The Aerospace and Defense industry generates trillions of dollars in revenue in the U.S. alone. The industry has contributed to the advancement, design, and manufacturing of defense systems, aircraft, and space systems. 

A&D leads the way in terms of research and development and has spun off technologies that are foundational to many of our modern inventions in industries such as computers and telecommunications.

IT’s role has been prominent across industries and the aerospace industry is no different. The industry continues to leverage software’s capabilities to modernize its manufacturing environment, minimize costs of production, and improve operational efficiency. 

Consequently, the size of the aerospace and defense application software market has been steadily growing over the past five years, and the trend is likely to continue well into the future.

Software is transforming the aerospace industry

Software, especially 3D modeling software, is becoming an instrumental tool in the toolkit of an engineer in the aerospace industry. The software allows engineers to visualize their projects and 3D print the designs for prototyping.

Software can now identify new materials that cannot only save manufacturers money by reducing production costs, but can also improve an aircraft’s speed, safety, and efficiency. 

The aerospace industry has its own share of challenges, with manufacturers constantly worried about cost control and regulatory compliance. However, engineers can now take on these challenges with much more fortitude with software and even push the boundaries as they strive to achieve more in their field. 

Before discussing ways in which software, especially 3D design software, is transforming the aerospace industry, let’s talk about why it is becoming a critical element in the industry’s design and manufacturing process.

What’s driving the importance of software for the aerospace industry

3D printing is quickly gaining traction in the aerospace industry. The method of manufacturing parts is evolving as additive manufacturing offers unique opportunities to the industry. 

Accuracy and efficiency

The costs of designing conceptual and intricate designs are now at par with costs of parts that feature straightforward geometries. However, to ensure that engineers are appropriately equipped to start 3D printing, they must identify an excellent aerospace software.

Aerospace designers need a high level of accuracy and efficiency for aircraft and aerodynamics design. A good aerospace software that can help engineers and designers visualize the project and quick prototyping is key. 

Improved design

As 3D printing software becomes sophisticated, engineers can optimize their designs and derive specific benefits from additive manufacturing processes. Improvements such as these translate to lower life cycle cost of an aircraft and better efficiency of the engine, consequently minimizing drag and reducing the aircraft’s mass.

Supply Chain Benefits

The development and production of an aircraft is a massive task. Demand for aircraft is associated with long lead times, production schedules, and backlogs that could last not months, but years. 

A software that enables 3D printing facilitates the production of various components with a wider portfolio of raw materials, improves the efficiency of the production process, and consequently reduces supply chain lead times.

Ways Software is Transforming Aerospace Industry

Following are five ways in which software is modifying the aerospace industry.

Brings cost-effectiveness to the production process

Additive manufacturing software helps the aerospace industry minimize the time required for prototype creation and production costs. 

This is particularly advantageous for the aerospace industry given that material wastage with conventional manufacturing was often as high as 98%. Aerospace designers were often left with a ton of metal chips after subtraction and creating an appropriate mold took them a lot of time.

As opposed to subtractive manufacturing, additive manufacturing requires adding the material instead of subtracting it. This significantly reduces material wastage and offers a cost-effective alternative to manufacturers. 

Now, agreed, setting up additive manufacturing comes with a significant cost. However, the resultant savings over the long term are much higher than the initial setup cost.

Allows 3D visualization

Among several ways software is changing the aerospace industry, 3D visualization tops the list with its slew of benefits.

A good 3D CAD software features hundreds of thousands of templates of mechanical components. These templates allow engineers to maintain accuracy across designs and also save them a good chunk of time. The software redraws lines in the design automatically, which further reduces room for error.

3D CAD models also help designers fast-track the development process by enabling them to complete the designs much faster. What’s more, these designs can also be saved and repurposed in the future for other designs, which saves time.

They offer high-quality visuals of the 3D-designed component, which help the engineer understand the component more thoroughly and demonstrate the component’s functionality.

Provides agility

The U.S. and Europe have seen a fair share of success in the aviation and aerospace industry. However, growing economies like Brazil, India, and Korea are quickly catching up. These countries also have the advantage of lower manufacturing costs. So, how must developed countries maintain their position in the competition?

The answer is a healthy combination of innovation and agility. The key to staying relevant in the industry is to evolve through innovation. The challenge here is to do so cost-effectively. Therefore, software takes a central role. 

Software can help engineers stay agile. It enables them to design, simulate, and scrutinize aerospace components quickly. This translates to significant savings of time and money in the development and testing of aircraft before their first take off.

Helps in development in aerospace materials

Over the past decade, there has been significant development in technology and materials used for aerospace. For instance, carbon nanotubes and electrification, use of graphene, and zero-fuel aircraft.

Such technologies have matured relatively slowly in the aerospace industry in comparison to the automotive industry. However, software is empowering engineers with capabilities to test new materials, particularly those materials that add complexity and increase physical components that require monitoring. 

For instance, wings that feature adaptive materials enabling them to alter their shape mid-flight. 

The use of software for modeling a new technology’s performance prior to tests allows engineers to identify and fix problems, saving time and money by minimizing test flights. Imagine being able to spot a problem before it ever becomes apparent on the test – powerful stuff, huh? 

Stimulates talent in aerospace designers

A software allows engineers to visualize, simulate, and test designs, which makes troubleshooting a lot easier and stimulates creativity. 

Fortunately, more such tools are being introduced in the curriculums of schools and universities and taught in training workshops. Software is a great tool that inspires students to learn and venture into a thriving aerospace industry.

Software is also an ideal way to help students develop a practical and transferable skill set that has a lot of industrial demand. They offer students the experience and knowledge that will go a long way as they begin to work on real-world projects.

While this is probably not the most tangible benefit of software, it manifests in a much more subtle, but substantial way. Over the long term, the industry will be able to cultivate talent that has the ability to come up with unique solutions by leveraging the power of software and take the aerospace industry to a new level.

The next milestone: 4D CAD

4D CAD is quickly catching up and the aerospace industry, too, is hopping on board. 4D printing is capable of developing materials that can alter their characteristics and properties depending on environmental changes – like temperature. 

These changes enable self-assembly of materials, which speeds up the manufacturing process and reduces the need for labor. Less labor doesn’t only translate to lower costs, it also means more efficiency in the processes, savings in time, and a larger production volume.

4D printing brings several benefits, particularly for the aerospace industry. The industry will now have the capability to produce self-repairing parts or aircraft and to print solar panels that can provide power to satellites. 

One of the biggest challenges that accompanies 4D printing technology is high initial costs. However, as 4D printing becomes mainstream and companies begin to ramp up the efforts to upgrade their IT infrastructure, 4D printing will transform the aerospace industry for good.

Software – a boon for the aerospace industry

Software’s impact on the aerospace industry has been significant, and it will be even more so in the future. Engineers are capitalizing on new materials that allow manufacturers to speed up the manufacturing process and save up on material wastage. In essence, it’s a win for everybody.

On another front, software is also facilitating advancements in the development of small drones and aircraft. It’s enabling engineers across experience levels to innovate and come up with creative solutions to design-related problems. If there’s something that’s pumping truckloads of excitement into the industry for young aerospace aspirants, it’s software.

As the technology matures, software will further empower engineers and designers with an extra suite of features. Software has had a powerful impact on the aerospace industry, and it will continue to redefine the way the aerospace industry works – one day at a time.