Aerospatiale Matra's St Eloi factory in suburban Toulouse is notable for one thing - the manufacture of engine pylons for all aircraft models built by the consortium, today numbering 13, but soon to be 15. St Eloi is a good example of lean manufacturing: flexibility and ever-shorter production cycles. Airbus' flexibility is evident in the decision to offer the CFM56 to power the new 100-seat A318, alongside the original Pratt & Whitney PW6000, which was to be the sole engine option. "We simply have to adapt the machines," says Gilbert Peyrieres, director of production at St Eloi.
Pylons provide the interface between the engine manufacturer and airframer, each of which have their own specific requirements. "The most efficient approach would be to standardise the design and manufacturing process," says Airbus. Single-aisle pylons, whether for CFM56- or International Aero Engines V2500-powered aircraft, fall into this category. For twin-aisle aircraft, common pylon forgings have been introduced for all A330s and, where this is not possible, flexible manufacturing provides the answer. Multipurpose jigs quickly adaptable to accommodate different engine types have been introduced, while laser cutting and numerically controlled (NC) tools enable rapid machining with little setting-up time. A recently installed NC machine which produces the all-important pins that transfer the weight and thrust of the engines to the airframe does so in 73% less time than it took the original five machines. Only six people are needed to operate it, instead of 14.
The factory operates a 24h day (10h at weekends), seven days a week, and employs 570 people, of whom 115 are in final assembly - 30% fewer than four years ago. It is responsible for design, manufacture, test and delivery of pylons at one site, bringing together decentralised expertise. Shop engineers and technical support personnel are based inside the factory, where they can troubleshoot, prepare for new products and modifications and, says Peyrieres, "ensure we get the best at minimum cost".
There are substantial cash incentives for ideas that achieve cost cuts. Four months ago, a new, faster, laser cutting machine was introduced for the titanium panels that make up the fabricated elements of the pylons.
As a profit centre, however, St Eloi had to justify the expenditure to the Airbus board. Peyrieres says: "It will return its investment in less than two years."
Source: Flight International
