Automation in Aerospace...how should it look?

Normally when I walk into an organization is focused and digging their heels in to compete and keep manufacturing on this side of the pond I get sparkles in people’s eyes.  Sometimes when I approach a company with my bag of automated robotics and vision tricks complete with a high end presentation it's not applause but more like the sound of rotten tomatoes hitting skin.  This if followed by “That’s nice, don’t think I don’t know automation, I’ve been in an automotive factory, but we have too many part numbers....or our volumes are too low....or that’s the way we’ve always done it and people are still buying from us.”

But in all fairness I’ve been lucky from that standpoint because I’ve got to really taste a few varieties of automation.  I started in automotive where to be in automation you had to be fast and perform miracles.  I’ve been in twinkie and femine product factories (not in the same place) where things move so fast you are not sure what is being made.   And I’ve been in a few McGiver factories where coat hangers and duct tape seemed to hold everything together...here, as an automation partner consider running! 

Then, in my first aerospace facility I felt like I stepped back 50 years.    These are among the most advance engines that bring us where we want to go.  Where were the conveyors, the pallets, the robots, the flashing andon lights and shift-sirens playing beatles tunes?  Ha no wonder I can’t afford an airplane.   It took a while to re-focus my eyes.  Then I saw what I didn’t appreciate at first, the knowledge and workmanship that still went into a jet engine.  This is what Henry Ford ripped out of the assemblers hands with the assembly line.  I started to talk to people and saw people that knew their brown stuff.

Now after five years of knocking on doors I can say automation is gaining acceptance and in fact people are realizing it is do-or-die.  But the one piece of advice I have to anyone about to make a difference is it just doesn’t have to look the same as an automotive facility. 

I am coming to realize this can be a road block to smart people trying to making real progress in their facilities and to challenge the status-quo.  Aerospace has some of the oldest processes such as forging to some of the newest such as laser drilling.  There isn’t a one size fits all automation package that will change the way we make jet engines. 

This has led me to try to define categories of automation.  They all are valid, they all do their job and yes sometimes one leads to the next.  Now forgive me, I am sitting in Zanesville, OH with only 3hrs of sleep per night.  So I’m not the sharpest knife in the stack.  I am sure there will need to be additions to the categories.

Lean manufacturing automation:  Step 1 Break your process into small digestable steps; Step 2 Break them into work cells with single piece flow and instant feedback to the previous process; Step 3 Automate what ever you can in each work cell!

Lights-out automation: This is the Meca of automation.  Just ask Fanuc Robotics who assembles robots with robots...unattended for up to 30 days I’ve read.  No people required...Who made Who?

Flexible automation: This is how car manufacturers compete.  Put in a recipe at the start and out comes a Volkswagon Van from Chrysler Windsor Assembly.  Put in the next recipe and out comes a Town and Country off the same line.

X-box automation: Humans controlling automation real-time.  Doctors meet Davinci!

Big-brother automation: We need your human brainpower but we are going to write software and implement system checks to get rid of your variation.  Got to love those trusty sensors to help you back up your car....wait doesn’t a Ford Focus park itself now???  Yes but you still need to hit the brake!  Google I am sure will fix that.....

Does anyone have any other ideas?

www.avr-vr.com

http://ca.linkedin.com/in/muldoonmichael