Aerospace Assembly

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FORT WORTH, TX—Some 3,600 machinists at Lockheed’s assembly plant here went on strike Sunday over higher insurance costs.

WICHITA, KS—A Spirit Aerosystems assembly plant here that makes fuselages for Boeing was shut down after a tornado damaged roofs and knocked out power Saturday night. The company is assessing damage at the facility and said it was too early to tell how production might be affected.

CHANUTE, KS—Spirit AeroSystems has opened a new assembly plant here. The factory opened with 16 workers but could eventually employ 150.

PLAINVILLE, CT—Aerospace supplier EDAC Technologies Corp. has purchased a 181,000-square-foot assembly plant here.

PALMDALE, CA—Northrop Grumman Corp. has delivered the first F-35 center fuselage produced by its Integrated Assembly Line (IAL). The IAL maximizes robotics and automation, providing additional capacity and assembly capability while meeting engineering tolerances that are not easily achieved using manual methods.

CHARLESTON, SC—Boeing is negotiating with a Charleston International Airport for a huge tract of land near its existing 787 Dreamliner assembly line to build a second assembly plant.

LITTLETON, CO—Lockheed Martin’s new assembly plant to build the next generation of Global Positioning System satellites will draw upon some Hollywood magic: 3D glasses and virtual reality.

RIDLEY TOWNSHIP, PA—Boeing has opened its newly renovated Chinook assembly plant here. The aerospace giant invested $130 million to upgrade the plant.

STUART, FL—Triumph Aerostructures expects to hire 80 new employees as it expands its assembly plant here by 16,000 square feet.

COLUMBUS, MS—Aurora Flight Sciences has added automated fiber placement equipment at its assembly plant here so it can make larger and more complex composite structures for the aerospace industry.