Eric M. Johnson and Tim Hepher

SEATTLE/PARIS – At Boeing (NYSE:) Co.’s factory for the future, 3D immersive engineering designs and robots will speak to one another. Meanwhile, mechanics from around the globe will be connected by HoloLens headsets, which cost $3,500. Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:).

The image shows an ambitious new Boeing strategy, which aims to unite sprawling design, production, and airline services operations in a single digital ecosystem. This can happen within two years.

Boeing repeatedly has made bold claims about a digital revolution with mixed results, according to critics. Insiders claim that the overall goals of safety and quality improvement have become more important as the company faces multiple threats.

In 2022, the planemaker will be trying to regain its engineering supremacy after the 737 MAX disaster. It also plans on laying the groundwork for a new aircraft program in the next ten years – a gamble of $15 billion. This planemaker wants to stop future manufacturing problems such as the ones that have afflicted its 787 Dreamliner this year.

In his first interview for nearly two years, Boeing’s chief engineer Greg Hyslop told Reuters that “it’s about strengthening engineering.” We are discussing changing how we work throughout the company.

After many years of fierce market competition, Boeing has found a way to win the war against Europe’s Airbus by delivering on its bulging orders books. This is now on the factory floor.

Guillaume Faury (Airbus Chief Executive) is a former head of automotive research and has promised to create new systems for production as well as to harness the data power to improve its industrial system.

Boeing has made incremental improvements to specific tools and programs, instead of the complete overhaul Hyslop is pushing today.

Both plane titans are pushing simultaneously, which is indicative of a global digital revolution. As automakers such as Ford Motor (NYSE) Co and social media giants like Facebook (NASDAQ) shift work to a virtual world called the metaverse, Meta Platforms Inc and parent company Meta Platforms Inc both play and create it.

How does the aviation metaverse, a digital shared space that often uses virtual reality or augment reality, work?

Boeing is following the footsteps of Airbus in building and linking virtual 3-D “digital twin” replicas for the next generation aircraft.

A “digital Thread” supports the digital mockups. It binds together information from infancy about an aircraft, including airline requirements and millions of parts. Certification documents are also included. This extends deep into the supply chains.

The ability to overhaul antiquated paper-based processes could lead to significant changes.

Hyslop explained that over 70% of Boeing’s quality issues are related to design problems. Boeing considers these tools essential in bringing new aircraft to market in as short as four- or five years.

Hyslop claimed that speed will be a benefit, as well as improved communication and quality.

When the supply base quality is higher, and the aircraft build proceeds more efficiently, financial performance will be better.

ENORMOUS CHALLENGE

The plan still faces immense challenges.

Skeptics blame technical issues on Boeing’s T-7A RedHawk and 777X mini-jumbo military training aircrafts, both of which were created using digital tools.

Boeing has also placed too great an emphasis on shareholder returns at the expense of engineering dominance, and continues to cut R&D spending, Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia said.

Is it worthwhile to pursue? Aboulafia stated, “By all means.” “Will they solve all their problems?” No.”

Juggernauts like Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE 🙂 are already investing in digital technology. Major planemakers have partnerships with French software maker Dassault Systèmes. However, many smaller suppliers scattered around the globe lack the human and capital resources necessary to achieve great leaps.

Many were affected by the MAX/coronavirus crises. These occurred after a decade-long period of Airbus and Boeing price pressure.

They not only inform us about hardware that we could buy but they will also specify the digital crap that is added to it. One supply chain executive stated that.

“A LONG GAME”

Boeing is a firm believer that technology alone will not solve all problems. Industry sources tell us that it needs to be accompanied by organizational and cultural shifts across the organization.

Boeing recently hired Linda Hapgood as a retired engineer to supervise the “digital transform” project, which according to one source was supported more than 100 engineers.

Hapgood’s best-known work is turning the black-and white paper drawings of wiring bundles from 767 tankers into 3-D images. Next, Hapgood outfitted mechanics using tablets and HoloLens Augmented-Reality headsets. One insider claimed that quality improved by 90%.

Hapgood was promoted to a new position and hired two engineers to work on the digital twin of a scrapped mid-market plane called NMA.

Her efforts also draw on the lessons from the MQ-25 and T-7A Red Hawk aerial refuelling drones.

Boeing built the T-7A planes using simulation, following a model-based design. T-7A came to market within 36 months.

The program continues to face challenges such as parts shortages, delays in design, and extra testing.

Boeing is on the right track with its Boeing 777X wing plant in Washington, where layout optimization and robot optimization were first performed digitally. However, the larger program is still years behind schedule and has many certification problems.

Hyslop declared, “This can be a difficult game.” Hyslop stated that each of his efforts addressed a part of the problem. We want it to be done from the beginning.