Witness Excellence in Action at Boeing's Philadelphia Facility

When you think of Boeing, images of commercial airliners such as the ubiquitous 737 probably come to mind. But the Chicago-based aerospace giant also has a thriving military-aircraft business, which you can see firsthand by signing up for IndustryWeek's latest Excellence in Action tour.

Boeing's Philadelphia facility will open its doors for three tours on May 24 as part of IndustryWeek's popular benchmarking series. Boeing recently added the third tour after the first two tour quickly sold out.

The Philadelphia site is home to more than 6,000 employees who support the design, manufacture and marketing of state-of-the-art military aircraft such as the V-22 Osprey and H-47 Chinook helicopters.

Boeing's Philadelphia facility serves as headquarters of the company's Mobility Division, which provides aircraft for domestic and international military customers.
In addition to the Chinook and Osprey production lines, the site features a Boeing composite center of excellence, which fabricates complex assemblies and rotor blades, as well as the nation's largest privately owned wind tunnel.

The Philadelphia site serves as headquarters of Boeing's Mobility Division, which provides domestic and international military customers with aircraft capable of moving troops, machines, resources and supplies for combat and humanitarian missions.

Boeing's presence in the Philadelphia area dates back to the 1940s, and the company has continuously improved and updated its facilities through major factory initiatives such as the creation of a V-22 "lean-focused factory" in 2003, and the current $130 million project to transform the Chinook factory into a world-class lean assembly environment.

Tour Will Feature the V-22 and H-47 Lines

During the plant tour, visitors will see both the V-22 and H-47 factories.

The factories both were designed with an emphasis on point-of-use for employees, and feature third parties that service the factory several times per day to deliver just-in-time kitted parts and hardware, re-stock perishable and chemical items, and fix broken tools.

Both lines feature pulsing final assembly manufacturing lines, with feeder shops directly adjacent to their installation points. Visuals are deployed throughout the factory to help employee-involvement teams manage their businesses and minimize waste in their respective areas.

Technology is leveraged throughout the factories, whether it is through automated drilling capabilities or delivery of electronic engineering drawings, specifications and standard work instructions.

Additionally, advanced craftsmanship learning centers and "moonshine shops" focus on continuous skill improvement and the implementation of breakthrough processes.

To register, contact Erika Bailey, director of marketing & events, at (216) 931-9512 or [email protected].