Manufacturing Defense
JSF program creates new manufacturing supply chain theory
April 8, 2011
Introducing "digital thread" manufacturing to aerospace production.
Canada’s participation in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, the single largest fighter aircraft program in history, will have economic benefits across Canada, according to Industry Minister Tony Clement.
The federal government’s position is that the investment in the F-35 program is needed now to ensure the long-term strength of the country’s aerospace industry. Other defense spending was recently earmarked for the country’s navy, to help further promote Arctic sovereignty.
“The Government of Canada’s decision to purchase the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft is driving wealth and job growth right across the country,” said Clement recently. “The JSF program is bringing the right equipment to our military and sustainable, high-value work to Canadians.”
Clement pointed to companies like Alcoa Howmet, Laval, Que., and Georgetown, Ont., that will gain work because of Canada’s participation in the program. Alcoa provides structural investment castings and value-added casting services.
Centra Industries, Cambridge, Ont., another beneficiary, will supply structural assemblies as well as wing and landing gear components.
In all, there will likely be opportunities for Canadian firms to take part in a global supply chain that will define the aerospace and defense sectors for the next 40 years.
Canada joined the program in 1997 in anticipation of the Canadian Forces’ need to replace its current fleet of CF-18s. To date, Canada has invested approximately $168 million in the JSF program.
Through the JSF program, Canadian companies will be guaranteed access to competitive opportunities in the partnership, including an estimated $12 billion in potential industrial opportunities for work on the aircraft platform. Purchasing the F-35 aircraft now ensures that Canadian companies can access high-value, long-term aerospace work by allowing them enough lead-time to ramp up for the production, sustainment, and follow-on development phases of the program.
“We are pleased that this commitment is also translating into highly skilled, long-term employment for workers in our aerospace and defense sectors,” said Minister of Natural Resources Christian Paradis.
The Digital Thread
This type of multinational build has led to new terminology being added to the manufacturing lexicon.
The concept of a digital thread is defined as several geographically diverse supply chain partners with different processes and equipment working together to supply a central hub.
“Accomplishing a ‘digital thread’ requires the manufacturing technologists to come onboard at the same time the engineering designers are considering the configuration,” said Bell Helicopter Technical Fellow Paul Oldroyd. “It’s a different development model for the industry, but one of the most important. It’s the future of where aerospace manufacturing technology’s going.”
Digital thread manufacturing, which has become the norm in the automotive sector, is designed to cut the production cycle time of the F-35 and, therefore, costs. It was also the focus of more than 15 sessions at the AeroDef Manufacturing Exposition and Conference in early April.
Major components of the aircraft will be created at different “feeder” plants and then assembled at a central location. In usual fighter aircraft manufacturing, raw materials become parts or subassemblies and are fed into production lines that produce a finished airplane.
Since the tolerances required for this project are even tighter than for most aerospace projects, information sharing and quality control will both play large roles.
F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin has stated that its digital thread manufacturing process has been successful in terms of part fit-up and coordination of production schedules from plants around the world.
The manufacturer stated that its ultimate goal is to reduce an airplane’s production cycle time from the usual 30 months to about one year.
For more information, visit www.lockheedmartin.com.
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