Charleston, SC

Not only did AIT work with Vought to design a new factory flow for the 787 in Charleston, SC, but we also served as the total project integrator for the 22-foot wide aft fuselage Section 47/48. (Section 47 is the last passenger section, 19’ diameter and 23’ long. Section 48 is the first cargo hold, 14’ diameter and 15’ long.) As systems integrator, AIT brought together the component subsystems into one system and ensured that the subsystems function together as expected. In this context, we defined an entirely new process to build the aircraft in the 342,000-sqaure-foot building – substantially raising the bar in streamlined, economical manufacturing. The new layout included 16 fabrication and assembly cells to accommodate the Section 47/48 manufacturing process.

• Designed new factory flow with Vought to accommodate lean manufacturing techniques, innovative composites fabrication and assembly, and integration technologies
• Served as Systems Integrator to provide turnkey integration, support, capital equipment, tooling, and automation for the entire process
• Delivered 2 Mandrel Handling Systems (1 for assembly, 1 for disassembly) as well as assembly tooling and capital equipment

Features

• Automatically assemble and disassemble carbon fiber mandrel segments
• Position/move sections effectively throughout facility
• Install internal subassemblies
  • Join 47/48 sections

Advantages

Once the sections were complete at the Vought facility, AIT equipment towed the sections to Global Aeronautica’s nearby facility in Charleston.

• Speed assembly/disassembly processes
• Maximize use of floor space with flexible systems
• Less expensive equipment to fabricate