AI in the aerospace industry: KPMG supports MT Aerospace

The space industry is changing and investment in space exploration is increasing. Among other things, the focus is on reusable rockets. They make it possible to increase the frequency of missions cost-effectively. KPMG supported MT Aerospace AG, a producer of rocket components among other things, in a high-tech innovation project in this area - and was honoured for its successful work with first place in the "Best of Consulting" awards of Wirtschaftswoche.

An artificial intelligence was developed for the Bavarian medium-sized company to control industrial robots for the so-called shot peening process. "In shot peen forming, a flat, metallic component is formed by shot peening with the help of an industrial robot," explains Markus Baldy, engineer at MT Aerospace. The requirements are high, it is a matter of "millimetre-precise work", and this process can be improved using a digital component twin. The result: with consistent quality, costs can be reduced not only in current series production, but also in the development of new innovations.

During the project, however, several complex tasks had to be mastered, from complying with strict European Space Agency (ESA) specifications to training the AI solution with high forecasting accuracy despite a small amount of historical data. By combining machine learning expertise and technical know-how, KPMG created an algorithm that helps MT Aerospace to guarantee the required precision with low production quantities and short development periods despite increasing complexity and rising cost pressure.