Pickle Fork LEAN manufacturing changes
Large Aluminum Parts Cell: 777 Side of Body Fittings (pickle fork)The pickle fork cell produces the body fittings that attach the wing to the body of the plane. The MBU previously produced the pickle fork using batch and queue techniques. When implementing Lean, the primary initiatives for pickle fork production were to create a product-focused cell, increase material efficiencies, and more effectively manage quality within the cell.
The pickle fork cell's capabilities include large part machining, close tolerance boring, hand drilling and finishing, assembly, and coordinate measuring machine inspection. In addition, like the Stow Bin Arch cell, the pickle fork cell maintains its own "store." The store contains the maximum number of parts required on the floor and uses cutouts as a visual control to maintain the proper inventory levels within the cell. Visual controls are also used to standardize and improve work quality. Color coded systems are used to ensure that the proper drills are being used to perform the right task at the right time in production.
To increase materials efficiency, the main component of the pickle fork is now produced out of forged, restrike aluminum. Previously the part was produced from block aluminum, which generated a significant amount of scrap because the pickle fork component was cut and shaped from the block. The pickle fork forgings now arrive in the approximate shape of the component so less aluminum is scrapped. In addition, the type of aluminum previously used for the pickle fork required shipping to California for stress relieving and return back to Auburn for continued production. The current aluminum forgings do not require stress treatment.
So there has been a manufacturing change, but I don't know from the document when that happened to understand if it has anything to do with this issue.