Quality engineering in aerospace technologies - A review

Quality assurance and reliability have assumed paramount importance in aerospace technologies due to stringent requirement of weight-to-strength considerations and the need for highly reliable systems. The techniques of inspection and testing have given way to the use of sophisticated reliability engineering, failure mode effects & criticality analysis, design of experiments and total quality management concepts. The role of failure analysis to improve the quality on a continuous basis has been realised by all engaged in aerospace technologies. The number of simulation runs help to build up quality in design and development phase and obviate the need for extensive hardware testing. The techniques of metrology and nondestructive testing have been upgraded considerably during the last decade. Most of the manufacturing techniques, now being computer-aided, give consistent production and better quality.