MERC worked with the United States Air Force Armament Office to develop a digital twin for the MAU-12 bomb rack. The bomb rack is suspended on aircraft using two sets of shackles and ejects conventional and nuclear bombs as well as external fuel tanks. Designed decades ago, the MAU-12 is an excellent candidate for digital transformation, modernizing the technical data and tools to improve performance and troubleshoot issues.
The MAU-12 digital twin provides the tools to increase the reliability of the unit and is comprised of Systems Modeling Language (SysML) digital engineering models and Ansys physics-based structural models to support the sustainment of this equipment.
The models capture the system’s requirements, failure modes, structural loads, and kinematic behavior to allow the USAF to more effectively support this legacy equipment and enable agile responses to future requirements and platform integration.
(Distribution A)
