Companies collaborate to revolutionise engineering design simulation processes

Citation

(2009), "Companies collaborate to revolutionise engineering design simulation processes", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 81 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2009.12781aaf.009

Companies collaborate to revolutionise engineering design simulation processes

Article Type: Mini features From: Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, Volume 81, Issue 1

To ensure it remains competitive, industry across many engineering sectors in the UK and across Europe is being increasingly driven by a need for greater efficiency and improved product performance. Efficiency gains will stem from a reduction in design, development and production costs and minimising the time-to-market for new production ideas. To help address this need a new, not-for-profit company, CFMS Ltd, has been established by Airbus, BAE Systems, Frazer-Nash Consultancy, MBDA UK, Rolls-Royce and Williams F1 to bring about a step change in engineering design simulation processes. CFMS Ltd aims to transform these processes, which, as products become more complex and as organisations strive to increase their eco-efficiency and reduce environmental impact, will be an essential factor in ongoing business success.

With engineers looking to technology providers to deliver ever-more powerful and innovative simulation tools, technologies and processes, the CFMS Ltd member companies believe these are best developed by the end-users working closely with those developing such technology. CFMS Ltd aims to provide a vehicle for collaboration and a framework for interested parties to join forces and maximise opportunities by co-ordinating skills, resources and funding.

In welcoming the formation of CFMS Ltd, Rt Hon John Hutton MP, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform said: “Earlier this week we launched our manufacturing strategy which emphasised how crucial investment in areas such as innovation, design and research and development is for the continuing success of the UK’s engineering and manufacturing industries”.

“CFMS Ltd exemplifies how industry, academia and researchers can work together to revolutionise traditional practices to strengthen our competitive advantage. This technology will benefit a number of sectors, from marine to motor-sports and aerospace, cutting the time from concept to production whilst also improving product efficiency – critical as we move towards a low carbon economy”.

The launch of the new company was recently marked with a ceremony in Bristol, which is providing an opportunity for the new company to introduce its aims to researchers, developers and end-users across a broad spectrum of industry sectors – including the aerospace, defence, power generation, marine and motor industries as well as academia and government bodies – all of whom were amongst 100 guests who gathered for the event.

As he addressed the audience, the newly appointed chairman of CFMS, Alex Burns, who is also Chief Operating Officer of Williams F1, said: “On behalf of all of the CFMS member companies I am proud to welcome such an esteemed gathering; your support at this early stage bodes exceptionally well for our future success. Through CFMS I am confident we can work together on a sustainable framework of focused, challenging, collaborative research that will be able to deliver the paradigm shift in the capability power of fluids simulation systems that are vital for our future. We have set ourselves some enormous and exciting challenges. Airbus for example, is targeting an increase of simulation effective capability by up to one million times within the next decade, to enable more optimised and eco-efficient design of complete aircraft, and it is placing its confidence in CFMS as a vital tool in helping to achieve that”.

He continued: “CFMS is planning to set up dedicated premises here in South West England and hope to be in a position to submit our plan to the South West Regional Development Agency soon. This would lead to CFMS becoming one of the first organisations to establish itself in Spark, a new science and technology park for Bristol and Bath”.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Swindon-based Technology Strategy Board said: “We are delighted to be involved with CFMS though our £8.7 million support for its Core Programme of research activity. Through our investments, initiatives and knowledge exchange programmes, the Technology Strategy Board is helping to bring together the UKs world class expertise – from business, academia and research organisations – to research and develop innovative technologies in key areas for the UK. The CFMS programme is a fine example of this, with several companies and organisations working together to achieve more than any could have done on their own. We wish all the partners in CFMS Ltd every success in making the project’s vision a reality”.

Nick Buckland, South West Regional Development Agency Board Member, also addressed the audience saying: “Aerospace is an important industry for the South West’s continuing economic success. The South West RDA is pleased to be supporting CFMS. Developments such as this are essential to our remaining at the forefront of the innovation wave and it is important that we continue to invest with industry in these types of programmes. The RDA’s investment in CFMS and its associated projects could total over £2.5 million”.