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PACE Aerospace Engineering and Information Technology GmbH utilizes Aras as Configuration Management Backbone
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Database Management & Storage
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Data Management Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Aerospace
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
- Quality Assurance
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
- Training
The Challenge
The variety in cabin design possibilities leads to complexity and rising production costs. The catalog used for cabin configuration is constantly being extended with new types of seats, fittings, and systems, such as in-flight entertainment and lighting systems. After the approval of new versions of the catalog, aircraft manufacturers typically provide their customers with updates in paper format. At this stage, the Pacelab catalog needs to be updated and the details of the cabin elements integrated into a single process. In addition to the multiple versions of the catalog and sales offers, information on lifecycle management needs to be updated. A sophisticated configuration system is needed to manage all of these requirements. The catalog not only contains all the data on cabin components and the related 2D and 3D visualization files, but also all the configuration regulations from the aviation safety authorities.
About The Customer
PACE Aerospace Engineering and Information Technology GmbH is a company specializing in aerospace engineering and information technology solutions. They provide software and services that support the development and configuration of complex cabin designs for passenger aircraft. Their flagship product, Pacelab Cabin, is used by major aircraft manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing, as well as large airlines such as Etihad. PACE focuses on automating the modeling and positioning of cabin items while ensuring compliance with design-relevant rules. They aim to reduce production costs and complexity in cabin design by offering modular concepts and a catalog-like user interface with thousands of configuration possibilities. PACE also emphasizes the importance of data and configuration management, leveraging solutions like Aras Innovator to streamline their processes.
The Solution
Pacelab Cabin software supports the development of complex cabin configurations by automating the modeling and positioning of cabin items while simultaneously verifying the layout’s compliance with design-relevant rules. The software is used in all Airbus programs and in larger airlines such as Etihad. To reduce costs and timing, manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing have started relying on modular concepts that provide highly flexible yet standardized design options. These modular concepts are presented by Pacelab in a catalog-like style user interface, with prespecified options that contain thousands of configuration possibilities per aircraft type. With an optional product module for centralized data and configuration management, the current version of the Pacelab Cabin configurator builds on this trend, based on the PLM solution Aras Innovator. Aras Innovator offers a complete and efficient data and configuration management framework, which is flexible to different applications. This framework delivers all the functions needed by Pacelab Cabin. As a result, the PACE data management platform can be developed on the Aras framework without needing to use additional applications. This results in a clear user interface with no unnecessary complications. If needed, each project can be individualized with branding on the Web interface. In addition, the Aras solution has a clear methodology, which is taught in Aras training.
Operational Impact
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