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Siemens PLM Software

Quality Planning Environment Streamlining development of 3D model-based inspection plans

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Contents

A specialized problem requires specialized tools 3

Addressing the unique needs of quality engineers in model-based environments 4

Supporting the first article inspection process 5

Developing inspection plans for detail parts 6

Developing inspection plans for airframe assemblies and installations 7

Audit, generate, execute and archive the inspection plan 8

Achieving success with Quality Planning Environment 9

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A specialized problem requires specialized tools

As a manufacturer of complex compo-nents and assemblies, you are engaged in the challenging tasks of consuming engi-neering designs into manufacturing and quality plans. And you know all too well the rigors of manually interrogating mod-els to extract the specific information needed to populate quality planning doc-uments. This complexity, along with the pressure to deliver products to market faster and more profitably, puts enor-mous demands on engineers and quality planners alike. Software that transforms

commercial 3D CAD systems into special-ized systems for managing quality engi-neering processes is vital for ensuring full consumption of inspection characteristics to eliminate the potential for quality escapes.

That’s exactly what Quality Planning Environment (QPE) from Siemens PLM Software delivers.

Quality Planning Environment software

• Reducestimetogeneratequalityplansbyasmuchas90percent

• Fillsamajorgapinmodel-baseddefinitionprocesses

• Eliminatesqualityescapesbyprovidingcompleteanderror-freequalityplans

Thousands of pieces of information are generated in the design-to-manufac-turing process. The final product must be verified against this wealth of infor-mation to be in conformance with engineering specifications. This can be especially challenging when you con-sider the multiple revisions the design goes through during its lifetime. The tasks necessary to define, communi-cate and validate this information are both tedious and complex. In many cases, they are not automated.

For example, every component of an airframe assembly, including the thou-sands of fasteners, sealants, shims and detail parts, must be accounted for and verified during a first article inspection.

For a composite part, there are well over 125 pieces of nongeometric information associated with it beyond its geometric ply boundary. At a mini-mum, ply material, orientation and location verification steps must be planned for a first article inspection of the pre-cured composite part. Post-cure, composite parts require similar inspections to metallic components. All the typical dimensional and process inspections must be planned to assure that the component meets the form, fit and functional requirements defined by the design. Creating a plan to verify all this information poses major challenges for quality planners, especially when using 3D model-based definitions (MBD).

Using Quality Planning Environment (QPE) software from Siemens PLM Software, these tasks become stan-dardized and automatic by enabling the direct consumption of data directly from the 3D CAD model. Manual tasks are reduced or, in many cases, com-pletely eliminated. QPE publishes first article inspection documentation according to AS/EN/SJAC 9100 criteria in accordance with standard industry practices, and automatically filters and formats information for seamless transfer to manufacturing execution systems (MES) and first article inspec-tion (FAI) measurement recording systems.

Addressing the unique needs of quality engineers in model-based environments

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Supporting the first article inspection process

Design releaseInputs: 3D CAD models containing engineering characteristics

• Detail parts • Assemblies/installations

Develop plan • Indentify/create inspection items

DimensionsGD&TNotesSpecificationsComposite pliesAssembly componentsFastenersHoles

• Sequence inspection items• Visualize inspection items

Create model viewsGenerate balloons

Audit plan for completeness• Verify consumption of characteristics• Identify redundant inspection items• Ensure balloons are complete

Release AS/EN/SJAC 9102 inspection package• Create documentation

Specification and characteristics listGraphics for visual cross-reference

Inspect part or assembly• Record inspection results

PassFail

Archive in FAI database

Serial production inspections• Monitor production performance with statistical process control (SPC)

DeliveryOn timeOn budgetOn specification

Delta

FAI

FAI p

roce

ss

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The adoption of model-based definition has left downstream data consumers in need of new processes to replace tradi-tional drawing-based methodologies. In particular, quality engineers are strug-gling to create inspection plans from 3D CAD models.

