Company Expects Rollout Of Whole Plane In July
More parts are arriving every day... and soon they'll start
coming together. On Wednesday, Boeing celebrated roll out of the
first vertical stabilizer for the company's all-new 787
Dreamliner. Manufactured and assembled at the Composite
Manufacturing Center in Frederickson, WA, the vertical fin is the
largest primary structure of the 787 airframe built by an internal
Boeing supplier.
The delivery meets a key program milestone as the airplane
begins final assembly in Everett, WA in preparation for its initial
roll out in July. (Dare we mark off our calendars for July 8th?
07/08/07... a speculating Ed).
Boeing touts CMC's achievement as a continuation of its 15-year
track record in the application of structural composite materials
and manufacturing process technologies used to produce the
empennage for the Boeing 777. The 777's vertical fin and horizontal
stabilizers together boast an unblemished record of in-service
quality performance over nearly 13 years of airline flight
operations.
To create additional production capacity to build the 787
vertical fin, the Boeing factory implemented significant
improvements, including a pulse moving line featuring right-sized
tooling, determinant assembly and advanced technology drilling
techniques. Lean manufacturing techniques are used to enhance the
quality and efficiency of its production system.
CMC's Lean manufacturing journey, which began in 1996, enabled
the business unit to compete and win the role as a tier-one
supplier to the 787 Program. Applying Lean also enabled CMC to
produce the composite 787 vertical fin without adding brick and
mortar to its original factory built to produce the empennage for
the Boeing 777.
In addition to reducing total cost, Boeing states Lean tactics
such as moving assembly lines create flexibility, shorten flow
times and create more ergonomic environments in which it's safer
for employees to do their jobs.
After full implementation of Lean tactics for production of the
787 vertical fin, the Boeing CMC anticipates near-term reductions
in factory cycle time; inventory, stores, work-in-process and
inventory turn rate by another 20 to 30 percent.
In addition to designing the new Lean flow, Boeing CMC employees
designed the entire structure of the vertical fin, including
composite and metal subcomponents. The unit is also responsible for
fabrication of the vertical fin's main box, or center section;
working together on supplier selection and co-management; major
assembly, including integration of supplier-provided structures,
hydraulics, electronic actuators, signal lights and wires;
functional test; and post-delivery support.
The Composite Manufacturing Center is Boeing Commercial
Airplanes' area of excellence for the development of advanced
composite manufacturing process technologies applied to empennage
structures. The vertical fin assembly is an elliptical airfoil
comprised of the leading edge, center box, trailing edge and rudder
which, together, function as flight control surfaces that maintain
yaw, or side-to-side horizontal movement of an airplane in
flight.