Aircraft Launch, Recovery & Support Equipment Project finds savings in its acquisition of TDPs

Milford, OH, December 13, 2013 – International TechneGroup Incorporated (ITI), announced today that the Department of the Navy, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) implementation of Model Based Definition (MBD) should realize significant savings in the manufacture and development of new equipment.  ITI sponsored the program along with Anark Corporation and the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) through their Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities Program (CTMA).

MBD is the practice of using 3D digital data (such as solid models and associated metadata) within 3D CAD software to provide specifications for individual components and product assemblies as opposed to utilizing conventional 2D drawings. NAWCAD Lakehurst is the Center of Excellence for Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) as well as naval aviation Support Equipment (SE). Engineers at the facility are constantly supporting fleet maintenance activities with the design of replacement parts and new maintenance equipment. The solution implemented centers around a MBD Technical Data Package (TDP). The TDP consists of 3D MBD engineering data (which replaces the need for 2D drawings) in PDF format generated by Anark Core, a neutral STEP file generated by Creo, and a derivative file validation certificate generated by ITI’s CADIQ solution.

The most obvious benefits an organization can realize through the implementation of MBD are the direct monetary benefits through the labor savings achieved by reducing duplicate work in the current process. Based on preliminary data obtained through two developmental projects, a savings of more than $3M annually at a single naval facility will be generated by implementing MBD at NAWCAD Lakehurst.

There are numerous other benefits realized when moving to MBD. A 33 percent reduction in the development schedule of new items is expected. This ability to rapidly respond to new requirements is particularly important in the Defense industry. Furthermore, MBD shall facilitate an increase in communication and collaboration between engineering and manufacturing personnel as well as between all other project stakeholders.

MBD shall also create a significant reduction in manufacturing errors, which should result in a decrease in the amount of rework, providing significant cost savings. Synergies between engineering and manufacturing (producibility analysis) will not only help to reduce the costs of new designs but it will also aid in providing feedback to engineers with regard to manufacturing deviations and inspection results. Furthermore, MBD shall promote improved coordination between NAVAIR and its contractors.

 “We continue to uncover the benefits of MBD implementation with our clients,” stated Don Hemmelgarn, President of ITI’s TranscenData business “The results of this latest cost savings analysis completed in the NAVAIR project showed the potential for millions of dollars in savings for a DoD program. This is in keeping with the results found in the Customer Supplier Interoperability ( CSI) project we completed with the US Air Force Research Laboratory in 2012.”

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About the Project Team Members

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) is headquartered in Patuxent River, MD, with military and civilian personnel stationed at eight  locations across the continental United States and one site overseas. NAVAIR's mission is to provide full life-cycle support of naval aviation aircraft, weapons and systems operated by Sailors and Marines. This support includes research, design, development and systems engineering; acquisition; test and evaluation; training facilities and equipment; repair and modification; and in-service engineering and logistics support.

Anark Corporation ( www.anark.com) provides powerful enterprise software and solutions to manufacturing organizations that need to cost-effectively utilize their 3D CAD data and manufacturing information for design collaboration, manufacturing work instructions, visualization, and technical documentation applications.

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, and is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS manages the lifesaving Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program, a Department of Defense partnership that ensures American troops and their equipment are ready to face any situation, with the most up-to-date and best-maintained platforms and tools on earth. NCMS has over 26 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.  For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

International TechneGroup Incorporated (ITI), a small business located in Milford, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, is one of the world’s leading providers of consulting, software products, and related integration services that enable clients to dramatically improve their product and manufacturing process development capabilities. ITI’s TranscenData business is the leading independent provider of products and services for data interoperability, integration, and collaboration.

For more information visit http://blog.transcendata.com/navair-mbd-report
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