Application of lean manufacturing technique for the design of the aircraft assembly line

Abstract

The final assembly line for the Boeing Commercial Airplanes 717 Program is currently implementing "The 9 Tactics", a methodology based on the lean manufacturing principles to transform the current processes to continuous moving lines. The first two tactics, Value Stream Mapping and Balancing the Line define the manufacturing system configuration (the quantity of airplanes to load in the conveyor, headcount and workload per workstation) and the process to develop the production execution plans. Understanding of the tradeoffs in the allocation of resources when selecting the most profitable manufacturing system configuration is a complex task for the Industrial Engineering department. The preparation of these plans is iterative and time-consuming, complicated by constraints such as assembly sequences and space limitations. The problem solved during the internship was to propose a methodology or framework for the implementation of the Value Stream Mapping and Balancing the Line tactics, considering the economics involved and the frequent production fluctuations in the production rate. The framework proposed is based on lean techniques and economic analysis, and is the main product delivered to the sponsor company. The economic analysis of the assembly line configuration alternatives is supported by the application of the Economic Profit financial metric (also known as Economic Value Added).