A leading supplier to the defence sector has completed a major digital transformation project that provides the agility the company needs to be a contender for new business resulting from the Government’s current national shipbuilding effort.
Poole-based
Aish Technologies, which manufacturers equipment that houses the electronics used in the command-and-control systems of battleships and submarines, has embarked on a digital transformation journey with the support of Cambridge-based
Root Solutions, the longest-standing
PTC Platinum Partner in the UK.
The latest digital solutions have been implemented to ensure Aish Technologies achieves greater flexibility to meet customisation needs, flexibility in production and improved supply chain management.
The company has implemented a new digital platform that replaces several spreadsheets and legacy systems that were time-consuming to use and difficult to manage effectively.
Based on the ‘digital thread’ concept, the software used creates a continuous, seamless strand of data that connects each stage of the product’s lifecycle, from design through to manufacture and onwards to modification, maintenance and repair.
The transformation has been led by Aleesha Mitchell (pictured), Aish Technologies’ UK engineering director, who herself served in the Royal Navy for 13 years as a Weapon Engineer Officer.
“Our highly bespoke products are built in extremely limited production runs to fit the specifications of individual ships, so for obvious reasons, they must meet unequivocally high-quality standards.”
She continued: “They must be delivered reliably and on time to meet the demanding schedules of our immediate customers - defence contractors such as BAE Systems, Thales and MBDA, who build the systems that our equipment is an integral part of. Furthermore, the design and manufacture of this equipment must be able to adapt quickly and smoothly, in line with tech refresh cycles.”
Ms Mitchell uses PTC Creo to create mechanical data, and Zuken, for electrical/electronic data. The two systems are tightly integrated and feed directly into PTC Windchill to manage the lifecycle of the products. The PLM solution keeps accurate records of every component and part that makes up each individual product - effectively creating a ‘digital twin’.
No room for errorShe continued: “What Windchill does for us is ensure that documentation and data is kept in one place, so that we absolutely understand the bill of materials, we know where the model is, we can see when an engineering change has been captured — there is no room for error there.”
“Finally, using Internet of Things (IoT) platform PTC ThingWorx, that digital twin can be presented to manufacturing staff via a kiosk on the shopfloor, giving them complete, accurate instructions as to how products should be built.
“They can see the 3-D model in detail, expand it, investigate a certain area, and see what they need to do next, step-by-step. The manufacturing team has really embraced that concept and we used it to great effect on one of our recent projects, which has strategic importance for the UK.”
Michael Bird, technical director at Root Solutions, said: “Agility is important, not just in ensuring that Aish can respond quickly to the needs of its defence-contractor clients, but also in weathering fluctuating market demands.
“In the defence industry, revenues for suppliers tend to ebb and flow in response to budgetary cuts or government investment. Agility means Aleesha and the team are always ready when new projects and programmes are put into place.”
Elliot Clarke, UKi regional director at PTC, concluded: “Root Solutions’ work to support Aish Technology on its digital journey has positioned the business to successfully tackle international markets. It is an exciting time and we are proud that the collaboration is supporting the company’s global growth.”