Use of Integrated Knowledge-Based Systems for Helicopter Design and Manufacturing

To advance the product development processes at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, various strategic initiatives have been undertaken focusing on developing and deploying integrated systems to support new design and manufacturing processes. These systems have, at their core, knowledge-based systems that contain the rules and procedures representing the new integrated design and manufacturing processes. The knowledge-based systems have been tightly integrated within the CAD environment, so that design and manufacturing optimization has become an integral engineering function. Additionally, databases of parts, materials, and other critical information are being woven into the fabric of these systems, as are analytical programs and other procedural systems. The objectives for integrating these systems are to (a) provide a consistent design and manufacturing workflow process, (b) give personnel access to cross-functional multi-disciplinary information that relates to the work that they perform, and (c) reduce the amount of time that it takes to perform complex design and manufacturing tasks through the instant availability and accessibility of information. In accomplishing these tasks, product quality has been improved through consistency and accuracy of information, and costs and cycle times have been reduced.