The Mass Matrices Process is part of the A/C development process in Flight Physics, creating mass model data as input for loads and aeroelastics. The methods have been developed by Airbus to increase the efficiency of weights engineer work. The modeling of mass properties is a key milestone in building aircraft dynamic and aeroelastic analyses and further more for dimensioning of primary structure. This paper discusses the optimized mass matrices business process for the MEW, OWE, payload and fuel calculation.
The earlier mass matrices process has been driven by various different tools but still with a great deal of manual work. The user needed to work on configuration files and had to manually copy data from one tool to the other. This process had a high risk of uncertainties and inconsistencies. It was extremely difficult to retain an overview of the total process and its associated data. A lot of time was used with the processing of data and few for actual calculations and innovations. Increasing requirements concerning quantity and quality indicated that the total process has to be improved. Intensive process analyses, customer needs interviews, risk and lean analyses led the definition, development and tool implementation of a new tool.
At the end this optimized business process allows to perform more loops and trade studies to be performed for the early evaluation of alternatives.