WILSONVILLE, Ore., 27 May 2014. Engineers at Bombardier Aerospace, a manufacturer of business jet aircraft, have set up a digital development process for the Learjet 85 aircraft’s electrical distribution system using the Capital product family from Mentor Graphics Corp. (NASDAQ:MENT) in Wilsonville, Ore.
Bombardier Aerospace used the Mentor Capital Logic, Capital HarnessXC and Capital FormboardXC software, and Capital’s CATIA V5 MCAD integration applications. All the applications are data-centric—design data defined in one application is shared between all tools ensuring digital continuity throughout the development process.
The Mentor Graphics Capital product, a software suite for the electrical systems and wire harness domain, is designed to support the complex demands of integrated processes from initial aircraft definition through electrical system and design, harness manufacture, and aircraft maintenance. Capital is used by leading aerospace original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), officials say.
The Capital software used at Bombardier includes applications to address: electrical systems definition and integration, integration with mechanical CAD systems, harness planning, and manufacturing tasks. Along the entire process, data verification constantly occurs, ensuring that the manufactured wire harnesses meet design intent. For example, EWIS wire routing constraints defined early in the Capital environment are maintained throughout the flow and ensure that the as-built wire routing meets the EWIS mandate objectives.
Bombardier Aerospace achieved very significant process and quality improvement objectives by adopting innovative technologies, such as Capital, officials describe. Among the objectives achieved is adherence to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Canadian Transportation Agency’s (CTA’s) Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 25 Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS) mandate, which is now necessary for the certification of new civil aircraft.
“Bombardier Aerospace is a great example of an innovative company leveraging Capital’s Platform Level Engineering Capabilities to achieve quantifiable business benefits,” explains Martin O’Brien, general manager of the Integrated Electrical Systems Division of Mentor Graphics. “These tools help customers to realize their quality goals and position themselves strongly for the future.”
