development. German airlines long have contributed to Boeing’s product lines. For example, during development of the 747-8, Boeing worked with Lufthansa and other operators to incorporate efficiency improvements. Lufthansa now is providing input on the 777X. “German airlines have been extremely valuable in guiding us to build, design and certify products that are accepted by the broader market,” Nelp said. “That’s just based on the expertise in the German aviation market that they’ve been able to share with Boeing.” The auto industry is another research partner. In 2012, Boeing and BMW began working together to study carbon fiber recycling, of particular interest to Boeing because the lightweight material comprises most of the fuselage of the 787 Dreamliner. Likewise, application of automation to composite materials manufacturing is the primary focus of Boeing Research & Technology–Europe employees based in Germany. “One of our business imperatives is to reduce our production costs, and automation can bring some clear gains in that,” explained José Enrique Román, managing director of BR&T-Europe. Driving improvements in manufacturing is the basis for many of the research and development projects at German universities and institutions. In particular, Boeing in 2008 co-founded the Direct Manufacturing Research Center at the University of Paderborn to advance additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing. With this process, parts are built layer by layer instead of forging, machining or casting a material into the desired shape. Román said additive manufacturing can create lightweight parts and allow for more functionality. Although Boeing has been conducting R&D work in 3-D printing since the late 1990s and has tens of thousands of 3-D printed parts flying on its products, the technology represents a significant change for engineers educated in traditional design and fabrication processes. “We are already shaping the industry and research environment around 3-D printing,” he said. Boeing also is stimulating young minds through its work in the community. Through a program with the Citizens Foundation of Berlin, Boeing encourages 44 BOEING FRONTIERS children to develop math and science skills by having retired engineers teach them fun physics experiments they can do at home. In collaboration with the German Children and Youth Foundation, Boeing recently opened a “learning lab” in Hohenlimburg to teach students science topics through hands-on activities. Another way Boeing is shaping the future is through technology development at Jeppesen. The subsidiary employs approximately 500 of the 600 Boeing employees in Germany. The Jeppesen Research and Development team based in Neu-Isenburg has developed and brought to market products like Airport Moving Map, which uses a database and GPS technology to display a dynamic map showing pilots their position at the airport. Bernd Bührmann-Montigny, director, Global Operations Integration, and managing director of Jeppesen Germany, highlighted Jeppesen’s digital transformation project to provide all materials that pilots need on board, such as maps and airport data, electronically. He said the team also is looking into door-to-door service for pilots—giving them the tools and information they need before, during and after the flight, all in one system. Bührmann-Montigny credits Boeing with driving R&D into Jeppesen’s operations in Germany. Before Boeing acquired Jeppesen in 2000, he said, Jeppesen had one patent pending; now it holds 105, with more pending. “Boeing brought true R&D to Jeppesen, which we didn’t have before, and that’s really powerful,” he said. “What both companies do is make the airplane more efficient, so when we connect our systems with Boeing airplanes this optimization is even stronger.” n ASHLEY.S.JOHNSON@BOEING.COM Photos: (Top left) Boeing co-founded the Direct Manufacturing Research Center at the University of Paderborn to drive advances in additive manufacturing, a process that can create lightweight parts that have more functionality; shown are representations of the types of components the center creates. (Top right) A statue of famed aviator and founder Elrey Jeppesen greets visitors at the Jeppesen site in Germany. (Right) Boeing Global Corporate Citizenship supports Fliegen Lernen, or Learning to Fly, a program that teaches students science concepts through hands-on experiences. BOEING
Frontiers December 2015 - January 2016 Issue
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