Josef W. Vilsmeier
Digital Product Definition Manager
EADS D&S Military Aircraft

Biography

Since 1999 Josef Vilsmeier has been the Digital Product Definition (DPD) Manager of EADS Military Aircraft within the Eurofighter Program. The aim of DPD is the complete digital definition of the Eurofighter Weapon System throughout the whole life cycle. The following subjects are included in the scope of DPD: CAD methodology (CATIA), Electrics (LCABLE), standard libraries, configuration and change management, product structure, STEP (PDM Schema) based data exchange, AECMA based electric data exchange, general document management, deployment of DPD tool set to production and product support, communication and network.

Vilsmeier started his career inside Air Vehicle Engineering in 1978 in the Material and Fatigue department at MBB (Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm GmbH) as Development Engineer. In 1988 he was appointed as Team Leader Composite Materials and in 1990 he became Manager for Structural Technologies within Air Vehicle Engineering of Dasa AG Military Aircraft. As technology manager he became involved with IT-projects and in 1994 he was nominated as expert for IT-based Business Processes. In 1995 Vilsmeier initiated the first PDM demonstrator and in 1996 he was appointed as Project Manager for PDM Implementation for the DASA Military Aircraft Division.

Vilsmeier graduated 1976 at Technical University Munich with a Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He received a scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Board at the École Nationale Supérieure de la Métallurgie de Nancy/France. From 1977 till 1978 he was employed as Scientific assistant at the Technical University of Munich – Institute of Metallurgy.