The all-electric aircraft from BETA Technologies have been logging test miles for nearly five years. Founded in 2017, the aviation company based in Vermont, USA, is now seeking certification from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for its two all-electric aircraft. In addition to an electric aircraft with a conventional takeoff and landing design, the ALIA CTOL, the company is also producing an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the ALIA VTOL. Alongside its electric aircraft, BETA Technologies, which employs nearly 800 people, is developing a network of charging stations for electric aircraft and ground vehicles, as well as training programs for the next generation of pilots and ground crews.
The new, all-electric aircraft models had to be developed from scratch. This presented the company with the challenge of having to invent not just the wiring harness design data, but also the system of configuration management for the new type of aircraft. BETA Technologies uses AUCOTEC's cooperation platform Engineering Base to help it carry out this demanding development task, having first been made aware of this powerful collaboration tool by Breeden Wiring Systems (BWS). Its founder Chris Breeden emphasizes the efficiency gains Engineering Base offers: “In my 15 years of developing cable harnesses, I could have saved thousands of hours.”
Efficient wiring management for aviation
“As we developed wire harness designs, we needed to find a way to integrate those designs into the remainder of the aircraft systems and configuration management tools,” said Andrew Giroux, Electrical Lead at BETA Technologies. “AUCOTEC’s Engineering Base is easy to use, customizable, and integrates seamlessly with other engineering systems we’re already using.”
The engineers at BETA Technologies produce complete wiring harness diagrams to aviation industry standards with the help of Engineering Base. These are then processed in a 3D CAD program to optimize the wiring harness design process. The software data additionally serves as a reference point for technicians when dealing with the different wiring harness versions on the market.
Maximum flexibility and efficiency with Engineering Base
"In addition to the flexibility of the program, the harness design data being openly available within Engineering Base makes it possible to format and augment the data with external tools, as well as perform validation and design activities outside of Engineering Base as well”, points out Giroux.
The platform simplifies the whole engineering process and reduces errors. Last but not least, the rapid and comprehensive support provided by AUCOTEC also is helping the aircraft manufacturer to meet its ambitious project deadlines and press ahead efficiently with the development of the innovative electric aircraft.
