Gulfstream’s completions center in Savannah, Georgia, USA, has incorporated 3D projection technology into the process of designing and executing aircraft paint schemes. The software projects a multidimensional paint scheme onto the aircraft, taking into account how the curved aircraft surface may distort the image. The process eliminates the 2D design phase, allowing technicians to forego plotting the design on the aircraft using just a flat schematic.
“With this software, designers can make design changes in real time with the touch of a button,” said Scott Neal, senior vice president, worldwide sales and marketing, Gulfstream.
“They don’t have to imagine how a flat drawing will look once applied to the curves of an aircraft. They get a rendering and can see exactly how everything will look in 3D, ensuring they’ll be satisfied with the finished product.”
The software is based on Delta Sigma’s ProjectionWorks, a commercial 3D software program that was first used to display locations for rivets and other fasteners for aircraft manufacturing. Gulfstream engineers helped tailor the program for 3D mapping of the aircraft’s exterior. The software defines how every image needs to be shaped to reflect correctly on a 3D surface. “This system gives everyone involved in the painting process the same design picture,” said Neal. “It eliminates guess work and ensures we deliver the exact aircraft our customers envisioned.”
July 6, 2016
