DFMA Case Study: Military Fighter Aircraft Redesign

DFMA Case Study: Military Fighter Aircraft Redesign

A prominent aerospace manufacturer faced intense global competition for some of its fighter aircraft. The company needed to redesign these aircraft to reduce costs and significantly trim development schedules without compromising safety or quality.

Aircraft design is incredibly complex, even under the best of circumstances. A fighter aircraft often contains over 100,000 fasteners, for example, and large commercial aircraft may have more than one million. Each fastener requires multiple drilling operations, which introduces numerous opportunities for defects and malfunctions. In the long run, this can lead to costly repairs, considerable effort to rectify each issue, and unacceptable safety consequences.

Additionally, aircraft are highly sensitive to changes in weight. Every pound of unnecessary weight compromises performance, reduces payload capacity, or shortens flying range. Every pound of aircraft costs approximately $50,000 in fuel over the aircraft's lifetime.

To improve the aircraft without compromising its strict parameters, this company assembled Integrated Product Development (IPD) teams that used Design for Assembly (DFA) and Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles. Put together, the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) principles formed the backbone of the aircraft redesign project. Below is how the company optimized production costs using DFMA software.

Methods

The IPD teams organized a multi-phase approach. Individual teams were assigned to specific aircraft sections or assemblies, such as the inner wing or the forward fuselage.

The six phases of the IPD plan moved from the initial definition of requirements at a high level all the way through to the final details of how the company would build, buy, and package each aircraft. This reflects DFMA’s holistic approach to design and manufacturing, where each process is considered from start to finish as part of the overall system.

A critical aspect of the company’s success was the way it fostered effective communication across teams with different areas of expertise. This eliminated the typical engineering silos that many manufacturers struggle with.

The teams used DFMA methods to reduce defects. They focused on cutting the number of necessary parts and fastener counts, which simplified the final product’s design and assembly processes. Following the DFMA protocol, the teams evaluated each individual part and fastener in relation to all adjoining parts and redesigned weak points for better efficiency and functionality.

They also used the Six Sigma process, which uses calculations to predict manufacturing defects and potential points of failure. These strategies meant the teams could successfully anticipate future issues and “design out” problems before they became a reality.

Results

Strategically applying DFMA methods led to some remarkable improvements:

On one notable project, the team reduced the total part count by 81%.

The redesign achieved an impressive 59% reduction in weight, saving the company $50,000 for every pound eliminated from the final design.

Total costs were cut by a massive 78%.

Additionally, the company has used DFMA on other similar projects, achieving even greater cost and time savings.

Curious how much you could save using DFMA in your own business?

When savings such as this are possible, not taking advantage of DFMA software is equivalent to leaving money on the table on purpose.

Contact us today to find out how DFMA software can help you save big on manufacturing and assembly costs.

Do you want to save money on your parts design? Contact us!