SwRI to create advanced Product Lifecycle Management system for the Air Force

(Press-News.org) SAN ANTONIO — February 18, 2026 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is creating a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system that stores and organizes decades of scattered records and data. The U.S. Air Force Academy project aims to improve aircraft efficiency and safety through prognostic engineering, which involves using data, modeling and analytics to perform repairs and maintenance before problems occur.

For decades, SwRI has worked with the U.S. military to sustain fleets of aging aircraft with monitoring, new technology and inspection methods while addressing problems associated with information security and electronic systems.

“Many legacy aircraft were designed and maintained long before digital recordkeeping was common, so design, usage and maintenance documentation is scattered across many formats and locations,” said SwRI Senior Research Engineer Martin Raming, who leads the project. “Our goal is to create a central, structured digital system for all of that information.”

The PLM system will integrate with existing Air Force analysis tools, manage workflows and lay the groundwork for future digital twin development — virtual models of aircraft that incorporate mechanical, structural and avionics data for comprehensive lifecycle management.

“A PLM system will allow us to make more precise prognosis-based engineering decisions,” Raming explained. “Being proactive on that level increases safety and allows the military to save money on aircraft maintenance by fixing problems before they become expensive failures.”

SwRI will use existing software to build the PLM system, which will be designed to interact with other prediction and analysis tools that determine when cracks may form or if an inspection is necessary. Workflows will be captured in the software, which creates a closed-loop system for maintenance and engineering decisions. All analyses are linked to an exact version of an aircraft model or component so that if engineers revisit the analysis later, they can see precisely what information the analysis was based on. This traceability ensures consistency, quality and safety. The Institute will collaborate with Siemens Government Technologies, Inc., on this effort.

“This will be a remarkably comprehensive tool for prognostic engineering and, eventually, digital twin development,” Raming said.

For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/markets/defense-security/defense-aerospace-aircraft/aerospace-structures.

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