Great
in the
North
Boeing Winnipeg builds
its future part by part
BY RICK JENSEN AND DEBORAH BANTA DUSTMAN
 Question: What's the largest composite
manufacturing company in
Canada?
Answer: The Boeing facility in
Winnipeg, Manitoba.
With a relentless focus on providing greater value through innovation
and the transformation of its production systems, Boeing Winnipeg is
working to become a world leader in the development, design and manufacture
of structural composites. Today, 900 employees build composite products
for Boeing's Next-Generation 737 and 747, 767 and 777 jetliners, including
engine strut forward and aft fairings, wing-to-body fairings, thrust
reverser block doors, landing gear doors, bullnose fairings, cascade
rings, and miscellaneous
ducts and chines.
In November 2003, Winnipeg was selected as a major structures partner
to provide lifecycle support for the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner. Responsibilities
include the design, manufacturing and support of the wing-to-body fairing,
main landing gear doors, as well as the crown and vertical fin fairings.
Additionally, the Winnipeg site holds manufacturing responsibility for
the
forward and aft pylon fairings for engines
provided by Rolls-Royce and GE for 7E7
customers.
"Part of the lean enterprise strategy is to have engineering, production,
supplier
management and customer support aligned
and globalized," said Mark Ross, the site's
general manager. "The 7E7 is our first program where we have had complete alignment.
We feel that winning work on the 7E7 is our reward for eight years of dedicated
effort to integrate Lean manufacturing
principles into the production system."
To prepare for the new program, Boeing Winnipeg employees are working
together
to implement the "factory of the
future"—a plan to organize the factory in Lean work cells by product line. This
effort will not only improve productivity on existing programs but also will
allow Winnipeg
to absorb 7E7 work without building
additional facilities.
Boeing in Canada
Boeing contributes approximately
$1 billion (Canadian) annually to the Canadian economy. For a look
at Boeing's activities in Canada, visit www.boeing.com/news/ frontiers/i_ca.html
on the Boeing Frontiers
Web site. |
The move follows the engine strut forward
fairing department's successful implementation about a year ago of cellular manufacturing
for its work on Next-Generation
737 components. While it wasn't
Winnipeg's first Lean cell, it was the first where composite lay-up and assembly
were linked and on moving lines. The team subsequently achieved reductions in
lead time of 35 percent, reduced factory space by 44
percent and cut the cost of rework, repair
and scrap by 50 percent. Productivity was
improved by 40 percent.
While big changes like this are necessary
to help Boeing compete, Ross said, it
isn't always easy. There are growing pains as people adjust. His management challenge
is to find the best
ways to support the
team's efforts.
"This team is relentless in challenging us to get the support systems
in place and,
working together, we will meet that challenge," he said. By 2006, all components
produced by Boeing Winnipeg will be organized into manufacturing cells by airplane
program. Ross added: "Moving lines and cellular manufacturing are our future,
and the team has demonstrated the future
is bright."
Technology: Road map to success
The Manufacturing Research and Development and Engineering Design
teams at Boeing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, are actively seeking ways
to apply technology to achieve savings over traditional composite
manufacturing processes.
Reinforced thermoplastic lamination is one
example. RTL uses a press to form multiply solid laminates. Parts
produced using the RTL process offer the same performance characteristics
as traditional hand lay-up composite material at a much-reduced
cost. Boeing Winnipeg currently produces wing slat flex tabs for
the 777
programs using this process, and is the only Commercial Airplanes
manufacturing site with RTL approval. The business unit now is
examining other parts that might be converted to RTL.
Mark Ross, Winnipeg site
general manager,
said one goal is to build some of Winnipeg's least complex parts, such as solid
laminates, more cost effectively by using RTL. That way, skilled employees can
be freed up to build more complex, contoured composites that require traditional
hand lay-up. "Using
technology appropriately is a key piece of our
business plan," Ross said. —Rick Jensen |
|
Neighbors
Boeing and Canada have a long and distinguished history, beginning
with William Boeing’s historic first international mail
flight between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seattle in 1919.
This relationship has grown through the years to include a network
of Canada-based Boeing facilities and suppliers, with a diverse
portfolio of commercial, military and space products and services.
Today, Boeing contributes approximately $1 billion (Canadian)
annually to the Canadian economy. The company employs about 1,500
highly skilled Canadians directly and many more indirectly through
a supply chain of some 200 companies. Canada is the third-largest
supplier to Boeing.
Boeing interests in Canada are coordinated through a country
office in Ottawa. It is responsible for developing and implementing
a country strategy for Boeing in Canada and for coordinating
programs and issues between Boeing and its Canadian customers
(government, airlines and industries).
Al DeQuetteville, Boeing Vice President – Canada, is the
Boeing country executive in Canada. Although he reports through
Integrated Defense Systems, he also represents Boeing Commercial
Airplanes in Canada.
Here’s a deeper look at Boeing’s involvement in
Canada.
Commercial Airplanes
BCA has facilities in the following Canadian locations:
- Winnipeg, Manitoba—composite parts for commercial airplanes
and major structures partner for the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner
- Arnprior, Ontario—sheet metal fabrication and avionics
racks for most commercial product lines
- Toronto—making all 717 wing sets and performing work
for the 737 and C-17 airplanes
- Richmond, B.C.—Boeing subsidiary AeroInfo providing
maintenance planning software for airline customers
The Winnipeg and Arnprior facilities report to BCA’s Fabrication
Division. The Toronto site reports to the Boeing 717 program
while AeroInfo reports to Boeing Commercial Aviation Services.
Integrated Defense Systems
IDS is pursuing a variety of programs in Canada through its
various business units. Among them:
- Boeing IDS is the prime contractor to modernize 80 of Canada’s
CF18 fighter aircraft.
- Canada is the third largest contributor to the NATO Airborne
Warning and Control System program being modernized by Boeing.
- A Boeing 702 satellite was recently put into orbit for Telesat
Canada to provide expanded broadband services across remote
regions of the country.
- A Boeing Delta II launcher will place Canada’s Radarsat
II in orbit next year.
- Boeing continues to supply Harpoon missiles for the Canadian
Navy’s frigates.
- As the Canadian Air Force looks to industry for life-cycle
support of various fleets, Boeing is promoting its supply chain
services competencies in cooperation with several Canadian
industry partners.
- The Canadian Forces have a critical domestic and global
airlift requirement for which Boeing has offered the C17 Globemaster
III.
- The U.S. Department of Defense has identified Canada as
one of the potential international development partners with
Boeing on the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft program.
—Cheryl
Addams
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rick.jensen2@boeing.com
deborah.b.dustman@boeing.com
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