WICHITA, KS—Spirit AeroSystems is spending $20 million to expand its manufacturing facility here, which makes composite subassemblies for the Boeing 787.
EVERETT, WA—Boeing’s 777X Composite Wing Center here marks a significant step toward a future in which much of an aircraft assembly plant’s work is done by automated machines and robots.
BROUGHTON, UK—Like a cartoon space alien with a dome-like skull, an Airbus Beluga transport plane arriving from Madrid drops from the sky above this village 200 miles northwest of London and taxis to a stop with its front end tucked inside a large building off the runway. Its bulbous forehead pops open to disgorge massive wing panels—98 feet long and 20 feet wide—that will soon be assembled by sophisticated robots and about 800 people into the largest carbon-fiber composite wings now built for commercial aviation.
Walk through any automotive plant, and there’s a good chance you’ll see lift assists in use for product assembly. Common lift assists include large or small hoists, air balancers, extension arms and end-effectors (clamp, hook, vacuum, magnet, etc.).
NASA spokespeople frequently tell the public that space exploration is not for the faint of heart. But, this type of work is also not for the impatient.
ARaymond Automotive has provided custom fasteners, clips, connectors, adhesives and other materials to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers around the world for nearly 20 years. Its engineers specialize in three processes (fastening, fluid connections and bonding) that are used in all areas of a vehicle.
EVERETT, WA—Boeing’s new $1 billion factory here features state-of-the-art automation that will be used to build wings for the next-generation 777X jetliner.
Rapid change has become the norm in today’s marketplace. With it comes even greater pressure for new technologies to accommodate manufacturing needs to fulfill the consumer demand now and in the future.
