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Aerospace Supply Chain Innovation at PNAA Advance

Aerospace Supply Chain Innovation at PNAA Advance

 

In early February, Kubotek Kosmos will be taking part in the PNAA Advance conference, a multi-discipline gathering representing the diverse interests of the aerospace sector in the Pacific Northwest. Produced by the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance (PNAA) with Boeing as its lead sponsor, the event gathers thought leaders and influencers from fields associated with all aspects of the supply chain, from the public sector to finance to engineering to specialized manufacturing. It takes place February 5–8 and is held at the Lynnwood Event Center in Lynnwood, Washington.

Public Attention on Inspection

Recent high-profile events have brought attention once again to aircraft safety and related safety inspection processes. While the general traveling public only thinks about the finished work of the aircraft supply chain — the commercial aircraft — within the aerospace sector it's well understood that the same level of attention to detail is required throughout the supply chain in order to achieve the end-product safety standards the public expects.

Helping to reduce the production costs of human error within the aerospace manufacturing supply chain is the goal of our Validate CAD file utility. This product was developed in response to the leadership of OEMs like Boeing whose 3D data evaluation protocols are more rigorous than federal standards. We look forward to this upcoming opportunity to highlight the efficiencies of automated CAD translation verification, which is a necessary step during the production process as suppliers receive files from OEMs and translate them for use by their manufacturing software.

In addition to its ability to detect 3D data discrepancies with a precision far greater (and far faster) than a visual inspection, Validate is very simple to use. At previous PNAA Advance conferences, there has been discussion of the challenges of attracting workers to the aerospace field. Having this crucial data inspection function able to be performed without an advanced engineering background makes Validate easy to use for employees newer to the field.

Spirit of Innovation

As the word "advance" in the event title suggests, innovation is central to the spirit of the aerospace industry. Recent innovations gaining attention in the region served by PNAA include the groundbreaking for the expansion of a fossil-free air fuel producer, named Twelve, and financial support from Washington state for a zero-emission propjet engine manufacturer, named ZeroAvia.

Kubotek Kosmos provides vital tools to innovative companies such as these, whether through the ease of conceptual modeling in our KeyCreator direct CAD software, or by supporting new precision engineering software through the licensing of our 3D Framework modeling and CAD translation kernel.

We look forward to discussing these topics with our peers and the audiences we serve when we head out to the PNAA Advance conference in just a few weeks. If you are one of the 130,000+ folks employed by the region's aerospace sector, maybe we will see you there!

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