Aerospace, metrology, and data -a growing web of connection

Developing metrology programs efficiently in aerospace development using CAD models and simulation means the industry needs to adapt to new challenges.

Aerospace is an industry famous for the amount of data required to flight-qualify hardware. “There is a quote that has stuck with me for many years,” quipped Jeff Freeman, Director of Aerospace Business Development at Hexagon Metrology. “When the weight of the paper equals the weight of the airplane, only then can you fly it.” However, the information once on all that paper is increasingly residing as electronic files. Today, CAD defines the physical shape of the hardware, along with other data. “This started on the Boeing 777, in my experience, where Boeing used CAD data as the ‘Sole Authority Data Set,’” he explained. “That experience totally changed how we designed airplanes.” Advantages to using digital data as the master reference include replacing expensive “iron birds” with digital mock-ups. It also enables gageless tooling or reducing tolerance stack-up errors when fitting parts together.

While the maturity of 3-D CAD enabled the growth of digital data, other key enablers were the equipment and people capable of using that data, according to Freeman. He remarks that a confluence of technologies came together, such as CNC machining centers, gageless tooling for assembly, and digital metrology equipment for verification.