737 Hits Production Hiccup At Renton
November 7th, 2008
A new production issue has surfaced at Boeing, but the company tells FleetBuzz Editorial.com that it is working on the problem and it is not a safety of flight issue.
It has to do with a tiny part on the 737 line known as a nutplate. Nutplates are very small metallic strips with holes at either end, from which bolts are inserted to hold together components within the airplane.
The nutplates are installed by major supplier Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas. The issue is being described a quality assurance non-conformity issue. This was apparently discovered by Spirit employees.
The anomaly pertains to a protective finishing on these nutplates that prevent corrosion. Some of these small plates have been manufactured incorrectly and are deemed “unusable” according to one Boeing Renton employee who contacted FleetBuzz Editorial.com.
Image courtesy of Boeing
There are “thousands” of affected nut plates on the 737’s currently on the assembly line in Renton, with an unspecified number of 737’s that have already been delivered to customers that may also have these non-conforming plates.
Boeing’s 737 program spokesperson Vicki Ray tells me, “Spirit AeroSystems notified Boeing that nutplates it installed on some Boeing airplane parts did not conform with applicable specifications.”
Ms. Ray says that Spirit has returned to its supplier all potentially discrepant nutplates not already installed.
“Boeing has determined this is not an immediate safety of flight issue and is working closely with the FAA and the supplier to rectify this situation.“
“As you know, we are committed to the safety of the flying public,” she says.
The strength of the nutplates remains fine, having been tested by Spirit and Boeing.
Boeing says it is assessing its delivery schedule following the IAM strike and any necessary rework will be factored into recovery plans.
Aside from delays owing to the recent IAM strike, deliveries of the 737 will not be delayed as a result of the nutplate issue says Boeing.
While not regarded as a safety issue of any kind, Boeing is working with Spirit to retrofit existing 737 fuselages that have been delivered and is replacing parts on those airplanes on the production line in Renton.
It’s not the greatest news on the heels of the recent announcement that the 787 Dreamliner will not make its long await maiden flight by the end of 2008.
But while questions have been raised about quality control, equally, the fact that these issues are being discovered and rectified points to a robust system that highlights any irregularities with a view to further tightening and enhancing that regime to ensure a higher standard of work.
Entry Filed under: 737, 737-700, 737NG, Aeroplane, Aerospace, Air Transport, Air Travel, Airlines, Airplane, Airplane Order, Airplanes, Airport, Airports, Aviation, Boeing, Boeing 737, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, IAM, SPEEA
8 Comments Add your own
1. DonS | November 7th, 2008 at 4:15 am
Reminds me of the old joke regarding the astronauts being launched in 60’s-
Sitting on top of several tons of fuel and oxidizer
” Just think - all the parts have been made by the lowest bidder ”
It will be very interesting to find out just who the supplier was, where he was/is, and why the wrong plating material was used.
And more importantly just how long this has been going on _ starting with shipset number ??????
2. Jon | November 7th, 2008 at 4:52 am
I think by this point Boeing needs to implement a second set of eyes. The processes seem to be hemorrhaging at this point. Boeing can’t afford these continued mistakes.
They talk about quality as number one; but seem to only talk in charts-not in realtime. If your going to talk the talk-walk the walk.
Time to give realtime feedback to employees to what the real issues are. Instead Management just sounds off and does little else.
This isn’t trickle down economics…
3. James Baloun | November 7th, 2008 at 6:06 am
This is not the first time there has been a material problem with hardware. The QA safety net catches almost all of the problems. The bad hardware is purged from the system and better controls are put in place.
The quality system works. This glass is 99% full, not 1% empty.
4. mike j | November 7th, 2008 at 7:54 am
I like bloggs 1 and 2, not 3.
5. johnny stick | November 7th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Welcome to the world of production. This is just part of the business of doing business; and these issues are usually discovered when the production line goes through a change, any change, and everyone gets a little out of thier comfort zone and start seeing what is going on in the other areas. Finding these little problems and fixing them are part of the job. Wall street never understands this, so these little hiccups always create buying opportunities for the stock… Like we really need another buying opportunity now.
6. Jimmie | November 7th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Boeing use to have a robust system of inspecting parts in receiving. To remove descripent parts before they entered the factory.
To save costs, Boeing (and it’s subcontractors) do not inspect parts anymore.
Boeing says that it is the suppliers responsibility.
That is letting the fox guard the hen house.
Instead of the phrase:
Let the Buyer beware.
It is now:
Let the Flyer beware.
7. DonS | November 7th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Just another reason for Boeing to push SPEEA into a strike mode.
That way they do not have to pay late delivery penalties, etc
Maybe they will discover that airplane Q/C is much more stringent than automobile Q/C
meanwhile a bit of info regarding Boeing concern for its employees- specifically SPEEA
Boeing v SPEEA on medical
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdVnayPYZqU
8. joe smith | November 27th, 2008 at 1:08 am
As a Boeing wing inspector I can say the lack of training and BA mgmt inability to build a quality product is affecting us all. Boeing is clearly being run like the McDonald Douglas
which Boeing bought out. Boeing has been trying to get out from under that cloud ever since. Lastly to the FAA. You are a bunch of lazy ——-! You allow third world quality in to
our production system, you fail to properly
control the manufacturing of Boeing aircraft.
This allows Boeing manufacturing to manipulate quality assurence mgmt.to their
own needs. Boeing believes less inspection makes less rework which is better quality.
It’s all about the data. not the airplane or the job or the employee. Also for you futurests,
Boeing is now waiting on a engine mfg. to come on board with new engine design and the new 737x(797) will be ready to go. Plan is to build it in southern usa, and Boeing will offer carriers with orders for orginal 737’s to purchase new model instead. Therefor eleminating Renton plant and jobs. After this last strike Boeing is now dead set on build next plane out of state. And as we have seen before many many times the Boeing co. will lose money to make a point. It gets old having to accept third world quality in a world class quality world. We now look at quality issues with the thought of “will this be a issue down the road” instead of writting up the discrepancy per applicable requirements.
Politics are hampering Qualities ability to do their jobs also. But that is nothing new…
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed