Transitioning from technical 2D drawings to 3D models - a case study at defense systems

Oct 24, 2026

Companies in the defense and aerospace sector face long time-to-market and high development costs when creating new systems. Traditional design relies on technical 2D drawings and extensive manual effort across the development chain. Modern software enables more automated workflows, where 3D models can serve as governing documents throughout the full process. This paper investigates a 3D model-based definition (MBD) approach at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and reports improvements in time-to-market, cost, and early design validation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

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Transitioning from technical 2D drawings to 3D models: a case study at defense systems Martin Sandberg Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace [martysand91@gmail.com](martysand91@gmail.com) Satyanarayana Kokkula University of South-Eastern Norway [Satyanarayana.Kokkula@usn.no](Satyanarayana.Kokkula@usn.no) Gerrit Muller University of South-Eastern Norway [gerrit.muller@gmail.com](gerrit.muller@gmail.com) Copyright © 2019 by Martin Sandberg. Permission granted to INCOSE to publish and use. Abstract. Companies in the defense and aerospace industry are experiencing long time-to-market and high costs related to the development of new systems. Companies use traditional design elements such as technical 2D drawings and manual work along the development chain. Owing to today’s software capabilities, a change to more automated processes is possible, where the use of 3D models as governing documents through the entire development process holds a natural part. This paper studies a 3D model-based definition (MBD) approach to the design development work at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. Using a pilot project, we researched the current design processes and the effect an MBD approach would have. We found that an MBD approach would reduce the time-to-market and cost, since it eliminates the need for a technical 2D drawing and streamlines the development work. In addition, it reduces project risk by enabling early validation of the design. Introduction Domain. This paper focuses on the defense and aerospace industry. Several system classes exist within this industry, ranging from small volume and costly systems such as submarines and fighter jets that require multiple years of development and manufacturing, to the comparatively less complex, cheaper, and larger volume systems such as remote weapon stations (RWS) . This study will focus on the design development processes related to RWS systems. An RWS is a platform-mounted system that can be installed on vehicles, ships, and man-portable stand-alone towers, see Figure 1. It allows the operator to use and control the weapon from a safe environment. The system can operate light, medium, and heavy machine guns. Customers ordering RWS systems use a variety of vehicles and weapons, which requires flexibility in the design. The industry seeks design processes that reduce time-to-market and cost, and to be more agile and effective. The industry sees automated design and manufacturing as a necessary future direction to achieve this. Company. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) is a subdivision of the technology group KONGSBERG. KDA is a well-known supplier within the defense domain. KDA develops systems for command and control, surveillance, communication, remote weapon stations, missiles, and composite structures. The product portfolio is comprehensive, where the area of use ranges from underwater to surface, land, and air to space. The division that is involved with remote weapon stations is the focus of this study. KDA has delivered more than 18,000 RWS systems to 18 different nations and is a world-leading supplier of such systems. At the end of 2017, KDA had 2421 employees and the annual revenue was MNOK 6333 (KONGSBERG, 2017) . Figure 1. A remote weapon station alone (I) and mounted on top ofa vehicle (II) . Problem. The competition to win contracts within the defense industry is fierce. Several companies compete in the same domain, and the decisive factors are often time-to-market and price. As of today, KDA is designing RWSs using SolidWorks 3D modelling software. Engineers perform the design process in two steps. They first create a 3D model. Then they translate the 3D model into technical 2D drawings. The process of handing over the technical 2D drawings is ineffective in terms of both time-to-market and cost, according to the management and engineers at KDA. The time to produce and approve technical 2D drawings can range from one day to one week, depending on the comple

FAQs

What problem does the paper address in defense and aerospace development?

It addresses long time-to-market and high costs caused by relying on technical 2D drawings and manual work during the design development chain.

What is the proposed approach in the study?

The study investigates a 3D model-based definition (MBD) approach where the 3D model becomes the governing artifact for technical documentation handover and supports streamlined development and validation.

How would MBD improve outcomes according to the authors?

The paper reports that MBD reduces time-to-market and cost by eliminating the need for technical 2D drawing production and manual duplication, and it lowers project risk through earlier design validation.

Oct 24, 2026

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