2/7/2012 1:32:00 AM
NEWS BRIEFS
Fasteners Pose Another Problem for Boeing
Boeing is turning to its workers to boost efficiency, the Wall Street Journal reports.
As the aerospace giant attempts to boost production of its 737 jetliner, it’s actively seeking suggestions from its assembly-line employees through the use of “innovation teams,” which are helping to increase output for the popular aircraft by as much as 71%, according to the Journal.
Such employee teams are composed of workers — usually seven to ten members — with varying backgrounds and tend to focus on a specific part of a jet. Teams meet as often as once a week to solve vexing production problems.
Case in point: Boeing was struggling to keep stray aerospace fasteners on the factory floor from puncturing new tires, which cost about $10,000 each.
To solve the problem, boeing engineer Jay Dohrmann designed canvas wheel covers that “hug the four main landing-gear tires as the single-aisle planes advance down an assembly line,” writes David Kesmodel of the Journal.
“The solution saves Boeing about $10,000 for each tire that needs to be replaced—roughly $250,000 a year at the Renton plant based on historical mishaps—as well as the labor costs involved in replacing them,” Kesmodel writes.
But solving the problem took time. Dohrmann initial attempts involved V-shaped sweepers on the the landing gear to push any bolts or other fasteners away. Despite their best efforts, however, the fasteners kept slipping through.
“I was getting a lot of emails telling me that my sweeper wasn’t working,” Dohrmann told the Journal.
Finally Dohrmann was inspired by motorcycle race crews, who use special covers to warm tires for a better grip on the track.
“It’s a good feeling,” the engineer said of his fix. “You hated to see these airplanes jacked at the end of the line and people pulling off tires.”
According to the Journal, Boeing started emphasizing employee-generated ideas in Renton, WA, in the late 1990s as part of adapting “lean” manufacturing techniques from the Japanese auto industry. Now more than 1,300 teams are functioning throughout its commercial-jet programs.
The results are impression, boosting 737 output to 35 jets a month from 31.5. The goal is to produce 42 planes a month in 2014 to meet a growing backlog for the best-selling aircraft.
“Boeing today takes about 11 days for the final assembly of jets at the Renton plant,” Kesmodel writes. “That’s down from 22 days about a decade ago, but the company has for years set goals to go even lower.” ©2012 GlobalFastenerNews.com
Boeing is turning to its workers to boost efficiency, the Wall Street Journal reports.
As the aerospace giant attempts to boost production of its 737 jetliner, it’s actively seeking suggestions from its assembly-line employees through the use of “innovation teams,” which are helping to increase output for the popular aircraft by as much as 71%, according to the Journal.
Such employee teams are composed of workers — usually seven to ten members — with varying backgrounds and tend to focus on a specific part of a jet. Teams meet as often as once a week to solve vexing production problems.
Case in point: Boeing was struggling to keep stray aerospace fasteners on the factory floor from puncturing new tires, which cost about $10,000 each.
To solve the problem, boeing engineer Jay Dohrmann designed canvas wheel covers that “hug the four main landing-gear tires as the single-aisle planes advance down an assembly line,” writes David Kesmodel of the Journal.
“The solution saves Boeing about $10,000 for each tire that needs to be replaced—roughly $250,000 a year at the Renton plant based on historical mishaps—as well as the labor costs involved in replacing them,” Kesmodel writes.
But solving the problem took time. Dohrmann initial attempts involved V-shaped sweepers on the the landing gear to push any bolts or other fasteners away. Despite their best efforts, however, the fasteners kept slipping through.
“I was getting a lot of emails telling me that my sweeper wasn’t working,” Dohrmann told the Journal.
Finally Dohrmann was inspired by motorcycle race crews, who use special covers to warm tires for a better grip on the track.
“It’s a good feeling,” the engineer said of his fix. “You hated to see these airplanes jacked at the end of the line and people pulling off tires.”
According to the Journal, Boeing started emphasizing employee-generated ideas in Renton, WA, in the late 1990s as part of adapting “lean” manufacturing techniques from the Japanese auto industry. Now more than 1,300 teams are functioning throughout its commercial-jet programs.
The results are impression, boosting 737 output to 35 jets a month from 31.5. The goal is to produce 42 planes a month in 2014 to meet a growing backlog for the best-selling aircraft.
“Boeing today takes about 11 days for the final assembly of jets at the Renton plant,” Kesmodel writes. “That’s down from 22 days about a decade ago, but the company has for years set goals to go even lower.” ©2012 GlobalFastenerNews.com
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