Prepare for 737 Moving Assembly Line -Buildings 4-81/82

FSi, as prime consultant, provided the project management and mechanical design to prepare the facility for a 737 moving line in Renton’s main assembly buildings.

Boeing Commercial Airplane Group
Renton, Washington

Boeing wanted to improve its airplane-manufacturing methods by installing continuously moving production lines for assembling its single-aisle models, similar to automotive lean manufacturing methods in Japan. FSi, as prime consultant, provided the project management and mechanical design to prepare the facility for a 737 moving line in Renton’s main assembly buildings. The $1 million construction project was divided into 20 small, very fast-track individual projects that FSi managed. The overall project had a very challenging schedule, and most of the individual projects were mobilized with only a few hours notice and little scope definition. Construction documents were typically delivered 2 weeks or less after Boeing’s notification of a new task. The tasks included relocating floor shops and trench utilities to make way for the moving line. Despite the aggressive 8-month schedule, the projects were constructed on time and under budget, clearing the way for Boeing to complete the moving line on schedule. When these moving lines are fully operational, the 737s will move continuously at a rate of about two inches per minute, reducing final assembly time of these models by 50 percent.