Can Lean Fly in the Aerospace Industry?

Lean principles have been applied to manufacturing processes for decades. But are they the right fit for highly controlled, precise processes such as aircraft assembly and other hands-on work?

These types of manufacturers often have a difficult time envisioning how lean principles can apply in their environments. After all, you can’t skip or consolidate steps in these types of work flows. So you might be surprised to learn just how many benefits lean manufacturing offers the aerospace industry.

Just in time

The purpose of lean manufacturing (also known as the Toyota or Just-In-Time production system) is to increase efficiency and reduce waste. It’s found popularity in manufacturing since the 1990s, thanks to its initial success in the automobile industry. Hallmarks of the lean approach include:

• An emphasis on personnel as a long-term fixed cost and as generalized talent that can perform many tasks
• Tracing all errors to their cause and fixing the originating issue at each step of the manufacturing process, rather than at a final inspection
• A focus on high quality and continuous improvement
• More flexibility in production methods and customization
• Minimal quantities of component parts kept in stock

Aircraft manufacturers (and makers of other precision equipment such as ships, subs, military vehicles, and so on) might have a difficult time seeing how lean principles can apply to their processes. The nature of the industry requires a certain amount of finesse and flexibility that is not seen in other production lines. Product lifecycles and the relationships between manufacturers, subcontractors, and clientele (often government agencies) are quite different than in automotive manufacturing.

However, lean isn’t just about applying broad-brush improvements, even though many industries can and do apply the principles broadly. At its core, lean is about continuous process improvements. And that’s something that can be applied to nearly every industry.

Lean in

In practice, what does lean look like in an aerospace manufacturing space? It primarily represents a change in thinking.

Manufacturing is a smaller portion of the aerospace process than in auto manufacturing, so there is less opportunity to “minimize waste” in that area — a major goal in traditional lean manufacturing. However, the high levels of communication between workers and between contractors and suppliers can benefit the aerospace industry. Furthermore, the emphasis on finding and fixing the originating cause of a problem as quickly as possible, rather than waiting until the final stages of assembly, could save aerospace manufacturers vast amounts of effort and investment.

Of course, there are tools available to help you implement this type of approach. For example, AssemblyWorks is designed to enable improvement in both workflow and outcomes.

Putting it all together

AssemblyWorks can provide the necessary framework needed for successful implementation of lean principles. With this tool, aerospace manufacturers can control and streamline their workflows, from design to assembly.

Using AssemblyWorks, you can directly import geometry from 3D CAD models, allowing engineers to draw precision parts directly onto materials. You can also use this tool to create step-by-step instructions, which are projected onto the parts for technicians to follow. 3D wrapped text, symbols, images, measured values, locations, shapes — any and all of these are available to guide production at each step of the process.

Thanks to this projection technology, quality verification happens throughout the assembly process. Guidelines are projected directly onto materials, allowing workers to see immediately whether a step has been completed correctly and whether parts are assembled within specific measurements. This capability prevents mistakes and allows you to catch any errors that do occur when they occur, not at the end of manufacturing when rework is more time-consuming and costly.

Technological solutions such as AssemblyWorks empower workers to eliminate waste, continually improve processes, and produce consistently high-quality products — hallmarks of the lean manufacturing process.

[cta]To answer more questions about how lean principles and AssemblyWorks can benefit your manufacturing environment, call DSC at (770) 575-5100 or email info@deltasigmacompany.com.[/cta]