This field report explains how Boeing's Long Beach plant adapted lean manufacturing principles to revamp an entire assembly process from start to finish. The company's plan to build 717s on a continuously moving assembly line could revolutionize the way aircraft are manufactured.
The Boeing 717-200 is a $35 million aircraft designed for the short-haul market, which is characterized by high-frequency, short-range trips that average just over 300 miles in length. The 124-foot long twinjet competes in an extremely price-sensitive market due largely to relatively thin profit margins for small commercial transports and foreign government-sponsored subsidies.