Aircraft
Automation Key To Boeing 777 Production Rate Increase
The FlexTrack device drills holes in 777 fuselage panels nearly perfectly.
The FlexTrack device drills holes in 777 fuselage panels nearly perfectly.

To automobile mass-producers, automation in the aerospace manufacturing probably looks fundamentally immature. However, Boeing’s efforts in introducing robotics into 777 production at its widebody plant in Everett, Washington, have translated into some considerable efficiency gains following the company’s transition some eight years ago to a moving, U-shaped assembly line and simultaneous implementation of lean production processes.