British Aerospace Companies Research Articles

Society of British Aerospace Companies: Group provides information and guidance

Society of British Aerospace Companies: Group provides information and guidance

Counting the cost [enterprise resource planning

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems were introduced into organisations to provide a fully integrated business solution and maintain competitive advantage. However, many implementations experienced cost and schedule overruns and loss of system functionality. A need to investigate this issue and identify leading practice was raised and work has been done by the UK lean aerospace initiative at the University of Warwick, supported by industry through the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The study found four significant areas of concern: systems are often way over the expected cost; they are usually delivered late; they do not do half of what was promised; and jobs are lost because of this. Cost and schedule overruns can be avoided if the appropriate precautions and factors are considered and fully implemented. ERP systems can deliver process efficiency and massive benefits when implemented correctly. They have also become so encompassing that they may drive the future success of a company, so they must be done right.

Applying lean thinking to new product introduction

Lean Thinking and its principles as prescribed by Womack and Jones have been successfully applied to manufacturing and operations environments, and associated case studies and research literature have been published extensively. The same cannot be said for Lean application to the new product introduction (NPI) or development processes. The aim of this paper is to describe the application of the Womack and Jones principles of Lean Thinking to the NPI process (from concept development to detailed design through to customer delivery). While techniques such as concurrent engineering (or concurrent product development) have been implemented and have been quite successful in improving NPI, there is still a shortfall in the expected or desired improvements to NPI. This shortfall we believe can be bridged through the application of Lean Thinking to NPI; in particular, the five lean principles proposed by Womack and Jones. The five Lean principles are briefly ‘specify value’, ‘identify the value stream and eliminate waste’, ‘make the value flow’, ‘let the customer pull the process’, and ‘pursue perfection’. In this paper each principle is defined and characterized within the context of NPI. The work presented was developed on the Society of British Aerospace Companies' UK Lean Aerospace Initiative involving 40 aerospace companies of all sizes from across the UK. Two case studies from the industry are also presented to demonstrate aspects of Lean application in NPI (in particular, in product design and development). The paper concludes by summarizing the key methods and tools that enable Lean in NPI, and by discussing the key adjustments required to the manufacturing/operations definitions of waste and value to accommodate the demands of effective and efficient NPI.

An analysis of the effect of a reliability paradigm shift on leading British aerospace companies

The aerospace industry is moving towards a new paradigm for the statement of reliability specifications. This paradigm is not a technical metric inherent to a system in isolation, but rather encompasses the wider objectives, operational profile and logistic priorities of its customer. This customer focus is encapsulated in the metrics Failure Free Operating Period and Maintenance Free Operating Period. These metrics describe the duration of effective system operation, in the first case for systems where faults and maintenance are permitted and in the second for systems where faults may not be repaired. As part of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) funded Aerospace Project for Insertion of Reliability (ASPIRE) research programme, which itself is part of the Ultra Reliable Aircraft (URA) programme, representatives of leading aerospace companies were interviewed about their opinion n how this new reliability paradigm and associated concepts would affect their way of doing business and their engineering processes. It would appear that the aerospace industry is ready for a move to a more realistic set of reliability metrics and away from the old style MTBF based metrics. This sea change would most likely be welcomed by customers, but as yet the manufacturing companies are unconvinced that such a radical move would be a good thing. Much of the resistance to change is due to old-fashioned, but well entrenched, beliefs in the traditional way of doing things. A move away from this would bring freshness to the industry and lead to cost and time savings as the traditional approach is dropped in favour of a more planned and thought out approach. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characteristics of lean product introduction

The aim of this paper is to describe the application of the Womack and Jones principles of Lean Thinking to the New Product Introduction (NPI) process (from concept development to detailed design through to customer delivery). Whilst techniques such as concurrent engineering (or concurrent product development) have been implemented and have been quite successful in improving NPI there is still a shortfall in the expected or desired improvements to NPI. This shortfall, we believe, can be bridged through the application of lean thinking to NPI, in particular the five lean principles proposed by Womack and Jones. In this paper each principle is defined and characterised within the context of NPI. The work presented was developed on the Society of British Aerospace Companies' UK Lean Aerospace Initiative involving aerospace companies of all sizes from across the UK. The paper concludes by summarising the key methods and tools that enable Lean Product Introduction (LPI), and by discussing the key adjustments required to the manufacturing/operations definitions of Waste and Value to accommodate the demands of effective and efficient NPI.

Supplier knowledge exchange in aerospace product engineering

With the high level of outsourcing in aerospace engineering and manufacture, the effective use of knowledge across the supply chain is acknowledged to be crucial to the success of any projects. “Knowledge”, however, may have different meanings and context. Presents a view of the supplier knowledge in relation to the product engineering process. The different types of supplier knowledge in the five key stages of the aerospace product development process are explained. An existing joint supplier improvement information system is used to illustrate best practice in supply‐base management. Tools that could be used in the different modes of supplier involvement are briefly introduced. Represents part of the results of three industrial research projects that interacted with the supply bases of two large British aerospace companies.

