GKN Aerospace will use SyncroFIT in conjunction with FiberSIM composites engineering software, both components of the VISTAGY AeroSuite, to manage the evolving product development process and deliver an optimized winglet for Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft program. GKN Aerospace will also seek to ensure the maximum return on its technology investment by making extensive use of VISTAGY professional services, including process consulting, best practices development and customized training.

GKN Aerospace has used FiberSIM for more than eight years to design a variety of highly complex composite parts, including the winglets on the Boeing 767, the leading edge for the Airbus A380 wings and the wing spars for the Airbus A400M. The adoption of SyncroFIT for the CSeries winglet extends the ongoing partnership between the companies.

Based on processes developed in conjunction with VISTAGY on the Boeing 767 winglet, GKN Aerospace has used FiberSIM to migrate from a ply-based to a structure-based design approach that helps the company react quickly to the inevitable design changes that occur during structural optimization of composite parts. Engineers will now use SyncroFIT to define fasteners early-on in order to provide procurement with precise and up-to-date bills of materials (BOMs), while dramatically compressing the fastener management process. GKN Aerospace will also use SyncroFIT to manage the interactions of composite details within assemblies so that its engineers can validate that fastener design rules have been met and that the ripple effect of changes during skin thickness updates are propagated throughout the assembly.

“Defining holes and fasteners is a critical issue for developing composite aircraft because the variation in skin thickness drives the need for a wide array of fasteners and adds complexity to the design,” said Justin Elliott, GKN Aerospace’s chief engineer on the CSeries aircraft winglet program. “SyncroFIT unravels this complexity by enabling us to easily author and capture complete digital representations of airframe assemblies and share critical design and manufacturing detail more efficiently. VISTAGY’s software and services will enable us to take an integrated approach to design and airframe assembly that will help us meet our goals.”

“We’re pleased to have the chance to expand our relationship with one of the world’s foremost Tier One aerospace firms,” said Steve Peck, director of product and market strategy for aerostructures at VISTAGY. “GKN Aerospace’s implementation of SyncroFIT for the CSeries aircraft winglet program in conjunction with its longstanding use of FiberSIM provides further proof that in the digital age, it’s essential to couple composite design with best practices for managing joints, fasteners and holes to optimize innovative airframe assemblies.”