Virtual Product Development

What is VPD?
• Virtual Product Development (VPD) is the
practice of developing and prototyping
products in a completely digital 2D/3D
environment.
 Main components

– virtual product design (3D shape, 2D graphics/copy)

– virtual product simulation (drop test, crush test, etc.)

– virtual product staging (retail space

planning, consumer research and behavior analysis)
– digital manufacturing (process planning,
assembly/filling virtualization, plant design).
• “A Brilliant product that is too late to market or that
does not match the market’s requirements is no product
at all, merely a waste of effort.” – summarizes problems
in New PD.
• PD using old techniques:

– Extremely late

– Over budget

– Not satisfying customer needs 

 Advantages/Benefits
• Utilizes modern CAD softwares and equipment

• Sharing of ideas on local and global networks

• Changes to one aspect reflected globally

• Cheap and faster prototyping

• Greater customer satisfaction due to real time

interaction during design process
Case study.. Boeing 777
The Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner
• First product to demonstrate VPD

• All design and testing done within a virtual environment

• First plane sold without ever making a prototype or

model. 118 sold even before production system was in
place.
• Questionaire sent to 8 major airlines asking for their
specific needs (working together group)
• Requirements decided upon:
– Aprox 325 passengers
– Wide body like 747
– Flexible seating
– Atleast 10% saving in per seat cost compared to
Airbus A330
– Service ready at delivery
• Designed exclusively on CATIA ( Dassault + IBM)
• Allows virtual assembly with provision for interferences
and proper fits
• 1 test nose section built  practice discontinued
• FlyThru : indigenous rendering software by boeing
• Cabin simulations to select the best suited configuration
before manufacture
• Development and manufacture time down by 91%

• Labour costs down 76%

• Elimination of over 3000 part prototyping and physical

testing
• Total interlinked freedom between 238 design teams