Aerospace Manufacturing Cost Prediction from a Measure of Part Definition Information

At Rolls-Royce, a study determined that manufacturing part cost can be estimated from dimensional data in the part definition. The method appears to be more accurate than mass-based parametric models or process simulation cost models. Additional advantages are: part definition information is causally related to part manufacturing cost; part definition information is easily available during the design phase; and mature part cost can be estimated even with new manufacturing processes. The theoretical basis for the model uses Shannon’s theory of information, work performed at MIT on calculating cost from information, and the results of the study at RollsRoyce.