Original Date: 05/08/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

McDonnell Douglas Aerospace (MDA)-St. Louis has initiated an Electronic Development Process that divides the three-dimensional electronic mock-up of an aircraft into discrete zones or volumes. This process uses digital models of details, subassemblies and subsystems to create a model of a total aircraft platform. Although the Electronic Development Process does not produce a releasable document or drawing, it does provide the hierarchial structure and procedures to allow collection of in-work and released parts into zones. This program, in support of MDA’s Integrated Product Development Process, has produced positive results in post-release change activity with such programs as the TAV8 aircraft program.

The zone models are assigned to individual “zone captains” who are responsible for the physical systems integration within individual zones and between adjacent zones. The zone captains manage allocation of space within individual zones; coordinate with product definition teams; and ensure form, fit, function, clearance, reliability, supportability and maintainability. Coordinating the efforts of these zone captains is an Electronic Development Process manager who organizes zone management activity, establishes procedures and policies for digital product models, and schedules and manages regular zone reviews.

MDA-St. Louis anticipates applying this approach with solid modeling of systems (zones) to support new capabilities. If a zone is broken into smaller subzones that are labeled with the system occupying the space, engineers can locate the product models in the Unigraphics system more easily for a particular area in the zone. Using subzone data, it may also be possible to do battle damage analysis with the solid modeling system.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.