Assembly simulation through a digital mock-up application

“Design for X” includes a set of techniques to realize the best product yet during the design avoiding re-works and loose of time and money. Among these, the design for assembly covers an important role and aims to design a product “thinking” to the physical assembling moment. Digital Mock-Up (DMU) is a process to enhance assembly feasibility and efficiency through specific design analysis and allow re-producing a product virtual assembling. Based on an action research based on a collaboration among company and university researchers, the paper aims to describe the development of a DMU application in a naval Italian aerospace company to improve a ship fuel system assembling. Technical features of the application are described