PACE, a leading provider of knowledge based engineering software, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Airbus Operations Germany to develop a software solution for streamlining key aspects of the technical documentation process for aircraft passenger cabins. The documentation is part of the manufacturer's aircraft maintenance manual, which provides service staff with detailed descriptions of all systems installed in a given aircraft as well as step-by-step instructions for the maintenance tasks required.
The aircraft maintenance manual is a document requiring continuous updates throughout the life cycle of every aircraft delivered. This places high demands on its authors, particularly those involved in the creation of the cabin sections, because the cabin is one of the most frequently changed parts of the aircraft. The software will facilitate the selection of the appropriate text modules and maintenance tasks applicable for a specific cabin configuration by assembling and cross-referencing relevant information (equipment lists, change histories, etc.) from other Airbus product data systems.
A consistent variant management will interactively guide authors through the document configuration process, while automatically checking for suitable solutions. In addition, authors will be able to manually link cabin items to existing or newly created text modules and feed the information back into the system. On a more general level, the software will help to achieve a high degree of standardization in the organization of workflows.
The software development was initiated by the Technical Data Support & Services department in Hamburg, which is responsible for the cabin maintenance documentation of the entire range of Airbus aircraft. Georg Altersberger, Senior Manager Maintenance & Repair Data, has high expectations for the tool: "PACE has an excellent track record with Airbus", he explains. "We have been using another PACE solution for automatically generating our aircraft cabin schematics manuals for some years now, and it's not only saving us a lot of money, but has also shortened the lead time of creation and improved the completeness at aircraft delivery."
Michael Kokorniak, PACE chief technical officer and managing partner, is not surprised: "Our knowledge based engineering platform is most impressive when it comes to capturing and formalizing engineering knowledge in such a way that it is readily accessible, available for re-use and can be applied automatically. We are very happy about Airbus's continued trust in our technology and look forward to realizing this new solution."
About Airbus:
Airbus is a leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive family of airliners in the market, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats. Over 9,300 Airbus aircraft have been sold worldwide, with more than 5,800 of these delivered since the company first entered the market in the early seventies.
Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus consistently captures about half of all commercial airliner orders. With annual revenues of over 27 billion euros in 2008, Airbus is a global company, employing around 52,000 people of some 80 different nationalities in design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK and Spain, as well as subsidiaries in the U.S., China, Japan and in the Middle East. More information about Airbus is available on the Internet at www.airbus.com.
The aircraft maintenance manual is a document requiring continuous updates throughout the life cycle of every aircraft delivered. This places high demands on its authors, particularly those involved in the creation of the cabin sections, because the cabin is one of the most frequently changed parts of the aircraft. The software will facilitate the selection of the appropriate text modules and maintenance tasks applicable for a specific cabin configuration by assembling and cross-referencing relevant information (equipment lists, change histories, etc.) from other Airbus product data systems.
A consistent variant management will interactively guide authors through the document configuration process, while automatically checking for suitable solutions. In addition, authors will be able to manually link cabin items to existing or newly created text modules and feed the information back into the system. On a more general level, the software will help to achieve a high degree of standardization in the organization of workflows.
The software development was initiated by the Technical Data Support & Services department in Hamburg, which is responsible for the cabin maintenance documentation of the entire range of Airbus aircraft. Georg Altersberger, Senior Manager Maintenance & Repair Data, has high expectations for the tool: "PACE has an excellent track record with Airbus", he explains. "We have been using another PACE solution for automatically generating our aircraft cabin schematics manuals for some years now, and it's not only saving us a lot of money, but has also shortened the lead time of creation and improved the completeness at aircraft delivery."
Michael Kokorniak, PACE chief technical officer and managing partner, is not surprised: "Our knowledge based engineering platform is most impressive when it comes to capturing and formalizing engineering knowledge in such a way that it is readily accessible, available for re-use and can be applied automatically. We are very happy about Airbus's continued trust in our technology and look forward to realizing this new solution."
About Airbus:
Airbus is a leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive family of airliners in the market, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats. Over 9,300 Airbus aircraft have been sold worldwide, with more than 5,800 of these delivered since the company first entered the market in the early seventies.
Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus consistently captures about half of all commercial airliner orders. With annual revenues of over 27 billion euros in 2008, Airbus is a global company, employing around 52,000 people of some 80 different nationalities in design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK and Spain, as well as subsidiaries in the U.S., China, Japan and in the Middle East. More information about Airbus is available on the Internet at www.airbus.com.
