3415. Improve Your Sensor Image with Balance
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Paper
Abstract
During the preliminary design process of a new aircraft program, engineers often rely on approximated design parameter estimations based on existing aircraft databases, proprietary, or purchased experts? knowledge, as well as by means of safety factors. Once violations of targeted performance requirements or design constraints are identified too late in the development process, a number of cost and resource intensive iterations on the system design might be induced. The paper discusses a ?recipe? for weight engineers supporting the mass properties life cycle?s front-end by utilizing design freedom in early design phases and reducing changes in later development phases by a well directed approach considering uncertainties in the weight engineering process. Likewise, we address a new (weight) engineered way of thinking and working within the mass properties life cycle process. To substantiate the approach, the paper introduces a case study from the aerospace domain opening new capabilities in the weight engineering process. The authors postulate a higher quality of decisions as well as a negotiation support for weight engineers within the design process. Moreover, the continuous and systematic consideration of uncertainties enables the creation of an improved ?risk picture?, reduces system uncertainties in a target-oriented manner, and enables an optimization of resources with respect to the exchange of information with other disciplines.
