Gulfstream Aerospace (Booth 257) employed a variety of new plants, processes and procedures to speed completions of its new G650 flagship and get the aircraft into the customers’ hands sooner. The G650 was announced in 2008 and certified in late 2012. Since then, deliveries of the Mach 0.925 globe-spanning executive jet have set an impressive pace, in no small part due to the used of more monolithic parts on the aircraft and revamped assembly technology.
In March 2006, Gulfstream announced a seven-year, $400 million expansion of its company headquarters in Savannah, Ga., that included plans for a new service center, a new manufacturing center, a new paint hangar and conversion of the former service center into a final-phase manufacturing facility. These expansion plans were part of the preparations for manufacturing the G650, which was announced almost two years later.
The new manufacturing center announced in 2006 became the G650 initial-phase manufacturing center that opened in 2011. The former Gulfstream service center was renovated and opened in 2012 as the G650 final-phase manufacturing (or completions) center. This completions center measures nearly 210,000 sq ft.
The entire final-phase team in Savannah, including design engineers, is approximately 200 employees. Gulfstream hired additional employees to accommodate additional G650 final-phase manufacturing at its facilities in Savannah; Long Beach, Calif.; and Appleton, Wis. Initial-phase manufacturing of the G650 is done in Savannah.
Streamlined Process
The airplane comes together faster by design. Gulfstream eliminated part of the G650 completions process by installing many electrical, mechanical, plumbing connections and structural attachments during the initial phase of aircraft production. Installing these during the production process streamlined the completions process and ensured the aircraft was ready for furniture on the first day of final phase assembly.
A new method of engineering design for the G650 also enhanced the final-phase process. This method involved minimizing or eliminating the need to adjust furniture and composite details during installation. To do this required more precise locating of attach points supported by the implementation of full-length seat tracks in initial phase. This new approach dramatically improved the quality and consistency of the installed components and enabled the assembly team to cover the headliners and panels prior to moving the aircraft into completions.
Another new method involves the use of elevated build platforms or mezzanines. Traditionally, Gulfstream’s final-phase team carried furniture and other furnishings up the aircraft stairs or through the baggage compartment to get them into the aircraft for installation. The mezzanines allow for the pre-positioning of aircraft interior furnishings and other elements, which helps maximize existing space and provides convenient access to furnishings.
New manufacturing software also speeds the process by replacing a paper-based manufacturing environment with a digital one. This was done by incorporating a manufacturing execution system (MES). MES software delivers work instructions to a monitor on the manufacturing floor and synchronizes enterprise data in real time. Quality, efficiency, control and responsiveness are all enhanced.
Gulfstream’s final-phase team also created a new process for installing and servicing interior furnishings that involved redesigning and reducing the number of required installation tools from more than 200 to approximately 10.
The new technology and methods have significantly reduced the time required to complete a G650 as opposed to the G550 and G450, even though they are smaller aircraft. “We have new processes in place, new equipment, more standardization and we have incorporated more continuous improvement methods into the final-phase manufacturing of the G650,” said spokesman Steve Cass. “ The main benefits are faster production and delivery times.”
