Even As the 737 MAX begins to take shape, its production system advances, too by Eric Fetters-Walp | Photos by Bob Ferguson This is the second in a series on advanced manufacturing technology and the tools and processes designed to help employees make Commercial Airplanes products in a safer and more efficient and productive way, with more consistent quality. Boeing has produced ever-advancing versions of its best-selling 737 for decades at its Renton, Wash., site, which has been transformed into the world’s most productive commercial airplane factory. And just as the 737 has advanced technologically, the production and assembly system has become smarter, safer and faster. Now, as production of the 737 MAX begins, the Renton site is pushing again into the future, adding new technologies and practices to build its most advanced single-aisle airplane. While the automated Panel Assembly Line is the centerpiece of the transformation, other innovative changes and improvements are taking place in the day-to-day processes that Photo: Kevin Petersen, a motive equipment operator, drives a specialized truck that delivers parts from the central Materials Marketplace to the final assembly line in Renton, Wash. 32 Boeing Frontiers
Frontiers July 2015 Issue
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