Agile data-based product development of wind turbines

 

In connection with an increasing market dynamics, increasing individualization requests and frequent change requests in the context of product development, the transfer of agile mechanisms of action from software development to mechanical and plant engineering has moved into focus for several years. Manufacturers of wind turbines in particular are exposed to numerous rapidly changing product requirements due to heterogeneous markets or new legal requirements.

On the basis of these framework conditions, WZL and Senvion are researching the design of an agile development process with the help of an integrated data model for the wind turbine industry. The aim of this project is to develop a guideline for the implementation of an agile development process through the integration of agile and plan-driven methods and their data-based support. Thus, an increase in effectiveness is to be achieved by target-oriented addressing of requirements in the sense of the agile idea, an improvement in efficiency is to be supported by avoiding unwanted iterations due to improved data transparency, data-based decision support is to be made possible by an integrated data and system architecture and a shortening of the time-to-market is to be achieved with simultaneous increase in market fit.

By means of this approach, the overall profitability of the investment portfolio is to be increased in the medium to long term. Furthermore, long-term efficiency gains in the development of new plants as well as economies of scale in the costs of parts, components and modules used across projects are to be achieved.