Energomash to Introduce PLM System by August

NPO Energomash (the main enterprise of the ISRD, part of Roscosmos State Corporation), the Voronezh KBHA (WCRD) and Perm Proton-PM are carrying out a large-scale effort within the framework “Digital Design and Production Technologies” to introduce automated Product Life Cycle Management (PLM).

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This PLM aims at making design, technology and production unis fully automated. Such a step would reduce production costs of liquid-propellant rocket engines, decrease the time before introducing the product to the market, optimise the use of resources, and improve the quality of products.

Roscosmos qutoed Dmitry Drizin  head of the product life cycle information support department, project manager syaing:

"At the moment, in NPO Energomash, the project is nearing completion. All stages were put into commercial operation, with the exception of the sixth stage, concerning the technological preparation of production, its expanded functionality. The fully PLM system will operate in August 2020."

The process of implementing the system has started four years ago, in 2016. This process consists of 8 stages:

  • The first four are devoted to the development of a tool for creating electronic design documentation, which will subsequently replace the paper version.
  • Stages 5 and 6 include creating a tool for technological documentation release.
  • At stages 7 and 8 the engine is simulated in stationary mode, statistical and dynamic models of work processes are created (foundry, sheet stamping, volumetric deformation of materials, etc.), engine parameters are calculated (strength, hydrodynamics, etc), results of the calculated data are stored in the PLM system.

According to Roscosmos, similar steps are being introduced at the Integrated Rocket Engine Structure enterprises.

The space state agency added that the OJSC Proton-PM and Voronezh Rocket Engine Centre handed over computer equipment, settings and modules of the system of design and technological preparation of production, so that the specialists involved in these processes could meet their tasks.

Under the supervision of NPO Energomash specialists at the Voronezh Rocket Engine Centre, the pilot operation of the module for using computed-aided engineering (CAE) is being completed. Furthermore the second and fourth phases are being tested, and settings are being made for the sixth stage, which involves the development of functionality for technologists. In Proton-PM, the sixth stage is being completed. The project in Voronezh and Perm is planned to be fully completed before August 1, 2020.

Drizin added that it is now "necessary to expand the digitalisation horizon for the entire holding of rocket engine manufacturing." This is part of the “Digital Transformation Strategy of Roscosmos State Corporation for the Period Until 2025 and the Perspective until 2030.” The strategy implies, through data management, forming and maintaining in a stable state the digital ecosystem of the Roscosmos 2.0 industry.

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