AIDA Development
launches RAS Academy
Developing new and increasingly complex aerospace products capable of fulfilling the highest technical expectations concerning safety, weight, comfort, operational costs and quality, demands an ever increasing qualification standard of the engineers responsible for their design.
Not only excellent technical knowledge and skills in the use of modern CAD tools are required. Also, knowledge of the specific design principles, as well as an effective management of the interfaces with the areas of Production and Customer Support is expected, to name a few examples. With this said, it becomes apparent that engineering activities nowadays are embedded within a wider system, which is specific to each OEM, based on their history and the particularities of their products.
As a long standing partner of Recaro Aircraft Seating (Recaro AS), AIDA Development (AIDA) has assumed the challenge to develop a training program, aimed at conveying the specific know-how required from the engineers involved with the development of new products for this Customer. Under the banner ‘RAS Academy’, this program covers topics like, for example, the use of specifications, the creation of 3D models, the steering of parts and components, configuration and change management, etc...
The first AIDA employees have already participated to the first training session at the end of 2011 – these proved to be a great success! AIDA’s goal now is to continue refining the structure and content of this training program, in close collaboration with renowned seat manufacturer, as this training is planned to become an essential part of the qualification expected by Recaro AS from internal and external technical staff, going forward.
Partnership and Innovation – Made in Schwäbisch HallTrue to this slogan, Schwäbisch Hall based Recaro Aircraft Seating (Reacro AS) and AIDA Development (AIDA) celebrated their 15th anniversary of collaboration in the design and development of aircraft passenger seats. Since 1996, AIDA has been supporting the renowned seat manufacturer with technical expertise and know-how.
“Our aim is to contribute with the knowledge of our specialists, to the success of Recaro, on a daily basis”, says Peter Miehlke, COO and co-owner of AIDA. “For us, this day marks a milestone in our unique relationship with Recaro AS. This relationship is not only based on our mutual drive for innovation, but on mutual trust. For us, this is true partnership”
For Recaro AS, long standing relationships are as important. “In AIDA we have found an ideal partner for the development of our products for the business and economy class”, explains Dr. Mark Hiller, CEO of Recaro AS. “On the one hand, AIDA’s physical vicinity is a clear plus, but so is their great flexibility.”
As global player in the aircraft seat manufacturing industry, Recaro AS produces passenger seats for the world’s leading airlines. In Economy Class, the company is market leader. Being able to rely on engineering specialists not only with an aeronautical background but with in-depth knowledge of their products and methodology is essential for Recaro AS. For this reason, Recaro AS sets on maintaining and expanding long term relationships, across a variety of activity fields.
AIDA’s competences cover the development of future cabin concepts, the design and calculation with advanced CAD tools as well as the qualification of complex structures, equipment and systems – predominantly, but not exclusively, in the aerospace domain. The company’s recently launched activities in the area of software and hardware development round up their business portfolio. Thus, AIDA bundles an expertise which is not only unique at regional, but also at national level.
“We thank AIDA for their excellent work and look forward to joined success for the many more years to come”, says Dr. Mark Hiller at the ceremonial act which took place in the “Black Box”, Recaro AS’s headquarters in Schwäbisch Hall, on February 27th, 2012.
Learning creativityFor an engineering services supplier, attributes like Know-how, Quality, Efficiency, On-Time –Delivery and last but not least price are implicit requirements in order to meet the challenges of a most competitive market. What else can a supplier offer to his Customer in order to differentiate himself from the competition?
AIDA Development's (AIDA) answer to this question is: new ideas.
In close collaboration with Hamburg based consulting firm Dr. Ihde & Partner, AIDA took off to develop a very special training module for her employees, within the existing High Potential Development Program: Thinking out of the Box or, in short, “The Toothbox”. The aim of this training is to convey and experiment with creativity techniques as well as to apply these systematically, at individual or group level, within the daily routine.Seven applicants participated to the first series over the course of the last months. After completing the theoretical part of the training module, the candidates proceeded putting the new techniques into practice, by developing each an innovation, within their field of activity. The results were subsequently summarized in form of a professional presentation - and proved to be amazing!
So if you
believe, for example, that it is not really possible to determine the exact
weight of a complex assembly in any configuration via mouse-click or that increasing
your comfort in Economy Class won’t work without claiming the space of your
fellow passengers, then you may remain curious to learn what AIDA will shortly be
able to offer to our Customers.