Siemens streamlines aircraft engine part manufacturing through digital twin and AI automation

Siemens, Microsoft, and Rolls-Royce collaborated to optimize the complex design and manufacturing process of an aircraft engine hydraulic pump. The initiative leverages Siemens Xcelerator portfolio delivered on Microsoft Azure, integrating AI and digital twin concepts to create a unified digital environment for design, engineering, manufacturing, and quality inspection. Digital thread technology connects all stages of production, sharing managed data across software and processes, eliminating redundancies and manual errors. Generative design, additive manufacturing, and AI-driven automation transform the traditional manufacturing process, iterating countless possibilities to arrive at the optimal design and production path. With AI-powered Siemens NX X Manufacturing software, CNC programming and toolpath generation are automated, reducing effort and enabling compliance with best practices. The resulting hydraulic pump component is lighter, stiffer, and designed for greater reliability and sustainability, supporting Rolls-Royce's focus on next-generation, high-performance aerospace engines. The project showcased up to 80% programming time reduction and major productivity improvements at Hannover Messe 2025. The approach delivers digital transformation and sustainability gains for complex, safety-critical aerospace manufacturing.