My first Publication Arup_BuildingDesign2020_v2 | Page 32

During new product development at
Airbus, a digital mockup (DMU) not only
models every physical component of new
airframes, but also contains comprehensive
information regarding assembly, operation
and maintenance of the aircraft. All engineers,
suppliers and project partners have access to
Case Study: Ergonomic Optimisation Through Selective Laser Sintering
the DMU throughout the project and on into
the product’s lifecycle.
As the specialisms required of building
design increasingly overlap with those
involved in creating high-performance
systems such as aircraft, the concept of
integrated, comprehensive digital mockups
is of obvious vlaue. The integrated lifecycle
model reflected in the DMU points the way
to advanced applications of BIM (Building
Information Model) approaches currently
gaining traction in the industry, where
each specialist can access and modify
performance data relevant to their specialty
across the project’s entire scope.
Location / Business: Blagnac, France.
Airbus for internal use.
Construction Methodologies from Other Industries
Nike’s new Vapor Laser Talon cleats make
extensive use of 3D printing through the
product’s entire development cycle, from rapid
3D prototyping during design to the selective
laser sintering used to fabricate complex
part geometries impossible to achieve via
traditional manufacturing methods.
Demonstrated reliability of structural strength
in new rapid-fabrication technologies such
as laser sintering stands to add powerful new
capabilities to the building designer’s toolkit.
Rapid prototyping of ideas can generate
startling efficiencies in the planning and
ideation process, allowing stakeholders to
quickly and clearly understand design and
assembly solutions. The technology holds
the promise of one day including additive
manufacturing as an integral part of building
construction, yielding previously unimaginable
combinations of structural efficiency and
aesthetic freedom.
Location / Business: Beaverton, OR. Nike for
internal use.
User customisation at a variety of scales will become a
fundamental element of building design in the near future.
Groundbreaking fabrication and assembly technologies
hold the potential to refine and streamline construction. As
the field of building design incorporates greater numbers
of cutting-edge fabrication and construction techniques,
academic-industry partnerships will be particularly valuable
in developing commercially viable applications for cutting-
edge processes.
Construction methodologies will continue to incorporate
product and process advancements from related industries.
Prime candidates for best practice transfer include the
automotive and aerospace industries, whose understanding
of physical machining and digital tooling for complex
geometries have natural potential for the AEC sector.
Building design can also benefit from examination of the
iterative process design, widespread application of digital
mockup tools and integrated, collaborative workflow common
in automotive and aerospace projects.
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Case Study: Aerospace Industry Use of Digital Mock Up
Building Design 2020
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