Calculated use of an increasing variety of information-gathering tools is turning Big Data into Even Bigger Data and democratizing access to the information collected.
NASA landed another rover on Mars in February, thanks in part to the work and leadership of Adam Steltzner. SME’s Smart Manufacturing interviewed him shortly thereafter.
The most important step in digitizing any manufacturing or supply chain process is analysis of the ROI and business case and being able to demonstrate success to company leaders.
Reverse engineering is becoming multifaceted and complex. The key drivers: new metrology sensors and more capable software, enabled by ever more powerful and cheaper computing.
The digital thread is one piece of the digital transformation underway at NASA and throughout the manufacturing community.
Automating the manufacture and assembly of aerospace and defense components is no simple task. Two leading engineering executives, Nicole Williams at The Boeing Co. and Marie-Christine Caron at GE Aviation, oversee automation efforts at their respective companies.
The COVID-19 pandemic clearly proved challenging to the manufacturing industry in myriad ways. Now, as nations and industries begin to navigate their way forward as restrictions are lifted, manufacturers have an opportunity to put into practice some lessons learned.
The expert personnel who engineer and manufacture the equipment and technologies for the A&D industry are fewer in number now than prior to the end of the shuttle program. To support the growth of this industry requires more professionals—fast.
Making operators and process designers better informed in real time, with a focus on making intelligent decisions with enhanced data, is the key to updating U.S. aerospace and defense manufacturing capabilities.
Smart manufacturing is transforming A&D manufacturing as more companies adopt automation, artificial intelligence and robotics. Some manufacturers are also focusing on eliminating so-called islands of automation and integrating the technology across entire processes.