INTEGRATED DESIGN ENVIRONMENT-AIRCRAFT (IDEA): An Approach to Concurrent Engineering

Successful rotorcraft development integrates conflicting design criteria, complex geometry, intricate manufacturing processes and detailed support methods. It involves a long design cycle, elaborate subsystem interactions and enormous quantities of data. The evaluation of these issues as design criteria during development is an application of the systems approach to design, now commonly known as Concurrent Engineering, This occurs when there is simultaneous design and optimization of the product, its manufacturing processes and support processes. World market pressures, a shrinking defense budget and desire by the customer warrant rotorcraft development based on the philosophy of Concurrent Engineering. Four features have been identified as essential elements of Concurrent Engineering. These are: a top-down systems engineering approach to organize a cross-functional development team; use of interdisciplinary work groups for integrated product and process design; employment of quality engineering methods for effective product and process optimization; and an integrated computer-aided-engineering environment with simulation to prove out downstream design criteria prior to production and provide information for swift decision-making. In the LH SuperTeam approach, a Total Quality Management plan during preliminary design sketches the classical Systems Engineering Management Plan; natural work groups comprised of representatives for the total system life cycle participate in the design effort; and first-time-quality methods are introduced early in conceptual design. Ultimately, a computer-based design management system termed the Integrated Design Environment-Aircraft is created. The database is employed to structure rotorcraft life-cycle product information to create an integrated weapons system database. Disparate dataforms and datatypes are captured, organized, manipulated and disseminated in a rapid and responsive manner.