Project description and overview:

HeliMods is a uniquely vertically integrated aerospace technology company with complete capability across design, engineering, manufacturing, certification, and integration. Due to the nature of the work in which HeliMods specialises, there is a high proportion of ‘first-of-type’ items produced when compared with other manufacturing organisations.

First-of-type production requires much higher levels of control and oversight to ensure:

• New item information is interpreted and understood by manufacturing as intended by the design capability
• Process steps are validated
• Quality is maintained throughout production
• Any issues encountered are accurately captured and fed back for update
• Any improvements can be suggested and incorporated for review and update

HeliMods has identified that through Closed Loop Manufacturing (CLM), many elements relating to these points can be addressed to greatly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of both first of type production and production in general, which will significantly improve HeliMods’ competitiveness in local and global markets, positioning the business to scale and continue offering unique sovereign industrial capability.

The aim of this project is to apply Closed Loop Manufacturing (CLM) across HeliMods’ manufacturing capability through implementation of a state-of-the-art Siemens Manufacturing Execution System (MES), closely integrated with existing advanced Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). While MES provides numerous benefits when considered independently, it is the close integration of all three systems (PLM, ERP and MES) that can be classified as CLM and provides the greatest overall potential benefit. HeliMods’ aims to integrate its systems across the organisation.