A detail part consists of hundreds, if not thousands, of characteristics that must be verified upon first article inspection. These characteristics include material requirements, dimensions, tolerances, coatings, notes and specifications, to name just a few. This information must be consumed into a quality plan to sup-port the inspection process for verifica-tion that the as-built component meets the engineering specifications.

Due to a lack of standards for capturing this information within a 3D model, engi-neers have adopted various approaches

for representing this data. QPE was architected with built-in flexibility to retrieve and balloon the engineering design characteristics from the 3D model in various formats. QPE even includes capabilities to automatically interrogate the model to extract key dimensions and apply tolerances to items lacking CAD annotations. This provides the ultimate solution for suppliers working on multi-ple programs with various implementa-tions of MBD.

Developing inspection plans for detail parts

Key functionality

• Automatic extraction of inspection characteristics from the CAD model

> Dimensions > Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)

> Notes and specifications > Model tree parameters

• Nondimensioned model interrogation

• Automatic balloon generation• Push button export of

AS9102 forms Benefits

• Eliminates errors resulting from data re-entry from model to quality plan

• Reduces design modeling efforts by enabling reduced dimensioned models

• Reduces time by as much as 90 percent compared to manual quality plan creation processes

Minimally-dimensionedcomponentscanbequicklyinterrogatedwiththeauto-mateddimensionextrac-tioncapabilitiesinQPE.AkeystrengthofQPEissup-portingthevarietyofMBDapproachesfromcomplete-lyannotatedmodelstothoseidentifyingonlythedeviationsfromstandard.

Inamatterofminutes,QPEenablestheextractionandexportofdimensions,geo-metricdimensioningandtol-erancing(GD&T),notesandmodeltreedatafromtheCADmodeltoAS9102formswithcross-referencegraphics.

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Quality Planning Environment (QPE) works in conjunction with Syncrofit to provide quality engineers with a quick way to develop first article inspection (FAI) plans of their airframe assemblies and installations.

The first article inspection process is a critical step toward certifying an aircraft. Verifying that an airframe assembly has been manufactured according to specifi-cation starts by identifying all the require-ments on the inspection plan. Given the complexity of modern airframes, the development of first article inspection plans from model-based assemblies is a very manual, tedious and error-prone process.

QPE works in conjunction with Syncrofit to reduce the burden on the quality engineer, allowing her to automatically consume the complete assembly defini-tion into the quality plan. Not only can she reduce the plan development time by as much as ninety percent, she can also be sure that all of the assembly character-istics have been consumed.

QPE consumes and organizes assembly components, notes, fastening and sealing requirements, and joint definitions, which define the characteristics of the assembly. These items are sequenced with drag and drop functionality and automatically ballooned and visualized using embedded snapshot capability.

Once the plan is complete, QPE stores the plan in an associated quality model. When it is ready for execution, it is exported from QPE to a standard AS9102 format in Excel or PDF format. Alternatively, it may be exported into an XML file, which may be imported into computer-aided process planning (CAPP) systems or other types of downstream software.

Developing inspection plans for airframe assemblies and installations

QPEworksinconjunctionwithSyncrofittoprovidequalityengineerswithaquickwaytodevelopfirstarticleinspection(FAI)plansforairframeassembliesandinstallations.

Key functionality

• Automatic identification of assembly characteristics from 3D definition and Syncrofit

• Integrated screen capture capability allowing for rapid graphic creation

• Traceability of characteristics from the 3D definition into quality plans

• Drag and drop sequencing of inspection steps to coincide with the build plan

• Push button export of AS9102 forms

Benefits

• Reduces time needed for generating quality plans for airframe assemblies and installations by as much as 90 percent compared to manual processes

• Enhances thoroughness and accuracy of quality reports, resulting in less documentation rework

• Standardizes plans to improve the consistency of the inspection execution process

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Given the wealth of data required for a complete quality plan, appropriate checks must be put in place to ensure that all the essential specifications have been consumed. A missed specification that goes unchecked during an inspec-tion could cost millions. Prior to finalizing a plan, QPE provides auditing capabilities to avoid these situations. The inspection planning audit ensures that the appropri-ate data exists in required fields and that all characteristics have been consumed in the quality plan.

