Originally Posted by
underfire
... The unique giants have been needed because of a serious run of quality issues with large 747-8 fuselage panels and tail pieces produced at a Triumph Group manufacturing plant in Texas.
.... this year, 17 have come in from Dallas-Fort Worth.
The reason was revealed earlier this month in a frank investor teleconference by Triumph Chief Executive Jeffry Frisby ... replacing “a very significant number” of structural 747-8 pieces that failed inspection, then “renting Antonovs to ship (those) parts” to Boeing
Triumph’s leadership first mentioned quality issues with 747-8 parts in January and brought in new top managers at the plant to turn it around.
Boeing spokesman Larry Wilson...said Boeing has provided support personnel to Triumph’s Grand Prairie plant — formerly owned by Vought, which was acquired by Triumph in 2010 ... the Antonov deliveries has maintained its 747-8 production rate of 1.75 jets per month, or 21 per year.
This looks like an interesting case study for an MBA program. You have to wonder if any changes were made with the 2010 change in ownership that affected the manufacturing and assembly process? (e.g. downsizing workforce or other cost-cutting measures) And is the build-time for the panels quite long such that the pre-2013 deliveries were of the remaining 'Vought' variety already in the production pipeline before the acquisition?