EUROCOPTER A Unifying Project: EURIS* PDM

* EURIS : Eurocopter Information System

Thanks to MDTVISION, who implemented the EURIS PDM project based on ENOVIA VPM, Eurocopter now has a virtual design office and database that is shared by all employees. The helicopter manufacturer can now benefit from increased productivity and improved quality and customer satisfaction

?MDTVISION teams proved to be determined to fully understand our helicopter manufacturing business.? Jean-Claude Speziani Project method manger in the design department support section

In 2000, in response to economic imperatives, Eurocopter decided to launch an extensive program overhauling its information system, called EURIS. Four areas were defined for the data and configuration management section, EURIS PDM: reduction of development cycle, increased market share, improved product and service quality and secure management of the development process. ?We really need to reduce the time between identifying customer needs and rolling out the developed solution,? said Jean-Guy Amalbert, EURIS PDM project manager in 2001. ?The market demands it.?

MDTVISION: The project?s prime contractor

Eurocopter chose ENOVIA VPM to integrate digital model views and configuration management into the same tool. The French and German teams together defined the general specifications, and in 2001, a call for tenders was launched. MDTVISION was chosen to be the prime contractor for the whole EURIS PDM project. After a detailed specifications phase, integrating the methods, the company developed the system then produced the interfaces with EURIS ERP(1) and carried out production management. Next it created a data migration tool. ?Now EURIS PDM is our reference software for NH90(2),? explains Jean-Claude Speziani, project method manager in the design department support section. ?We are now starting deployment for the Tigre(3) and civilian programs.?

Configuration management: a vital element

Considering a helicopter model lasts many years and is constantly being developed, the importance of configuration management, integrated into EURIS PDM, becomes clear. Furthermore, no two aircrafts are strictly identical as they all correspond to a specific customer request. Combined with configuration management, EURIS PDM?s quality module can be used to check that the helicopter complies with its original definition and to manage discrepancies and deviations.

Tangible results

For a pivotal period, users had to work with old applications and the new system at the same time. Despite the additional workload, the change was welcomed in both France and Germany. Indeed, collaborative work on a shared information system makes their work much easier. ?By implementing EURIS PDM, Eurocopter now has a product data management tool that responds efficiently to the needs of users in the different departments (technical, industry, quality, support, program), enabling them to meet customer requirements,? explains Bernard Rontani, Eurocopter technical manager. It is now possible to obtain all the helicopter components allocated to a customer within an hour: an operation that formerly took several weeks. Eurocopter teams now have to take over. MDTVISION provides training, aiming to pass on its expertise. ?MDTVISION teams proved to be determined to fully understand our helicopter manufacturing business,? concludes Jean-Claude Speziani. ?Indeed, they needed this knowledge to integrate our methods. We are very satisfied with the achieved results.? The objectives fixed by Eurocopter in 2001 have therefore been achieved.

What?s next?

A total of 1,600 people will eventually use EURIS PDM, including the 800 designers in the design office. The system, which is currently operational in France and Germany for the NH90, will soon be shared with Agusta, Eurocopter?s partner in Italy, which manufactures the aircraft?s mechanical assemblies. Spain will be involved concerning the Tigre.


      (1) EURIS ERP is based on SAP
      (2) Naval and military transport helicopter
      (3) Combat helicopte