Dreamliner assisted by Kiwi technology

Kiwi technology helped to design and manufacture the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner set to touch down in Auckland this morning.

3D-software firm Right Hemisphere, founded in New Zealand in 1997, develops tools allowing companies to better visualise their business processes.

For the Dreamliner, Right Hemisphere's software helped present engineering and manufacturing data in a "light-weight 3D format" that could be easily transferred among those working on the project.

"[A user would see] a three-dimensional model of, say, a piece of landing gear or a portion of the wing and it would have all the manufacturing information there - the sort of information that is useful on the manufacturing shop floor," said Mark Thomas, Right Hemisphere's founder, president and chief technology officer.

The Dreamliner is not the first Boeing project to involve Right Hemisphere and the two companies have worked together for around five years, Thomas said.

"We believe the success of this implementation will lead to more business in other programmes and projects [with Boeing]."

Right Hemisphere is headquartered in California, but has a research and development branch in Auckland, which employs 45 staff.

In September it was snapped up by German software giant SAP for an undisclosed amount.

The Dreamliner is set to arrive at Auckland Airport around 10 o'clock this morning after a non-stop trip from Seattle. It will be the first time the new aircraft has landed south of the equator.