20-minute drive from each other. At Eagle Point, managers’ offices overlook the production floor. “Before, we couldn’t always get production support immediately,” said Kevin Block, a building and repair technician and ScanEagle floor lead. “Now, when we need that, we just go upstairs to the offices.” Parts are laid out close to work areas so employees don’t have to use time and energy searching for what they need. A time-motion study of the previous production system found it was much less efficient for employees. “It was a lot of people going back and forth constantly,” Taylor said. Even as more of Insitu’s aircraft systems are deployed around the world, the company is making sure it remains responsive to customers’ needs for maintenance and related services. The Depot Maintenance Group takes in unmanned systems in need of service or repairs, which often come straight from use in faraway places, including the battlefield. “They come in with layers of dirt and sand,” said Ben Schwartz, a materials handler, who sometimes finds himself vacuuming up sand fleas and inspecting for spiders before focusing on a vehicle’s repair or maintenance needs. Despite this, “Being all together is the big advantage,” he said of Insitu’s new facility. “We used to get shipments in and then have to drive them to other facilities.” Wendy Viehmann, a Quality supervisor for the past six years, agreed that it’s all making a difference in Insitu’s production pace. “Things are moving a lot faster,” she said. That is vital as demand for Insitu’s products multiplies as well. Last summer, Insitu marked the completion of its 2,000th ScanEagle aircraft, which together with Integrator has collectively racked up more than 800,000 operational hours. Meanwhile, Ryan Hartman, previously senior vice president of Insitu Programs, took over as Insitu’s president and CEO when his predecessor, Steve Morrow, retired. Most important for the company’s future, however, was the introduction of ScanEagle 2, announced late last year. It can carry more payload, offers a new navigation system and a sharper, fully digital video system, as well as a state-of-the-art propulsion system built specifically for ScanEagle 2. That is a first for that class of unmanned aerial vehicles, Hartman said. At the same time, ScanEagle 2 is designed for commonality with all Insitu systems, reducing training, hardware and operational costs. Meanwhile, Insitu is ramping up its Integrator unmanned aircraft line. This bigger unmanned system can handle up to 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of payload, compared with ScanEagle’s 7.5-pound (3.4-kilogram) payload limit, without a reduction in maximum flight time. Only months after completing its new production building, Insitu already is considering how to centralize other parts of its business at the site along the Columbia River, company officials said. For now, however, the Eagle Point facility has ample room for expansion and flexibility as Insitu moves ahead, according to Taylor. “As the market changes, as we change, our production can change, too,” she said. “We built a lot of capability here, so as the business grows, we can grow with it.” n eric.c.fetters-walp@boeing.com View a related video at boeing.com/ frontiers/videos/april2015. Frontiers is interested in reader stories for future editorial use. Tell us about your own experience working on Boeing’s unmanned aircraft systems at boeingfrontiers@boeing.com. Photo: Radjesh Azore, left, manufacturing and repair technician, and Wendy Viehmann, Quality supervisor, check out an Integrator aircraft at Insitu’s recently opened production facility. APRIL 2015 21
Frontiers April 2015 Issue
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