Applying lean in aerospace manufacturing for waste reduction

Abstract

Lean manufacturing shows significant promise for addressing various simultaneous, competitive demands, including high process and merchandise quality, low cost, and reductions in lead times. These requirements have been found within the aerospace sector, and efforts are now well established to implement lean practices. Although lean manufacturing was originally developed for the automotive industry, aerospace manufacturing industries have found that these lean principles can also be applied in this high-precision industry to improve production efficiency significantly. In this paper, the main objective is to provide background on lean manufacturing, present a summary of potential wastes and introduce the tools and techniques that are used to transform the industry into a high-performing lean enterprise. The method applied in this article is divided into three major parts. Firstly, define lean manufacturing and lean cycle for the aerospace sector. Secondly, examine lean implementation in the aerospace manufacturing sector. Finally, discuss the lean action plan in the aerospace sector. The goal of lean implementation in the aerospace sector is to construct a learning organization and achieve continuous improvement. Thus, the aerospace manufacturing suppliers can increase their competence within the present competitive market.