Product category:
Materials design and moulding design software
News Release from: Vistagy
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 21 October 2002
Composite design for the JSF programme
Vistagy has sold over $1 million of FiberSIM software to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.
Vistagy has sold over $1 million of FiberSIM software to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company The purchase expands Lockheed's use of FiberSIM as a tool of choice for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme, the largest defence contract in US history
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 15 May 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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One of the most significant new features in fibreSIM 5.4 is its integration with MSC.Software's SimXpert finite element analysis (FEA) software.
FiberSIM software has also been purchased by JSF partners BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman.
The F-35 JSF is a stealthy, supersonic, multirole fighter plane designed for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and the militaries of numerous allied nations.
It will replace a wide range of aging fighter and strike aircraft.
Further reading
Software handles large airframe structures
Airframe Development Environments 2.0 software supports the airframe development process from design to manufacturing, assembly, quality planning and communication with the supply chain.
Composite design on the F1 grid
The ING Renault F1 Team used Vistagy's FiberSim software to design and manufacture all the composite parts of its new car, including the chassis, roll hoops and wings.
To meet strict affordability targets in the JSF programme, Lockheed Martin has established a virtual product development environment in which engineers simulate every design and manufacturing process prior to tool creation and physical prototyping.
Within this virtual design environment, FiberSIM software provides simulation and analysis capabilities that reduce the cost of composite parts.
The JSF employs a higher percentage of composites than previous fighters.
"Lockheed Martin originally purchased FiberSIM in 1996 as part of our initiative to implement best-in-class software tools for the Joint Strike Fighter programme", says Mike Henson, Software Product Manager for Lockheed Martin.
"Since then, we have worked actively with Vistagy to merge FiberSIM with our other engineering software and processes.
Lockheed Martin's goal is to integrate the most productive composites design and manufacturing tools available".
"Lockheed Martin tested FiberSIM tools for the Joint Strike Fighter programme while designing an auxiliary inlet duct", says Steve Luby, President and CEO of Vistagy.
"Using the software, they were able to cut engineering and manufacturing time for the part by more than half.
Since then, Lockheed Martin has increased its reliance on composite materials in the JSF programme and realised additional savings using FiberSIM".
The FiberSIM suite of tools is instrumental in the design and production of composite parts at most major commercial and military aerospace manufacturers as well as many high-performance automobile and boat builders.
FiberSIM software automates the design process, assesses the producibility of a part, and generates manufacturing information to interface with automated cutters, laser projectors, and fibre placement machines.
The software enables users to drive all aspects of preliminary design, analysis, detailed design, and manufacturing from within the CAD environment.
XML tools in FiberSIM allow engineers to share design data with other applications throughout the enterprise, such as software for procurement, quality assurance and manufacturing.
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