Wed, Dec 07, 2011
Delivery Process On Track To Meet 35-A-Month Rate In Early
2012
The first factory-complete Next-Generation 737 to be produced at
a production rate of 35 airplanes per month has been rolled off the
assembly line. The new 737-800 was towed to nearby Renton Field
December 4th, where Boeing conducts functional testing and first
flights for all new airplanes. Though the airplane still must
undergo testing and painting, the milestone represents a major step
in demonstrating that Boeing is on track to achieve its announced
rate increase of the popular jetliner to 35 a month in early
January when it delivers the airplane to Norwegian Air Shuttle.
"The team took lessons from past rate increases and said, 'We
can do this better,' and all indications are that they have," said
Beverly Wyse, vice president and general manager of the 737
program. "We owe a special thanks to our partners in Boeing
Supplier Management and Fabrication who have kept shortages at an
unprecedented low level for this stage in the rate process."
Teams have been preparing for more than a year in some cases. An
example of early preparation can be seen in the production line
where employees install electrical systems into the newly built
wing boxes. The team eliminated a line where employees worked on
both left-hand and right-hand wings and moved those employees to
extended lines where they were dedicated to either the right-hand
or left-hand wings, removing variables that slowed down production.
Additionally, in August, improvements to efficiency such as
arranging the work and the work environment so that employees can
more easily complete their tasks supports a rate of up to 42
airplanes a month.
Boeing has taken a three-fold approach to prepare for the rate
increases on the 737 program. The company is making production
processes more efficient by working with employee process
improvement teams; increasing the production capacity with capital
investments and making the site footprint more efficient by moving
some production areas and expanding others; and decommissioning
outdated equipment.
Boeing will increase the 737 rate to 38 airplanes a month in the
second quarter of 2013 and to 42 airplanes a month in the first
half of 2014.
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