Design for success

The idea of specifying reliability and maintainability (R&M) requirements in ways that accept the notion of random failure (i.e. MTBF) has outlived its usefulness. Design engineers do not design random failures and faults into products yet they occur and play havoc with the operational availability of military equipment. New ways must be found to deliver both mission reliability and guaranteed availability at the front line. Under the banner ‘Designing for Success’, the RAF is proposing a paradigm shift in the delivery of more certain and higher levels of R&M and these requirements are now progressively being specified for new equipments where appropriate. Equipment being procured under the philosophy of Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) will allow significant trade-offs between availability, maintainability and supportability. Yet it is the design process using the latest technology and concepts such as Systems Engineering which will give the ability to deliver guaranteed maintenance-free operating periods (MFOPs) for systems and platforms. Through parallel initiatives such as the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) Foresight Action Programme, industry has embraced the idea of a paradigm shift in reliability improvement under a programme called the Ultra Reliable Aircraft (URA). The Ministry of Defence (MoD) fully supports this initiative through specific activities as it will be a prime customer for its outputs.

Building on success—A strategy for UK aerospace

‘Although the global aerospace industry is currently experiencing some difficulties world markets are expected grow over the next decades.‐ While the UK's contribution to this market is a key successful sector of the UK economy the UK industry itself faces serious challenges as its share of the market has declined in relation to its European competitors. Here Roy McNulty, as President of the Society of British Aerospace companies, discusses the new SBAC initiative to address these challenges, stressing the vital need for Industry and Government to work to gather to ensure the UK Aero‐space Industry recovers its place in the international market.

Fasteners, Adhesives & Sealants — Feature

Fasteners, adhesives and sealants are as important to aerospace production as the most sophisticated advances in engine design. Without the correct nuts and bolts, no aircraft can function, or certainly not for long, efficiently and safely. Even the man in the street — as well as his wife and children — was made dramatically aware of this after the Amsterdam air crash last year when numerous daily newspapers clearly explained the function of sheer pins and showed, in large, simplified drawings, how they are used to attach the engines to the wings of the Boeing 747. But even though the proverbial “Man on the Clapham Omnibus” and his schoolboy son know the importance of fasteners in aircraft manufacture and maintenance, the industry itself does not appear to hold them in the same high esteem. Fasteners, it seems, are like discreet waiters in a decent restaurant: you don't notice them until they're missing. In order to compile this feature, we wrote to all known manufacturers and suppliers of fasteners, adhesives and sealants seeking information on products and their applications. Despite the opportunity for publicity, the response was negligible. The subsequent telephoning of non‐respondents (which was most of them) was only marginally more productive. The interesting thing was the air of indifference shown. Many of the companies bluntly said they were not interested — not even in free publicity. One firm even said that it did not need publicity, it never had and it never would. Such self‐sufficiency, though admirable, is hardly indicative of a dynamic, developing company and typified an attitude of many companies in this sector which seemed to spring from a general lack of interest — or pride, perhaps — in what they are doing. At the suggestion of our editor, I contacted the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) to obtain figures on the quantities and the value of fasteners produced and sold by their member companies. Here, at least, I thought, would be the basis of an article. But here I was wrong. The SBAC does not compile such figures. It is clear from all this that suppliers to the aerospace industry do not take fasteners as seriously as “The Man on the Clapham Omnibus” does. It is equally clear that the companies mentioned on this and the following pages consider fasteners, adhesives and sealants to be very important.

People in the News

Mr. Peter Bates, Deputy Chairman of Plessey Electronic Systems Ltd., (PESL), has been elected President of the Society of British Aerospace Companies for the year 1983–84. He succeeds Sir Austin Pearce, Chairman of British Aerospace plc.

Aeronautical research: some current influences and trends

This corner of England has seen the evolution of some notable aircraft, Canberra, Lightning, Jaguar, Tornado. Mr Yates, in the inaugural lecture of this series last year, gave a brief historical review of the growth of English Electric and of these aircraft, indicating in particular the key part played by Sir Frederick Page in both the build up of the firm and in the design and development of the aircraft. It is most appropriate that we should again honour him here on what I regard as his home ground and in his presence.But Sir Frederick's contributions to aerospace have been much more than local to Lancashire. He has been at the centre of the gathering together of all the elements of what is now British Aerospace PLC. He is a past President of the Society of British Aerospace Companies and has actively supported the Royal Aeronautical Society, not least as President of this Branch from 1962 to 1967.

