Title: A structured approach to defect data management for improving DFM implementation in aerospace manufacturing

Authors: Mohammed El Souri; James Gao; Oladele Owodunni; Clive Simmonds; Nick Martin

Addresses: Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB, UK ' Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB, UK ' Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB, UK ' Electronic Systems, BAE Systems, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2XX, UK ' Electronic Systems, BAE Systems, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2XX, UK

Abstract: The aim of adopting product lifecycle management in a highly product centric knowledge environment is to reduce product development time and costs whilst improving quality through integrating people, processes, resources and information effectively. In the aerospace industry, most products and systems are manufactured, delivered to customers and serviced over an extensively long time, typically 20 years or more. This results in the build-up of large amounts of dispersed data and information related to defects throughout the different product's lifecycle stages, hence inhibiting the ability to make effective use of defect data to improve design for manufacturing (DFM) implementation. There have been very limited research efforts aiming to overcome these challenges in the low volume high value aerospace manufacturing context. This paper presents the findings of an extensive industrial investigation carried out at BAE systems (Rochester, UK) to identify the gaps and requirements in the industrial practice and proposes the need for a structured approach to defect data management in order to establish the systematic link between the defects, engineering data, and related issues within PLM system context.

Keywords: knowledge management; product lifecycle management; PLM; design for manufacturing; DFM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLM.2017.090330

International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management, 2017 Vol.10 No.4, pp.282 - 300

Received: 07 Feb 2017
Accepted: 06 Nov 2017
Published online: 12 Mar 2018 *

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