Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) will be expanding two of its production facilities for the 787 programme, to keep up with Boeing's plan to increase the production rate of the type from the current 10 monthly shipsets to 14 shipsets by the end of the decade.
Construction will start from October 2014 to expand Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works and Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works' Oye Plant, says the Japanese manufacturer. MHI is responsible for the manufacture of the 787's composite wing box.
The Shimonoseki facility, which manufactures composite stringers, will have its aircraft shop expanded. An autoclave for curing and shape-forming the layered composite prepregs will also be added, says MHI.
At the Oye plant, an automated composite tape layer will be added in the fabrication factory while its painting and assembly factory will be expanded to include a modified automated drilling machine and the installation of a painting robot.
Increased production rate is targeted to begin in 2016, says MHI.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