The grass roots alternative

Before making up its mind on what changes to make in the statutory system of industrial training the Government, playing according to the rules, asked the Manpower Services Commission for its advice. In turn the MSC established a Review Body which eventually produced its report OUTLOOK ON TRAINING. Seen by some as an attempt to extend the MSC's own influence and by others as the mixture as before, the report has been regarded, outside the MSC itself, with universal disfavour and as totally irrelevant to the country's needs and so someone in industry had to do what the Review Body failed to do, namely look at other more pertinent and less costly remedies. This initiative was taken by EEMTEB (the Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Training and Education Board), through a small ad hoc working party with representatives of the motor manufacturers and the Society of British Aerospace Companies, which explored in some depth the pros and cons of the Industrial Training Board (ITB) and levy system and alternative solutions. The working party's recommendations are outlined below. Copies of the full Discussion Document on the National Training System are available from Vivien Marshall, Secretary to EEMTEB, Leicester House, 8 Leicester Street, London WC2H 7BN, who would also welcome comments. Other sectors were involved in the discussions to ensure that the proposals were valid not only in the engineering industry, but nationally.

News and Views

The Society of British Aerospace Companies is organising a Conference on Aerospace Transparent Materials and Glazing Components on September 8, 9 and 10, 1980, at the Royal Aeronautical Society, 4 Hamilton Place, London W1V 0BQ.

People and their firms

Mr Michael J. Cobham, Chairman and Managing Director of Flight Refuelling Ltd, has been elected President of the Society of British Aerospace Companies for the coming year. He succeeds Air Marshal Sir Edouard Grundy, KBE, CB, who becomes Deputy President.

Horizon

“If we, either together with Europe or separately, can relieve the United States of a mere 10 per cent of their market share, this will result in about £200m additional contribution to the balance of payments”. This was the prospect outlined by E. R. Sisson, elected President of the Society of British Aerospace Companies at the society's annual dinner. Elaborating on the theme, Mr. Sisson said “Strong nationalistic forces will be at work and cool heads will be required to overcome the difficulties that lie ahead, but one thing is sure, it is essential that a Europe that includes us should have a powerful technological presence on the world's stage”.

Ear‐to‐ground

The Society of British Aerospace Companies is to invite members of the Western European aerospace industry to participate in the Farnborough air show next September. This will probably be effected by making eligible all ten countries whose aerospace trade associations and industries form AICMA, namely West Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.

An Introduction to the Twenty‐seventh S.B.A.C. Flying Display and Exhibition

THE first Farnborough Air Show of the Seventies holds the promise of a vintage Show. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first exhibition held by what is now the Society of British Aerospace Companies. Once again it will be the largest national aviation exhibition and flying display in the world and, by common repute, the best organised of all the major air shows.

Welding for aerospace applications

THE use of welding in the aircraft industry has in the past been restricted, in general, to secondary structures owing to the lack of fully weldable aluminium alloys that had a strength after welding comparable with that of the normal aluminium alloys used in aircraft structures. The recent symposium on welding in the aerospace industry sponsored by the Society of British Aerospace Companies has been of great importance in showing that with the arrival of new materials and techniques interest in welding as a major production tool is rapidly growing, and that we are on the threshold of a very significant advance in this field.

An Introduction to the Twenty‐sixth S.B.A.C. Flying Display and Exhibition

IN the two years since the last Farnborough Air Show was held by the Society of British Aerospace Companies the aircraft industry has achieved an almost complete metamorphosis from the body blows in the form of major programme cancellations that almost felled it in 1965 to the very healthy position that it holds today.

Twenty-Second British Commonwealth Lecture

The Twenty-Second British Commonwealth Lecture, “Aeronautical Research in India”, was given by Dr. S. Dhawan, MA, BSc(Eng), MS, FRAeS, Director of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, on 3rd November 1966. The Chair was taken by the President, Mr. A. D. Baxter, MEng, FRAeS, and the distinguished audience included His Excellency Dr. J. Mehta, High Commissioner for India.Before the Lecture the President introduced Lord Caldecote, DSC, MA, FRAeS, immediate Past President of the Society of British Aerospace Companies Limited, who presented the four SB AC Scholarship Awards for 1966 to the recipients.Introducing the Lecturer, Mr. Baxter said that the British Commonwealth Lecture had been established immediately after the Second World War to foster interest and understanding in aeronautical developments between Great Britain and her partners in the Commonwealth. He thought that object had been successfully achieved by the efforts of a long and distinguished list of lecturers, both from home and overseas; now they were to add another distinguished name to that list. Dr. Dhawan had taken his first degree in mathematics and physics at Lahore in 1938; in 1941 he obtained his MA from the Punjab University and, from the same university, his BSc in Engineering in 1944. After a period as an Assistant Supervisor with the Hindustan Aircraft Company, he was selected by the Government of India for advanced studies abroad in aeronautics. Dr. Dhawan had gone to the United States where he took a Masters Degree in Aeronautics at the University of Minnesota and a PhD in Aeronautics at the Californian Institute of Technology. Returning to India in 1951, he joined the Department of Aeronautics at the Indian Institute of Science, becoming Assistant Professor in 1952 and Professor and Head of the Department in 1955 and, since 1963 Director of the Institute.