Implementing Paint Automation in an Aerospace Company

Copyright © 2014 Boeing. All rights reserved.

Boeing | Industrial Engineering

04/19/2023 1

Implementing Paint Automation in an Aerospace Company

Christine Shanks ([email protected])

mailto:[email protected]



Implementing Wing Paint Automation:

Benefits of implementing automation

777 Wing Paint Manufacturing Process

Boeing Lean Overview

Development & Implementation with cross- functional team

Automation is key to 777 rate increase

04/19/2023 | 2



Wing Paint Automation Benefits

Quality: +25%

WIP: 2 booths (1 wing set) (-4 booths/1 turn position) (-2 wing sets)

Floor Space: 29000 sq. ft. (-60%)

Rate: Facilitates future rate increase

Weight: - 459 lbs. (380 lbs. drag equivalent, 79 lbs. actual)

per wing set

Cranes: -92% (30 moves to 2 moves )

Shop Supplies: -30% (Masking, Tape, etc.)

Paint use: -25%

Safety & Ergonomics: -20% (Injury risk reduction)

Environmental: -70% (Hazmat)

Labor: -40% (Wing paint)

Flow: -40% (5 days to 3 days )

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Copyright © 2014 Boeing. All rights reserved. 04/19/2023 | 4

Wing Paint Product - Process & Flow Current State

Paint Building

Paint Laydown 2 Day Flow

Prep & Abrade surfaces

Wash

Conversion Coating

Rinse

Blow Dry

Mask Spars

Hang Curtains

Prime front & rear spars

Paint front & rear spars

Cure

Mask Leading edge

Hang Curtains

Prime Leading Edge

Paint LE Teflon

Cure

Unmask

Decals & Stencils

QA shake

Mask Leading edge for VPB

Corrosion Application – 1 Day Flow

Processes:

Mask Hang Curtains

Spray CIC Cure Unmask

15

4

7

10

12

1513

14

8911

Turn Position

Vertical Paint Booth (VPB) – 1.5 Day Flow

Processes:

Abrade Wash Rinse Conversion Coating Rinse Dry

Mask OW Walkway Mask Reg Letters Hang Curtains Prime

Paint poly Cure Mask runway Alignment Unmask

Paint Runway Alignment Cure Mask “Blackline” and “no step stencils

Paint “Blackline”, “no step stencils, and Safety Line attach point

2

6

3

Overhead Crane

Tooling & Crane

2 Overhead Cranes



777 Program| Boeing Production System

Single Piece Flow Factory Vision

Standard Work

5S + Safety

Paint

Sorting, Simplifying, Sweeping, Standardizing, Self Discipline

Tactic1 Value Stream Map

Tactic 2 Balance the line

Tactic 3 Standard Work

Tactic 4 Visual Controls

6

5

7

8

9

3

4

2

1

The 9 TacticsTactic 5 Point of Use

Tactic 6 Feeder Lines

Tactic 7 Break Through Processes

Tactic 8 Pulse the Line

Tactic 9 Moving the line

Paint

Value Stream Map

Value Stream Map

Value Stream Map

777 Final Assembly100% Movement

Date

Time

Jobs

Behind

Value Stream Map

Value Stream Map

Value Stream Map

2 Day Capability



Road Map to Automation:Development phase

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Programming continues for the

following processes

Wash

Prime & Paint Spars

Corrosion application for Spars

2013

Construction management

through August

Load first wing into to Automation booth

started online programming in

September

At 2.5 day cycle automation was

painting the Upper panel of the wing.

2011

Implementation team was formed to

manage

1. Construction Schedule

2. Permits

3. Contracts

4. Process Development

5. Work around plans

6. Booth designs

7. Daily Managment

2011

Leadership approves Wing

Paint Automation for the 777 2.5 day

cycle.

2010

777 Wing Paint Automation team

formed to study and develop new paint

process

2006 - 2009

737 Team presents automation

concepts to the 777 wing paint team.