After successfully passing the audit, it is a push-button operation to generate the industry standard AS9102 first article inspection report (FAIR) to record actual results during the inspection process. Alternatively, you can export directly to an electronic FAI and quality manage-ment system, such as Net-inspect. Net-inspect is considered the standard for real time FAI, including inspection and

visibility down the entire supply chain, including all sub tiers. QPE provides a seamless link to Net-inspect to enable a fully traceable process with seamless data transfer originating from the 3D model all the way to the shop floor and into the archives.

Since QPE stores data in XML format, the inspection plan can be formatted and fed into other downstream applications, such as manufacturing execution sys-tems (MES) or computer-aided process planning (CAPP).

Audit, generate, execute and archive the inspection plan

Key functionality

• Inspection characteristic audit to validate consumption

• Automatic generation of AS9102 reports

• Direct upload of inspection plan to Net-inspect

• Direct transfer to execution systems for quality plan execution via XML

Benefits

• Supports an end-to-end model-based process for FAI

• Supports collaboration with the supply chain

• Links to downstream systems for error-free data transfer and traceability

QPEgeneratesindustrystandardAS9102firstarticleinspectionreports(FAIR)withthepushofabutton.Itautomaticallycreatesforms1,2and3alongwithcross-referencegraphicstoidentifytheengineeringcharacteristics.

QPEenablesyoutodirectlyuploaddataintoNet-inspect’sFAIRapplications,whichautomaticallycreateanddistributeinspectionplansandproviderealtimequalityvisibilitytointernalteamsandthesupplychain.

QPE is filling a major gap that exists in model-based definition processes by providing a flexible solution to address the needs of quality engineers. A standardized processes is provided from the initial gathering and identifica-tion of characteristics to the ballooning and creation of graphics and, finally, the push button export of the AS9102 FAIR.

By supporting a model-based process for quality planning, QPE makes aerospace component and assembly design and manufacturing more cost effective.

Siemens PLM Software has a staff of technical field support professionals who understand your business and are commit-ted to your success, ensuring that you achieve the maximum return on your investment.

MajoraerospaceOEMsandsuppliersthathaveadoptedQPEarecurrentlyrealizingtimesavingsof8:1fordetailpartsand6:1forairframeassemblies.

Detail part

Process time (hours)

QPE

24

60

3

10 QPE

Manual

ManualAirframe assembly

Achieving success with Quality Planning Environment

QPE delivers:

Automatically generates inspection plans from 3D model data

Speeds generation of inspection plans

Reduces errors in planning

Generates plans in accordance with AS9102

Encapsulates inspection planning process in an easy-to-use interace

Links to downstream systems for error-free data transfer and traceability

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“ Innovative, CAD-integrated solutions for model-based design from Siemens PLM Software improve the speed, accuracy and efficiency of populating FAIs. Our collaboration makes it even easier for aerospace manufacturers to realize end-to-end improvements.”MikeDunlopPresidentNet-inspect

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About Siemens PLM Software Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division, is a world-leading provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software, systems and services with nine million licensed seats and 77,000 customers worldwide. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Siemens PLM Software helps thousands of companies make great products by optimizing their lifecycle processes, from planning and development through manufacturing and support. Our HD-PLM vision is to give everyone involved in making a product the information they need, when they need it, to make the smartest decisions. For more informa-tion on Siemens PLM Software products and services, visit www.siemens.com/plm.

© 2014 Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. Siemens and the Siemens logo are registered trademarks of Siemens AG. D-Cubed, Femap, Fibersim, Geolus, GO PLM, I-deas, JT, NX, Parasolid, Quality Planning Environment, Solid Edge, Syncrofit, Teamcenter and Tecnomatix are trademarks or registered trademarks of Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. All other logos, trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks belong to their respective holders.

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