Solutions for Fuselage
Ensuring the structural integrity and manufacturability of fuselage panels using simulation, production and inspection technologies.
Skip to
System-level fuselage structural analysis
Sub-system level fuselage structural analysis
Component-level fuselage structural analysis
Virtual Manufacturing of Sheet Metal Structures and Skins
Computer-Aided Machining of frames and stringers
Part distortion simulation during machining
Closed-door machining of frames & stringers
Dimensional inspection of skins, frames and stringers
Dimensional inspection of panels
We help engineers calculate the ideal aircraft structure design to handle the internal and external aerodynamic loads and reduce manufacturing costs and cycle time.
Hexagon combined multiphysics simulation, composite material engineering and additive manufacturing processes to help designers engineer and certify lightweight aero-structure components such as fuselage panels. Once designed, setting up optimized manufacturing processes allows anticipating process deviation to reduce scrap rate and increase productivity. To this end, CAD/CAM software, powerful 3D scanners, laser trackers and stationary CMMs ensure production ramps up while quality is maintained on the shop floor.
System-level fuselage structural analysis
Achieve a first-time-right, certification-ready aircraft fuselage that performs as designed and is validated by test data, saving the need for costly prototypes and re-designs. Accurately simulating the structural and mechanical behavior of the fuselage, including fluid dynamics simulation to predict external loads and simulation of interior cabin acoustics.
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Structural Analysis
Acoustic Simulation
Multiphysics Co-Simulation
Products used
Sub-system level fuselage structural analysis
Accurately predict the structural and mechanical behavior of fuselage sub-systems, resulting in sub-systems that perform as designed first time, saving the need for costly prototypes. Accurately simulate the structural and mechanical behavior of the sub-systems in the aircraft fuselage in response to external loads and internal loads from actuators.
Structural Analysis
Products used
Component-level fuselage structural analysis
Verify the design and accurately predict the structural behavior of each individual part in the fuselage assembly, preventing the need for costly redesigns. Accurately simulate the structural and mechanical behavior of each component in the fuselage, including modeling of the performance of composite materials.
Material Modeling
Structural Analysis
Virtual Manufacturing of Sheet Metal Structures and Skins
Avoid delays and cost overruns in the validation and optimization of your flat pattern and tooling designs by simulating the complete manufacturing process instead of costly physical tryouts. Develops precise flat patterns from product designs and assesses the feasibility of the product geometry. Validates tooling geometry and process parameters in detail and predicts springback behavior after forming to support tooling compensation
Virtual Manufacturing and Costing
Computer-Aided Machining of frames and stringers
Reduce the cost of machining and cutting tools, the time needed for CNC programming and avoid collisions or scrap during the machining process. Using appropriate machining toolpath strategies for the machining of frame/stringers, checking the corresponding G-code program for the CNC machine to eliminate scrap or collisions on the machine, virtually checking the part geometry, and finally publishing the work instructions.
CAD for CAM
Production Machining
Machine Tool Measurement
CNC Simulation
Products used
Part distortion simulation during machining
Prevent part distortion during machining without costly physical trials on the shop floor. Predicts the part distortions during machining due to the release of internal stresses in the rolled stock material. Simulates and measures virtually the deformations of the part resulting from material removal and generates a compensated geometry.
Virtual Manufacturing and Costing
CAD for CAM
Production Machining
CNC Simulation
Reverse Engineering
Products used
Closed-door machining of frames & stringers
No need for operator intervention on the CNC machine during machining, leading to cost reduction and manufacturing security. Automated execution of fully validated machining jobs with embedded dimensional inspection of part quality and automatic cutting tool gauge compensation.
CAD for CAM
Production Machining
CNC Simulation
Robot and Machine Calibration
Dimensional Analysis
Process Control and Analytics
Products used
Dimensional inspection of skins, frames and stringers
Automated and fast inspection with high accuracy directly on the shop floor. Fully automated inspection of part geometry and individual features on the shop floor in a gantry CMM with combined optical scanning and tactile probing.
Dimensional Analysis, Automated Inspection
Process Control & Analytics
Products used
Dimensional inspection of panels
Highly accurate automated inspection on critical and challenging surfaces made from, e.g., shiny metals or special composite materials. Automatic, fast and accurate inspection of panels of any size, including small features, with a laser tracker and a laser line scanner moved by a robot on a linear horizontal axis.
Dimensional Analysis, Automated Inspection§
Process Control & Analytics
Products used
Dimensional inspection of fuselage sections
Highly accurate automated inspection on critical and challenging surfaces made from, e.g., shiny metals or special composite materials. Automatic, fast and precise inspection of fuselage sections, including flush & gap analysis, with a laser tracker and a laser line scanner moved by a robot combined on a horizontal linear axis.
Dimensional Analysis
Automated Inspection
Process Control & Analytics
Products used
Metrology assisted fuselage assembly
Assembly of geometrically none perfect sections to an aerodynamically optimal geometry which reduces fuel consumption. Actuators are moving fuselage parts to their optimal position based on the live feedback provided by multiple highly accurate laser trackers
Metrology-assisted Manufacturing
Products used
© 2025 Hexagon AB and/or its subsidiaries