Aerospace

We are proud of the market position we have achieved in the aerospace sector, especially of the top supplier ratings we have been given, e.g. as the best cabin development partner among the Airbus Group Engineering suppliers.

Bertrandt’s unique selling point:

We have end-to-end knowledge of the entire aircraft development process – from design to certification. This comprehensive view allows us to judge the effects of individual challenges on the overall process, e.g. on cost development or bottlenecks in the supply chain. The support of system suppliers is one of our regular tasks.

As a development services provider in the aerospace sector, we engage with many aerospace and aircraft development innovations.

These include the following five trends

• Connectivity for the cabin of the future: New operating concepts, current networking trends and innovative solutions for screens and entertainment help us satisfy the changing requirements of passengers.
• Very high-density concepts: New spatial and cabin concepts, partly using the cargo hold and new seating solutions, create additional potential in cabin layouts.
• Hybrid and electrical drives: The electrification of drive technology is changing aircraft construction. Here, we are employing our extensive experience from the automotive sector.
• Digital aircraft: Aircraft construction is following the trend towards harmonisation and modularisation. The concept of the virtual aircraft platform makes the development of new models and derivatives more effective.
• Smart factory: Connectivity for manufacturing, networking tools and the industrial use of virtual and augmented reality (VR & AR) technologies is creating new possibilities in production planning, production control and aircraft delivery.

Digitalisation is fundamentally changing aircraft development.

Bertrandt has the experience and supplies the tools for unbroken digital process chains, opening up new development potential

• The digital aircraft allows for automated model development with an end-to-end configuration process (next generation requirement management). Algorithms automate document checking for completeness and consistency.
• The digital twin virtually represents the entire aircraft. It is linked to all data and documents and thus makes the current operational status transparent.
• The large data quantities of the digital twin are centrally available, for example, for predictive maintenance or to recognise construction improvement approaches.
• New business models become possible, in which, for example, customers such as leasing companies can receive certified, predictive maintenance as a service through the OEM.
• Cabin and data management also become the basis for completely new airline services and products through the digitalisation of onboard systems and processes that support them.
• 3D printing is opening up new options to reduce the weight of components on board. It also allows, among other things, for replacement part logistics to be greatly simplified. Parts can be generated directly from simulation results.

Bertrandt relies on current technologies and development methods for projects in aircraft construction. We use agile project management methods like Scrum, develop algorithms for AI applications and have our own specialists for the development of virtual and augmented reality applications and content.

At the same time, we follow BCC strategies (Best Cost Country), being able to act more flexibly through having development capacities in different time zones. While optimising construction processes, we standardise and automate repetitive work processes.

Example: Automated creation of stringers/framers and fuselage sections.

The construction stages for stringers in aircraft wings have to be gone through several times during the development process. We have automated these repetitive, time-consuming manual procedures in the CAD system CATIA and made them controllable with the aid of an interactive tool. In this way, we can reduce the effort from worker-days to minutes. CAD automation is made possible through the collaboration of our experienced designers and software developers. Through the establishment of this cross-functional team, all members know the complex details of approval requirements for aircraft construction.

Additional keywords for innovative methods

• CAD automation
• Fully automated resource-free model creation
• Product configurator applications

ertrandt develops flexible and space-saving cabin concepts to maximise the so-called Airline Revenue Space. Here, our development engineers combine long years of experience in designing cabin layouts with great passenger comfort and the use of new and imroved materials.

We are familiar with the process requirements of the OEMs, qualify suppliers and ensure standards are maintained in the development and authorisation of components.
 

Experience more

Aircraft development is a customer-centric product design process. That is why we develop product configurators and augmented reality applications (AR) for aircraft manufacturers. In this way, airlines can experience and select different individual components and features in the physical aircraft itself.

With the aid of data glasses like the Microsoft HoloLens and AR apps which we have developed, product features, colour and material alternatives can be shown in three dimensions in their real environment. In this way, the AR applications can visualise the most varied alternatives and combinations within the product catalogue.

Customer-centric product design with customer-specific equipment alternatives require manufacturing optimisation with an effective customising process. In addition, varied new derivatives always have to be able to be derived from basic aircraft models within a short time.

Bertrandt supports OEMs in the necessary standardisation and harmonisation of processes and components. Alongside end-to-end development expertise, this requires a detailed knowledge of the product ranges, comprehensive tool know-how and experience in production optimisation and industrial ramp-up.

Through extensive knowledge of development and manufacturing processes, Bertrandt also takes on testing, approval and authorisation documentation tasks (delegation of signature authority).

For production support, Bertrandt flexibly supplies additional resources, supporting the manufacturing process from production preparation to final assembly.

Augmented reality projects (AR) in manufacturing

AR applications by Bertrandt facilitate the manufacturing and quality assurance process in aircraft assembly. While, for example, an employee in manufacturing assembles parts with screws, an AR app uses sensors and cameras and the required metadata from a database to determine the part classification and the torque required to tighten the screw in question. The app automatically sends this information to the intelligent tool, thus ensuring the assembly stage is carried out up to standard.
The production stage is recorded by the AR app, while the video record and real data are archived for quality assurance.

The production employee independently trains for final assembly tasks using a further AR app (e-learning). In a mock-up via data glasses, information on the task and visualisations of the work stages are shown and practised using exercises and tests.