Creating Hardware as a Software – Three Key Observations
Code in the morning, fly in the afternoon. That's the kind of agility Gripen operators have relied on in software for a while now. But what if that same flexibility can be extended to hardware as well?
"With Gripen's split avionics that separates the flight-safety critical and mission-critical software, we have consistently shown how upgrades can be done easily and at a very high speed. But now, we are taking a step further. We are getting into the software-defined hardware manufacturing," says Axel Bååthe, Head of The Rainforest, Saab's accelerator for transformative innovation.
Recently, Saab, in partnership with Divergent Technologies, designed and built the world's first software-defined aircraft fuselage. Using Divergent's manufacturing platform, which combines industrial-scale laser powder fusion additive manufacturing with universal robotic assembly, the team produced a fuselage over five metres long, made up of 26 unique 3D-printed parts.
While the fuselage has successfully passed its structural proof-loading and is scheduled to fly later this year, here are three observations that are worth noting at this point.
The future of hardware manufacturing is fast
One revelation from this project was how software-defined hardware manufacturing brings down the number of components. Traditional fuselages rely on thousands of riveted parts. However, with this technology, that number can be reduced by a factor of 100, replaced by organic, interwoven structures that are easier to work with, thereby lowering assembly lead times.
"Wiring, thermal management, hydraulics, and liquid systems can now be printed directly into the structure itself, improving performance while reducing assembly steps. From where we stand, the lead time for industrial hardware manufacturing is beginning to resemble that of software development," Axel says.
Hardware upgrades can become more affordable
Over the last few years, Axel and his team have been exploring how software-defined manufacturing can work at an industrial scale and at a cost that makes frequent hardware changes realistic.
"In traditional production methods, tools, moulds, and jigs lock designs in place and make changes expensive and slow. Software-defined manufacturing breaks that dependency. By combining high-rate additive manufacturing with universal robotic assembly, systems can be built without unique tooling or fixturing. It is a cost-efficient proposition," Axel explains.
Customisation becomes truly seamless
Every Air Force, including the Indian Air Force, has its unique needs, driven by its geopolitical environment and operational objectives. And that means a fighter aircraft that allows for seamless software and hardware changes has a decisive advantage. Whether it's integrating a locally built electronic warfare system or homegrown weaponry, software-defined manufacturing opens the door to rapid hardware customisation.
"We have taken the first step in reimagining how we build primary load-carrying structures in aircraft fuselages in a more software-defined way. And this is just the beginning. We want to be able to give our customers freedom. Freedom to not feel locked into a specific design, neither in hardware nor software. We want to create an ecosystem where fast hardware iteration feels natural, not intimidating," Axel concludes.