Lockheed Martin sees JSF production gains from CAPP and MES systems

Lockheed Martin says it has seen “measurable increases in productivity and quality” by using Visiprise CAPP (computer aided process planning) and manufacturing execution software as part of its EWI (electronic work instructions) project. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics developed EWI to update manufacturing and production operations for the F-35 joint strike fighter. Key goals were to improve data integrity, reduce data generation costs, increase usage and reduce system support costs. The firm says successes include: increased quality of workmanship through the use of annotated digital photo graphics of build steps; reduced hours per unit, scrap and rework since changes are immediately propagated across production; and streamlined business data use and accessibility for production users. “We recognised an opportunity to update our infrastructure in a way that would increase productivity and reduce both cost and waste,” explains Brad Leech, EWI senior manager. “With the EWI project we were able to streamline our processes as well as better organise our business units into a comprehensive system.” When fully deployed later this year, the Visiprise system will provide access across the US to more than 6,000 users.