Extending the Mission of the B-52
Let’s extend the legacy of quality together
It’s been 60 years since Boeing’s last B-52H model took flight from our Wichita, Kansas manufacturing facility. Today, that facility has modernized and delivers more metallic aircraft structure than any other aerospace facility in the world. The capabilities at Spirit AeroSystems, the largest provider of engine strut and nacelle products in the industry (Counterpoint, Aerostructures Report 2020), are immediately available to support the U.S. Air Force’s B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP).
What’s remained in our factory since these legendary planes flew over Wichita neighborhoods is the philosophy that collaboration is essential in building the highest quality engine support structure on schedule to meet our customers’ needs. As the lead manufacturing facility for all of the B-52H models, Spirit will take all of the manufacturing advancements in strut and nacelle products it has developed over the years to keep this amazing aircraft flying for decades to come. Spirit AeroSystems can deliver the lowest-risk and lowest-cost option for CERP..
Spirit continues to be the exclusive strut provider for Boeing commercial airplanes, and we manufacture more struts than anyone in the world. And as a result we have experience working with every engine company. When you combine this with the fact that Spirit does more metallic assembly than any other competitor and has one of the largest fabrication businesses in aviation to resolve supply chain issues, you can begin to understand why our people are eager to help extend the legacy of the B-52.
Spirit has the capacity, the expertise and capability to ensure the B-52 is ready to perform its mission protecting freedom around the globe. Here’s a more in-depth look at how Spirit can deliver the lowest-risk and lowest-cost option:
A modern facility that drives efficiency and manufacturing excellence
Much like the B-52, our Wichita facility has withstood the test of time—it’s even gotten better with age. The same common strut and nacelle facility that fosters collaboration also is a center of excellence for propulsion with shared manufacturing support. By purposefully housing everything in one location, from research, design and testing capabilities to fabrication on our 3-, 4- and 5-axis machines to assembly and finishing work, like paint operations, we can accelerate the process. Functional checks are in place to do rapid prototyping, stress testing and design engineering onsite when required. We can work with complex hardware and execute 3D titanium prints. And we employ a suite of technologies, called Spirit Exact, on all programs. Spirit Exact requires fewer tools and improves quality, helping us lower costs and reduce time to assemble components. We’ve also taken actions to simplify and lean the process flows, improving productivity and quality.
The Wichita facility is also equipped with our latest digitization efforts, including an integrated digital thread that connects product design, manufacturing design, production and supply chain management, as well as digital workflow and operating systems to get real-time data and track parts throughout production. The strut and nacelle facility is supported by our state-of-the-art Global Digital Logistics Center, which helps our team manage supply inventory. And we automate repetitive processes to keep our highly trained team focused on where they’re skills provide the most value. Ultimately, all of this helps us deliver higher quality products faster.
An agile talent pool that mitigates risks and optimizes for cost from the start
What we learn from our highly competitive commercial work, we translate to our work in the defense sector. Meeting program needs is a top priority at Spirit, so our team can be flexible based on what’s required. Our team knows how to efficiently scale, ramp up and pivot quickly to match demand and changes. We have protocols in place to adapt and implement improvements and corrective actions, and we have the ability to react to load units and retrofit on the fly. Everyone is cross-trained and works together in one common strut and nacelle facility, enabling higher levels of collaboration and a plug and play-style team. Wichita is also home to a broader, skilled workforce that we can tap into to help us ramp up even quicker.
We have expertise in both build to print and design/build, and we provide fully integrated structure with all systems and testing before it leaves the Spirit facility. Digital engineering principles help us establish the manufacturing system while heading off potential issues at a time when they’re easier and more cost-effective to fix. That way, when it comes time to manufacture, there shouldn’t be any surprises. Along the way, we also perform functional checks and other testing, and constantly look for opportunities to make components better, safer and affordable—while still meeting scheduling demands.
Strength in fabrication feeds a secure and efficient supply chain
As manufacturing processes have gotten increasingly digital, automated and efficient, so too have our supply chain operations—including our Global Digital Logistics Center, as mentioned earlier. The 150,000 square foot, seven-story facility uses a modern Dematic inventory system, the same kind that Amazon uses, to accurately pick and kit. Every fastener, material and widget for the reengining will go through this warehouse.
Our supply chain is the strongest in the industry. We’ve completed more than 100,000 clean sheet analyses to understand what each part should cost, and we help suppliers achieve those costs. We have a proven methodology to identify new suppliers and a rigorous process to transfer work. Because of our system to successfully transfer parts, we’ve achieved billions of dollars of savings in the past five years. And we have one of the largest aviation fabrication businesses. We make more than 33,000 different parts and can on-load virtually any part to ensure we always have security of supply.
Expert repair work when future support is needed
Keeping the B-52’s operational until 2050 will also require maintenance. We apply the same agile approach and cost-conscious mentality to our repair work as we do in production. It helps us complete work with safety, quality, speed and cost in mind. What distinguishes our team from the rest is not only attentive service but Boeing proprietary tooling in all of our locations across the globe and experts intimately familiar with strut and nacelle work—because many of them also have experience building them.
Delivering a competitive edge
When looking to the future of our country’s bomber fleet, we’re humbled by and optimistic about the B-52’s continued presence. To ensure the B-52’s next 30 years is just as successful as its legacy, we extend our culture of collaboration and agility to the DoD. Together, we can deliver the competitive edge needed to continue this legacy of quality.
