Incorporation of manufacturing information into an MDO environment

The Paper describes a metal and composite recurrent cost model of a large civil aircraft wing structure for a multidisciplinary design, analysis and optimisation (MDO) environment. The work was part of a recent European MDO project (BE95-2056) which investigated methods for the integration of structures, aerodynamics, dynamics and manufacturing cost at the preliminary design stage. The paper discusses the cost modelling approach. which is based on parametric and process cost model methods, and the integration of the cost models into an MDO process. Results for the cost models are shown. A framework has been successfully developed which allows the incorporation of manufacturing cost models into an MDO environment. It allows a designer to evaluate cost changes with respect to specific design changes such as rib pitch. stringer pitch, wing area and wing sweep.