EVERETT, WA—Boeing plans to deploy robotic assembly technology on the 777X that will dramatically change how the plane’s metal hull is built. The investment will enable Boeing to increase the production rate of the 777 beyond the current 100 jets per year.
REDDITCH, UK—GKN Aerospace has begun a project that aims to automate the assembly of aircraft structures with the goal of creating high-quality wing structures 30 percent faster than is possible today.
For decades, automotive engineers have looked to the aerospace industry for new ideas. Back in the 1930s and 1950s, Detroit was inspired by the sleek designs of innovative airplanes such as the Northrop Alpha and the Grumman F4F Wildcat.
WICHITA, KS—Spirit Aerosystems is preparing to produce up to 60 fuselages a month to keep up with demand from Boeing’s 737 assembly plant in Renton, WA.
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.
