Russia Introduces AI to its Aircraft Engine Production

Russia Introduces AI to its Aircraft Engine Production
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The United Engine Corporation (UEC) of Russia’s State Corporation for Assistance to Development Rostec and Zyfra, Finnish-Russian industrial digitalization leader, have begun testing the Zyfra Industrial Iot Platform (ZIIoT). The system, which includes elements of artificial intelligence, will monitor the manufacture of engines and will make it possible to simulate testing in a virtual environment. This will significantly reduce the number of real tests, increase the quality of the final product, and speed up the production process.

The pilot project is being implemented at the Salyut production unit in the manufacturing of the Ai-222-25 turbojet engine, which is used in Yak-130 combat-capable trainer jet. The platform consists of several elements, including an automated data entry workspace, central information storage, and an AI module.

A database with key detail parameters and information on previous tests are used to train the artificial intelligence. The system determines how the characteristics of the details affect the quality of the engine, and builds a mathematical model of the tests. Information about the new components of the engine and conditions for assembling it is uploaded into this model, and a digital twin of the end product is created. The artificial intelligence analyzes the data and predicts how successful real tests would be on an engine made of these components in the given conditions.

“The use of artificial intelligence and digital twins is a universal practice which is being actively introduced in Rostec enterprises. These solutions make the use of labor and production facilities more efficient. The pilot project for implementing the industrial Internet of Things platform at the Salyut production unit will take one year, and based on its results, a method will be worked out for distributing this experience to other Rostec enterprises,“ said Rostec’s executive director, Oleg Yevtushenko. UEC is introducing elements of “Industry 4.0“ into its production, as part of the current memorandum on cooperation with Zyfra group, signed in late 2018.

“The digital platform is the only effective production tool which lets you save significantly on the enterprise’s resources. As new technologies are introduced, the need for supporting disjointed systems, primarily manual data-entry and corrections, is removed, and unified directories and data wizards are created. The platform also helps to implement overarching scenarios for managing production, which are a cornerstone of digital strategy,“ explains Pavel Prieditis, director of strategic clients of Zyfra group.

Rostec is a leader in the development and introduction of smart systems in industry, municipal services and infrastructural facilities in Russia. These include solutions for production digitalization and creating a “Smart City“ ecosystem, smart complexes for safety checks and for monitoring environmental conditions.