STELIA North America optimizes processes with Plataine IIoT solution

STELIA North America (Waltham, Mass., U.S.) a manufacturer of advanced composite structures for commercial, space and defense applications, has selected Plataine’s (Waltham) Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solution to digitize and streamline its manufacturing processes. Plataine’s technology is expected to deliver benefits such as quality improvement, increased throughput, material savings and full visibility into STELIA’s manufacturing process.

The company decided to adopt a digital manufacturing software solution as part of a business-wide internal manufacturing modernization program designed to both ensure STELIA maintains its proficiency in manufacturing aerospace composite structures and to integrate the multiple sources of data into an integrated system.

“We decided to work with Plataine thanks to their strong proven record at using IIoT to optimize aerospace composite manufacturing operations,” says Claude Baril, managing director of STELIA North America.

Plataine’s Material Shelf Life Management application automatically tracks “out-of-freezer” time for sensitive material such as composite prepregs and resins throughout production, and leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure higher quality and to reduce rework and waste. Digital records of the entire production process from raw material to end product are automatically stored, forming a digital thread for full manufacturing traceability. Meanwhile, the automation process reduces human error and frees up skilled staff from repetitive tasks such as manual paperwork and calculations. It also optimizes material consumption and reduces waste related to shelf life.

A network of strategically placed RFID gates eliminates potential for human error when monitoring and tracking time-sensitive composite materials’ exposure as well as location of all production and work-in-progress assets. This ensures optimal material selection for jobs and enables AI-based Digital Assistants to offer predictive alerts, actionable insights and real-time recommendations to staff, to further optimize production and minimize waste. 

“Manufacturing composite structures for aerospace is highly demanding with complex processes and strict quality requirements. STELIA North America has a global reputation for cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities, and we are proud to support their goals to increase production volumes and lower costs,” says Avner Ben-Bassat, president and CEO of Plataine.

STELIA North America is a subsidiary of STELIA Aerospace, a global leader in aerostructures, pilot seats and Business and First Class passenger seats.