F-16 Fighting Falcon News

March 11, 1998 (by Lieven Dewitte) - As part of its ongoing effort to foster product affordability LMTAS recently implemented an international data exchange standard known as the Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data, or STEP, on its F-16, F-22, Joint Strike Fighter, F-2 and KTX-2 programs.
The standard provides a universal format to share product data between companies, their suppliers and customers, which leads to cost savings through direct use of the engineering digital data model. At LMTAS, STEP has realized significant savings and process improvements. For example, within engineering design, pilot programs have shown a 10 percent improvement in reliability of data exchange, a 10percent process savings for non composite parts, and a 50 percent process savings for composites.

For manufacturing, the projected savings for tool design on CAD/CAM systems is 27 percent, and 38 percent for NC CAM systems due to elimination of data re-entry. Prior to implementing STEP, the process for exchanging data between companies and vendors was considerably slower and more expensive. Custom software for data exchange had to be developed, and data re-entry added to the overall expense of building fighter aircraft. STEP, on the other hand, captures the complexities of fighter aircraft design, manufacture and support in a digital format that is customized for the fighter aircraft industry.