bringing them together in a supply chain summit to lay out expectations. “We deal with the engine companies to ensure the highest-quality delivered engine,” said Rich Dickson, Propulsion Systems Division material management leader. “We build relationships that are personal and professional.” Propulsion employees are crosstrained to handle a variety of tasks on different airplane models. They are ready to leave the factory and respond at any time to a customer’s immediate needs. Debbie Branlund is an assemblies mechanic in Everett who works near GE90 engine assembly. She prepares the fan cowl support beam, which involves tubes, pumps and hydraulics. She previously worked on airplane engines, generators and emergency power units. Three years ago, she was part of a Boeing team sent to San Antonio to assist a customer in tearing down a 747 engine that needed refurbishment. She thrives in this atmosphere. “We’re a tightknit family here,” Branlund said. “We have a lot on our 16 | BOEING FRONTIERS shoulders. There’s a lot at stake to do the job right.” There’s plenty of cooperation within the Boeing Propulsion Systems Division sites, which also include Bellevue, Wash., Cincinnati and the Southern California area. Shannon Green is a supply chain analyst who orders and schedules parts in Puget Sound. She has visited Propulsion South Carolina on five occasions, attended workshops and shared her experiences and data to help her Boeing counterparts there prepare for the accelerated delivery rates of the 737 MAX inlet. “It’s best-practice sharing and the leveraging of knowledge to prevent problems,” Green said. “It’s a masterpiece that all comes together.” Propulsion South Carolina operates from a 225,000-square-foot (20,900- square-meter) building that opened last year. It is located 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Boeing’s North Charleston factory, where employees assemble the 787 Dreamliner. Manually operated production lines churn out 737 MAX inlets that consist of parts called the lip skin, bulkhead and inner barrel, held together by fasteners, rings and T-chords. Assembly mechanic Pamela Param, who previously worked on the Dreamliner, drilled the ceremonial first hole on Propulsion South Carolina’s inlet production line last year. All of her peers crowded around and shared in the milestone. “It was a big deal,” she said. “It also was a lot of pressure. Everybody was watching.” Hix, the site leader, has drilled inlet holes as well. He worked on the Propulsion South Carolina production line for a week alongside his employees to experience what they go through. He had his hands on nearly two-dozen inlets. He left his cellphone in his office and did everything the others were required to do, took work breaks along with everyone and attended their meetings. Roshen Thomas is a Propulsion South Carolina quality inspector who has encountered airplane propulsion parts from various perspectives. He once worked as a mechanic for Pratt & Whitney on jet-fighter engines in
Frontiers November 2016 Issue
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