eNews

R.I.P. – Rise in Productivity

Tombstones stopped an aerospace manufacturer from slipping into an early grave

Bombardier Aerospace, Wichita, KS, needed a new process. To produce its Learjet Models 40, 45, and 60 business jets, it was running 240 different parts through a cell comprised of four horizontal, 4-axis machines with a 28-pallet system, and one vertical, 5-axis machine with an eight-pallet system.

Based on the numbers, Drew Hanus, Bombardier’s methods engineer, knew he needed increased productivity on this project, or else he risked a decline in business. He turned to Advanced Machine & Engineering – AME – in Rockford, IL, for assistance.

Dietmar Goellner, CEO of AME, and Alvin Goellner, fixturing group product manager, along with Jim Park, AME’s representative in Wichita, visited Hanus at his Wichita facility.

AME’s team of experts demonstrated the advantages of sub-plates with hardened precision bushings and hardened threaded inserts on a 2" grid system. Because Bombardier needed to change parts quickly from one setup to the next, grid tombstones and plates, along with modular components, let it locate and align accurately and quickly on a 2" precision grid system.

The Changeover

Bombardier purchased several full-grid tombstones for use with its palletized system, along with sub-plates, components, and precision dowel screws. The latter are for locating fixture plates onto tombstones or pallets for quick changeover.

Bombardier’s pallets were shipped to AME where the manufacturer incorporated bushings and threaded inserts along with locating and mounting holes. A 2" grid system was integrated into its pallets; everything was inspected with AME’s CMM machine, one of the largest in the industry. Calibration blocks were added to check the probe for repeatability of the machines. These show when and where adjustments are needed to hold 0.0002" accuracy. A rotary axis check was also done on the fourth axis rotary table to ensure accuracy.

The implementation of the new process was a success. Now, 800 different parts are being run through two cells. Monolithic parts are run on one setup. Bombardier enjoys 91 percent savings on setup time and a total savings of 81 percent on cycle time compared to the former dedicated system.

“The new system played a major role in letting us achieve our Six Sigma goals for this segment of our fabrication process,” Hanus said. “We now have improved setup time; we are producing better quality parts and saving money in the long run.”

Want more information? Click below.
Advanced Machine & Engineering