Assembly Planbook - March 2009 - (Page 18) Assembly Lines Inventions New facilities After months of delays, Boeing says its 787 Dreamliner commercialjet program is finally proceeding as intended. Boeing: Troubled 787 Back on Track EVERETT, WA—After months of parts shortages, a major work stoppage in late 2008, and a host of production and supply-chain problems, Boeing Co. says its cutting-edge 787 Dreamliner program is back on track. In late January, the company began work on its fifth airplane, positioning a number of major subassemblies, like wings and fuselage sections, for final assembly. In the past, the company has encountered a host of different problems at this point in the production process because of incorrectly finished subassemblies, fastener shortages and incorrect fastener installation. However, this time around, Boeing says things are finally proceeding as planned. “This airplane signifies our return to a steady production rhythm,” says Jack Jones, Boeing’s vice president in charge of 787 final assembly. “Sections are arriving in Everett at the completion levels committed by our partners and close to what is expected for mature production. The substantial progress made by our partners streamlines the assembly process, which is essential as we ramp up production.” In addition to employing a largely composite fuselage, the 787 is different from Boeing’s other commercial jetliner programs in that much of the fuselage and wing assembly work has been outsourced to suppliers as far away as Japan, China and Italy. Unfortunately for Boeing, a number of those suppliers have proved unable to fulfill their contractual obligations, shipping only partially completed components and causing serious production delays. Originally scheduled to take its first flight in 2007, the first 787 is now scheduled to take to the air later this year. 18 ASSEMBLY / March 2009 www.assemblymag.com http://www.odu-usa.com http://www.assemblymag.com
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