Virtual Manufacturing Tools in the Product Design Environment

Design and manufacturing modeling and simulation have been identified as important to the principles of lean product development. Early in the product development cycle, the use of three-dimensional (3-D) engineering models allows us to electronically (or virtually) prototype physical products, and conduct product feasibility and producibility studies. Manufacturing issues can be identified early and used to drive the product design toward the lowest cost. This paper describes the Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) approach to extending classic prototype simulation to virtual manufacturing (VM) tools that accommodate the visualization of interacting production processes, process planning, scheduling, and assembly planning. Previous simulation tools were limited to the design environment. Our tools not only support design; they also provide functionality by bringing the results to the assembly floor. The use of these tools has resulted in “first-time quality” both above and on the shop floor, with significant reductions in product cost and cycle time.