Improved product output and improved quality by 25% in 18 months
DESCRIPTION
Magellan Aerospace has a Composite Fabrication Center as part of the F35 Horizontal Tail Assembly Program. Various components for the assembly are made in this area using primarily carbon fiber pre-prep material, laid up, and in two large Autoclaves. The cell is physically separated into a clean room for automated cloth cutting and lay-up, and outside the room, is the Tool Preparation, Debagging and Autoclaves. The processes are complex, require extensive training and certifications to perform and require precise operation of the Autoclaves and automatic cloth cutters.
The Composite Center was struggling with number quality, performance to plan, and output challenges to meet the rate requirements of the program. There were many challenges and solutions put forward. Product flow improvement started with an understanding the interactions between work centers and where the true bottleneck was in this flow. The real key item was map out the requirements against the Autoclave equipment capacities. Next, a manual mapping board was made in a Gantt chart style based upon each day and each hour each day to assist in planning the next load. The flow was worked backwards until we came to the front gateway resource, the cloth cutters. Complicating this was the commissioning of a new, more automated cutter. A similar style chart was generated and greatly assisted in scheduling the work.
Most of the charts were created in MS Excel, then plotted out. We quickly determined all of the work could be displayed on large, interactive monitors. Two large touchscreen (75”) monitors are used where the team members gather plan the working schedules. There is one monitor inside the clean room with the cutter schedule and another beside the Autoclaves with the cooking schedule. The full teams meet twice a week in a huddle with management, cell leaders, supervision, engineering and the charge hands to review and adjust these plans.
DESCRIPTION
Magellan Aerospace design, machine, assemble and fabricate complex aeroengine and metallic and composite aerostructure components and major assemblies for commercial and defense sectors. Design and assemble energetic products and systems, spacecraft buses, space system hardware and components. Provide satellite assembly, integration and test (AIT) services. Perform non-destructive test, surface treatments, chemical processing, heat treat, autoclave, welding, laser cutting and painting for commercial and defense manufactured products and components. Provide aeroengine component repair and overhaul services.
Stephen K. Hay, Operations Manager, Magellan Aerospace
Formally trained as Mechanical Engineering Technologist from Red River College, plus a Certificate in Management from the University of Manitoba, Stephen has had 35 plus years of experience in Fabrication, Industrial, Manufacturing, Quality Engineering, in addition to 24 years in various supervisory and management roles at Magellan Aerospace Limited. Stephen was Magellan’s first General Electric certified Six Sigma Black Belt in 1997 as an SPC Coordinator. Stephen is currently the Operations Manager for the JSF F-35 Horizontal Tail Program.
