Leveraging Canvas Software for Precision Technical Illustration in Aerospace

The customer in this case study is one of the largest aerospace and defense manufacturers in the world, falling within the Fortune 50 category. They are responsible for the production and maintenance of sophisticated military jets, a task that requires absolute precision and clarity in instructions. The company has a complex product lifecycle tech and software stack, which often leads to issues with file compatibility. The company employs technical illustrators who play a key role in translating complex engineering drawings into simplified visual instructions for the front-line manual and service workers.

The case study revolves around a Fortune 50 aerospace and defense manufacturer that was grappling with the challenge of visualizing complex engineering requirements for service and maintenance personnel. The maintenance staff, responsible for servicing sophisticated military jets, needed detailed instructions for every process, including the precise angle at which they needed to hold a pair of pliers to twist electrical wires. The challenge was to ensure absolute clarity in these instructions to avoid any costly mistakes. Furthermore, the company was dealing with issues of file compatibility due to the complexity of its product lifecycle tech and software stack.

The solution to these challenges came in the form of Canvas technical illustration software. This software was used by the company's technical illustrators to translate complex engineering ideas into easily consumable visual assets. These visual instructions provided the precision needed by the maintenance staff to carry out their tasks effectively. Canvas software also played a crucial role in managing file compatibility issues. It was loaded with great translators that could convert text searchable PDF files of schematics exported from the company's Common Electrical / Electronic Data System (CEEDS) into Siemens NX-compatible CGM import files. Additionally, Canvas was used to import engineering vector artwork produced in Siemens NX and combine that with color, raster JPG or TIF images in the Canvas illustrations.

• The implementation of Canvas software brought about significant operational improvements for the aerospace manufacturer. The software's ability to translate complex engineering requirements into easily consumable visual assets ensured that the maintenance staff had a clear understanding of their tasks, thereby reducing the risk of errors. Furthermore, the software's ability to manage file compatibility issues streamlined the company's workflow, making it more efficient. The technical illustrators, acting as a liaison between the engineering community and the front-line workers, were able to simplify complex engineering drawings into pictures, enabling the workers to carry out their tasks more effectively.