates include far
more than Dassault's software; they involve dozens of other applications that are used in
the design and engineering process to do everything from test the stress tolerance of
composite materials to achieve optimum aerodynamics. Many of the applications have
been internally developed by Boeing; however, a number have been developed by thirdparty
vendors, such as Metrologic, whose software is being used for analyzing 3D
measurements. In all, some 150 applications are updated at each Block Point.
The updates also include software from other PLM vendors. Boeing is using Windchill, a
software package from PTC in conjunction with Dassault¹s Enovia, to streamline the
process of managing changes to components on the Dreamliner. If changes are made to a
window design, for example, those changes need to be conveyed to manufacturing
partners and internal Boeing designers working on areas affected by the change. PTC’s
Windchill manages that process, ensuring that engineers follow a consistent set of steps
to resolve any conflicts and that changes are completed as requested.
A final cornerstone of the Dreamliner technology strategy involves the use of a master
data repository for all design and engineering information. Enovia, the Dassault platform,
is used as a gateway to a 16-terabyte data warehouse in Bellevue, Washington. Boeing
encourages its partners to send updates to the data warehouse at least twice a week, and
sometimes more frequently depending on the stage of work in progress. The warehouse is
housed on Unix servers running IBM's DB2.
Boeing chose to use CAD and PDM systems from the same software firm, Dassault,
thereby ensuring tight integration. Airbus, on the other hand, decided to mix and match.
The European aerospace company is using a CAD package from Dassault and a data
management system from PTC. In September 2005, PTC announced that Airbus was
extending the use of its data management solution, Windchill, as the platform for
managing all CAD models for the A380 that are used in its digital mock-up.
But mixing and matching your CAD and data management vendors can require extra
work to ensure a smooth fit. "If you want deep integration with your CAD data, it's
best to go with a PDM system from your CAD vendor," Cheney says.
There are signs, though, that Airbus is already having second thoughts about PTC. In July
2006, Dassault announced that Airbus had chosen the Enovia platform for all its aircraft
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