Boeing's 7E7 Project Pushes PLM Boundaries: digital behavior modeling from concept through lifecycle

CADalyst, April, 2004 by Arnie Williams

Despite the inherent challenges, this approach is one that Boeing believes in and is determined to stand behind. The company has standardized on Dassault Systemes' suite of PLM tools for its projects going forward and will apply the lessons learned in its GCE-centric approach to all of its future design projects.

BOEING'S 7E7 DREAMLINER--A TECHNOLOGIST'S DREAM

With the 7E7, in addition to forging new frontiers in the use of PLM technologies, Boeing will also bring large-jet ranges to midsize airplanes. The base aircraft will hold from 200 to 250 passengers and will have a route of about 7,800 to 8,300 nautical miles. A shorter-range model will seat about 300 passengers and be optimized for a route of about 3,500 miles.

By optimizing technology, these aircraft will use 20% less fuel on comparable flights than any other wide-body plane. Boeing has achieved this efficiency, in part, by making much of the structure of the aircraft--including fuselage and wing--from composites.

In addition to more efficient engines through technology advances from General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce, the 7E7 team is working on developing self-monitoring systems that allow the aircraft to report maintenance requirements to ground-based computer systems.

ARNIE WILLIAMS,

former editor-in-chief of Cadence magazine, is a freelance author specializing in the CAD industry. E-mail Arnie at awilliams@grandecom.net.