Computer simulation of composite material performance saves four months on S‐92 Helibus program

Abstract

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation saved four months on the S‐92 Helibus helicopter project by simulating composite material performance on the computer prior to fabricating tooling. Despite the communications and logistical challenges of working with international manufacturing partners on the project, the flow time required to move the complex canopy structure from basic data to completion of production parts was reduced by 27 percent compared to previous similar projects. This first womb‐to‐tomb use of simulation of Sikorsky also cut engineering, prototyping and tooling costs by reducing the number of revisions required during the tool tryout stage by more than 90 percent of the normal number. The key to the success of this project was the ability of the FiberSIM simulation software from Composite Design Technologies, Wiltham, Massachusetts, to detect wrinkling, bridging and similar problems during the basic design phase, so they could be fixed before they reached the shopfloor.

Citation

Forster, B., Rogg, C., Martin, R. and Green, S. (1998), "Computer simulation of composite material performance saves four months on S‐92 Helibus program", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 70 No. 2, pp. 100-103. https://doi.org/10.1108/00022669810369233