Quickstep is Australia’s largest independent aerospace engineering and manufacturing company – specialising in composites solutions for defence, commercial aerospace, and advanced industry sectors.
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
Quickstep and the Deakin Institute for Intelligent Systems developed novel digital manufacturing tools for Quickstep’s new freight aircraft facility. In 2024, the project successfully delivered a capacity model, digital twin, and automation/robotics integration, demonstrating cost-effective and efficient production.
Research team: Dr Bruce Gunn, Dr Vu Le, Dr Imali Hettiarachchi, Mr Linh Tang,
Quickstep: Mr Andrea Gottardello, Mr Andy Lam, Mr Luke Preston, Mr Matthew Alizzi
Deakin Institute for Intelligent Systems first began working with Quickstep on its Quickstep Aeroline Future Factory Simulation project in 2023.
The project, part of the Australian Composites Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre, centred around Quickstep’s new factory for the development of a new range of lightweight, mid-range freight drones with high payload that could operate autonomously. Lightweighting was a key aspect of its design, and its manufacture required a novel approach to production that considered the material performance characteristics and how the materials could affect the manufacturing system design and operation.
IISRI-developed manufacturing solutions IISRI worked with Quickstep to develop digital manufacturing tools to help qualify and quantify a new design to produce low cost, lightweight freight aircraft.
Three main research activities were undertaken:
– a reconfigurable agent-based model for testing future factory capacity,
– a 3D digital twin of the new design, including automated and manual work centres, operators and animation of parts passing through the facility,
– novel methods for automating and managing the movement of parts and tooling in and out of work centres via custom designed robots and automation equipment.
A major outcome of the project was that initial assessment of the proposed facility design led to a pivot to a different design for manufacturing. The original design was complex and would be difficult to manage with the oven-based cure operations and the large mezzanine layup areas. The production rates could be achieved, but the capital and operational costs would have been too high.
The project allowed the team to consider a redesign of a new drone plus the layout of the factory and its operation. The team used both the capacity model and the 3D digital twin to assess the major changes to the proposed facility. They also tested many smaller changes, such as reasonable estimates for process cycle times and disruption events, which led to better design features for maintaining continuous process flow.
The total economic value of the project is unclear however the savings in terms of operational costs and reduced capital expenditure is estimated at about $2 million per annum.