Leadership gives go ahead for further

investigation and development of wing

paint automation

2005

737 team studies automation for the

Wing Paint processes

2004



777 Wing Paint Improvement Strategies – Lean+

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Tactics 1-6 Manual Processes

POU kitting, standard work, balanced line Optimize NVA tasks (masking, washing, etc) Reduce variation with training Improve safety and ergo through work hardening and

job rotation Accelerate cure to enable subsequent tasks

Process Specific Booths Improvements limited by access due to product

dimensions

Overhead crane transportation Improve necessary and unnecessary handling and

tooling

Flow Reduce hours

Tactic 7 (Breakthrough Technology) Manual Processes

POU kitting, standard work, balanced line

Eliminate NVA tasks

Eliminate duplicated processes

Eliminate detectable variation

Eliminate employee exposure and repetitive tasks

Combine cure times with subsequent processes

Process Specific Booths

Mitigate access constraints

Eliminate positions

Overhead cranes transportation

Eliminate unnecessary handling and tools

Flow

Reduce days



Development Overview

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777 Wing Paint Automation

Development Phase

2. Develop

Manufacturing processes

3. Develop

Facilities Layouts & Robot

configuration

4. Simulate

Processes & Application

5. Evaluate

6. Recommend

Business Case Analysis

1. Learn &

Understand

Assess & Determine

Feasibility



Road Map to Automation:Implementation Phase

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Programming continues for the

following processes

Wash

Prime & Paint Spars

Corrosion application for Spars

2013

Construction management

through August

Load first wing into to Automation booth

started online programming in

September

At 2.5 day cycle automation was

painting the Upper panel of the wing.

2012

Implementation team was formed to

manage

1. Construction Schedule

2. Permits

3. Contracts

4. Process Development

5. Work around plans

6. Booth designs

7. Daily Managment

2011

Leadership approves Wing

Paint Automation for the 777 2.5 day

cycle.

2010

777 Wing Paint Automation team

formed to study and develop new paint

process

2006 - 2009

737 Team presents automation

concepts to the 777 wing paint team.

Leadership gives go ahead for further

investigation and development of wing

paint automation

2005

737 team studies automation for the

Wing Paint processes

2004



Project Leader

Project IE Project Manager

Finance Business Operations

Research & Technology

Manufacturing

Manufacturing

Engineering

EHS & Environment

al

Automation Safety Quality Project

EngineeringEquipment

Engineering

Supplier Management

Robotic Supplier

Sub Supplier Sub Supplier

Tooling Site Services

Booth Desinger

Booth Contractor

Sub Supplier Sub Supplier

Implementation Overview

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ASM Product and Process FlowFuture State

Paint Building

Automated Paint Booth – 3 Days

Processes:

Prep wing Wash

Sand upper and lower Inspar surfaces

Wash wing complete

Conversion coating wing complete

Rinse Wing complete

Blow Dry wing Complete

Mask Spars

Prime front and rear spars, lower panel, upper panel and Leading edge

Paint front and rear spars, lower panel, upper panel and Leading edge Teflon

Mask & Paint Runway Alignment Stripe, Blackline, and no step stencils, Reg Letters & safety line attach point

Spar Decals & Stencils

Apply CIC to spars

Unmask

QA shake

Available Capacity for new Work Statement

787

12



Automation Created Capacity for 777By: Reduced

Factory footprint:– Two paint positions – Opens up valuable floor space to be repurpose

Labor– One operator for spray operations

Flow– 2 days reduction

Cost– Implementing new technology was less than the cost to build a duplicate booth of the old system.

Robotics Apply soap, rinse, abrade, conversion coat, prime & paint Consistent and accurate Reduce time required to paint the wings by 40 percent. The technology brings a whole new set of skills Safer

– Reduces the physical demands of painting wings vertically, and eliminates ergonomic issues and employee exposure to chemicals.

Capacity Design the booths to accept a longer wings for future derivatives (777x).

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Documents

Implementing Paint Automation in an Aerospace Company