ANDOVER, MD—Defense contractor Raytheon Co. on Monday launched a new manufacturing facility here that's meant to support the production of cutting-edge radar technology for the U.S. Navy. With 50-foot-high ceilings and a 40-ton bridge crane built into the roof, the building is specially designed for the testing and assembly of the SPY-6 line of radar arrays.
Manufacturers often need to mark different types of metal parts. Some of these parts may require several complex codes, while others need just a few simple numbers. In every case, though, the markings need to be permanent, regardless of part size.
RIDLEY PARK, PA—Boeing announced last week that it’s manufacturing facility here will take on a $4.2 billion contract to build 58 variants of V-22 Ospreys for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and government of Japan over the next 6 years.
DECATUR, AL—Production is expected to start later this year at the new GE Aviation facility in Limestone County, according to a company spokesman. The factory will be the only U.S. location to mass produce silicon carbide materials.
Increasing demand for smart devices and embedded intelligence is driving manufacturers in a variety of industries to invest in new production tools and technologies. Additive manufacturing, advanced sensors, augmented reality, cloud-based computing, collaborative robots and digital twins are just a few of the many trends transforming factory floors today.
Aerospace manufacturing continues to soar. For example, through March 31, Boeing's commercial aircraft division had a backlog of 5,835 orders, while rival Airbus had a backlog of 7,189 jets.
Additive manufacturing is no longer just for prototyping. More and more, the technology is being used to make production-ready parts. That's forcing engineers to begin thinking about joint designs and assembly processes.
PALMDALE, CA—Northrop Grumman entered full-rate production on the F-35 Lightning II’s centre fuselage in May to meet increasing order quantities from the Pentagon and international customers. According to FlightGlobal, Northrop hired 1,000 additional employees here between the beginning of 2017 and the end of the first quarter 2018 to accommodate the increased production.
If it rolls, floats or flies, lightweighting is one of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers today. The push for new materials is forcing engineers in a variety of industries to explore cost-effective alternatives and develop new assembly processes.