Autonomous Aircraft Take Flight 4x Faster with Streamlined Production

A manufacturer at the forefront of electric, autonomous aircraft innovation, constantly refining both their product design and manufacturing process. As they scaled production of their sophisticated airplanes, they faced the challenge of translating rapid design iterations into a consistent and efficient manufacturing workflow. Building each aircraft, with its hundreds of precise steps and thousands of components, required a system that could seamlessly integrate evolving engineering specifications.

For the manufacturer, it was critical that technicians had access to the newest design information, accurately tracked the specific parts used (including different versions), and upheld high quality standards throughout the intricate assembly process Furthermore, effective collaboration between engineering and manufacturing teams, and gaining real-time insights into the impact of design changes on production, were essential for optimizing their operations.

To tackle these complexities and gain greater control over their intricate production, the team implemented a composable MES. By deploying tailored apps, they addressed key challenges across their operations.

With production-center apps that tracked progress across 3 stages and hundreds of steps, apps provided production managers with an immediate and accurate view of the build progress of each plane. This eliminated manual tracking, offering clear communication on completion and remaining work. This transparency became a critical tool for understanding plane delivery schedules, empowering the manufacturer to proactively manage timelines and make informed decisions for on-time deliveries.

With apps, the manufacturer transformed their assembly process from manual to meticulously tracked, ensuring both quality and comprehensive traceability. Interactive apps guided technicians through each step, embedding quality checks and prompting technicians to record critical data, including unique part serial numbers. This detailed data capture, alongside streamlined management of engineering changes and non-conforming parts, culminated in the generation of an accurate As-Built Bill of Materials (BOM) at the end of production.

The final As-Built BOM is crucial for the Flight Operations team. With planes operating globally, having access to detailed part and revision information of the components of the aircraft is critical to the success of the Flight Operations team. This team manages a set of maintenance tools and spares for each aircraft, and the accuracy of the BOM delivered from their apps drives the selection of tools and spares compiled for each plane.

To ensure that production remained in sync with design advancements, the manufacturer used apps to manage the release of engineering changes. When engineering pushed out new part revisions, they were able to rapidly update to the apps technicians were referring to. This meant technicians on the floor instantly had access to the latest specifications, minimizing the risk of building aircraft with outdated components. As the engineering manager explained, "even though the production team's original BOM for the airplane’s work order may dictate rev A of a component, the production team needs to incorporate engineering changes to update the work order and track that component as Rev B."

This agile adaptation allowed the manufacturer to incorporate design improvements seamlessly without disrupting production flow or compromising the integrity of the final product. The As-Built BOM generated at the end of production documented the specific revision level of critical components, providing crucial configuration details.

The platform also provided a structured approach to managing existing inventory and work-in-progress involving older revision parts. The app the team built instructed whether these parts should be used, scrapped, or reworked according to the ECO. This was crucial for minimizing waste and ensuring that non-conforming parts were handled correctly at various stages of production. As the engineering manager noted, "if there's something on the shelf that's going to become obsolete, we put it into an archived area because there are still planes in our fleet that are using that part."

The manufacturer developed a custom inventory management application to track parts and highlight low stock levels. This application laid the groundwork for future kitting functionalities, where the team will add additional apps to manage and track pre-assembled kits of parts for specific assembly stages. The system also supports the recording of which revision of a kit is used, further enhancing traceability.

By breaking down silos with a centralized platform, the team fostered better communication, particularly with external suppliers. As the engineering manager mentioned regarding their wing contract manufacturer, "we've built an app for them to input some of their production data that we use for process insights. That has definitely helped in a lot of the communication with them and also to help us learn more about our processes."

The real-time data captured in the frontline apps empowered managers to make informed decisions. The engineering manager noted one example: "through weight data collected from our contract manufacturer, we discovered our assemblies were gaining weight over time. One of our engineers then analyzed the Tulip data to understand the root cause and was able to implement new process controls to mitigate that issue."

Tulip leverages the scalability and agility of the AWS cloud to support the autonomous EV aircraft manufacturer.

Since starting their transformation journey, the manufacturer has experienced significant improvements in its operations, empowering frontline workers and driving efficiency across the production floor:

• 75% reduction in time to fully roll out engineering changes: technicians have more clarity on what they need to build as engineering revisions are made, fewer errors are made.

• 80% reduction in build time: Over two years, the team reduced the time to complete the final assembly checklist from 10 days to just 2 days.

• Increased visibility into airplane build progress: Real-time progress visibility is helpful for hitting delivery schedules.

The team now has the culture and platform to enhance efficiency, adapt quickly to change, and ensure high-quality, traceable production of their cutting-edge aircraft.

As the manufacturer gears up for increased production volumes, manufacturing apps are poised to become an even more integral part of their manufacturing infrastructure. Future initiatives include advanced kitting processes and deeper integration with other enterprise systems.

Throughout this journey, the team has transformed its manufacturing operations, moving from an artisanal approach to a more scalable, data-driven model that supports their ambitious growth in the autonomous aircraft market.