Manufacturing engineers say sharing ideas is important By BOB COX Two decades ago as the Boeing Co. searched for ways to improve its manufacturing operations it looked to the automobile industry especially Toyota and its high-quality low-cost production system. Now every Boeing executive from the chairman to product-line managers spends a week at Toyota studying its production system and collaborative culture. Allen Haggerty a retired Boeing executive used that example Wednesday to stress the importance of companies reaching beyond their own walls and even their own industries for new ideas new processes and new suppliers. Haggerty was one of three manufacturing executives to address the keynote session of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers\’ three-day conference at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The conference focus is on collaboration between companies and industries and was held in Fort Worth because of the area\’s location as home to both aerospace and automotive manufacturing facilities. Working together Collaboration with other companies and industries is a necessity for companies to be competitive in the global economy the speakers said. No company has all the expertise and resources to solve all of its problems and do all of its own product and technology development. By adopting and adapting many of the design and manufacturing practices used by Toyota including its focus on self-directed high-performance work teams Boeing has improved the quality of its products expedited manufacturing and cut costs. ‘If you get the right kind of people and get them involved they can do these things ‘ Haggerty said. Boeing now works by sending lean teams to its suppliers to help them improve their processes in the same ways. Suppliers can then work with Boeing to offer suggestions and improvements. The Boeing 787 jetliner program is a unique example of international collaboration Haggerty said with partners all over the world doing much of their own design and manufacturing engineering that previously had been performed in-house by Boeing. Building success Larry Pike vice president of quality at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth said the aerospace manufacturer has adopted a more collaborative philosophy in recent years. ‘You\’ve got to determine what your core competencies are where you\’re adding value then you\’ve got to identify your weaknesses ‘ he said. As it began design work on the short-takeoff and vertical-landing version of the F-35 joint strike fighter Pike said Lockheed realized it had no expertise in that area so it turned to the British companies that had developed and built the Harrier jets. The F-35 program itself is an example of ‘national and international collaboration ‘ Pike said with each of the major partners and suppliers bringing unique expertise to the program. Ford Motor Co. engineer Richard Furness said the company has gradually learned that it had to reach out to its suppliers and other companies for ideas technology and process improvements. The payoff has comes in improved quality greater efficiency and lower costs.
Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Handelsblatt Börsenradio 15.10.2007 (Abendausgabe) - powered by dpa-AFX Energie-Riese E.ON kündigt neue neue Preisrunde für Strom und Gas an - Preis für US-Öl springt erstmals über die Marke von 85 Dollar - Erster Airbus A380 an Singapur Airlines ausgeliefert - Der Euro wieder auf Rekordkurs - Beim globalen Wettlauf um Öl und Gas rücken rohstoffreiche Länder wie Kasachstan und Aserbaidschan immer stärker ins Blickfeld
Airbus plans to make sales history again We will perhaps see more airplanes sold this year than ever before in the history of Airbus ” said Colin Stuart vice president of marketing for Airbus. And Boeing may not be far behind.
Thu, 18 Oct 2007 03:00:00 EDT Mike Bair’s farewell note - very nicely done Jim Wallace at the Seattle P-I has got hold of departing 787 programme manager Mike Bair’s farewell note to his team. It’s a model of its kind. Meanwhile, Boeing’s VP and general manager of global partners, Steven Schaffer, gets an award.
Thu, 18 Oct 2007 02:10:00 -0700
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Turkish Press