Quote:
Originally Posted by dieselguy
Being in commercial aircraft assembly industry ... there is a build schedule that the IE people keep track of. There are team leaders on the floor that help coordinate via computer and occasional drawings each line unit as to it's build characteristics. There are PCA's (parts control area) that supply packages of parts per build number and date of build to each individual assembly area throughout the plant. It's pretty hard to not build the right configuration as these packages are line unit specific. Workers just don't have pick and choose parts laying around to deal with. If there is a part shortage or scrap ... lots of paperwork has to be filled out to retrieve the correct part. You cannot just show up at a parts depot and ask for an extra part. Each line mechanic has a given number of jobs to do ... each one not necessarily on every unit ... new hires are shown by seasoned workers their jobs and how to get them done in a given time frame. You do the same thing on so many line units no matter the build configuration ... it becomes robotic. What gets messed up or unfinished is mostly (not always) done by some of the better mechanics out of position which is costly and harder to do as the unit has moved on up the line where needed tools and jigs are far behind assembling another line unit in the firing order. I'd guess RV's are assembled kinda sorta like that.
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From what I saw at the High Country plant, the RV industry is about 80 year behind the aviation world. Where we “clean as we go”, yea, that doesn’t exist. The assemblers are stepping over debris, and in actuality, they push 17 a day out. Not on 3 shifts, but 1! The folks don’t get paid by the hour but by the quota. Basically, once they get their assigned number completed, they go home.
The guide was touting the “quality” being shown due to the number of red tape flags of defiencies. In actuality, if their processes were good, qa would be bored. I worked Boeing 777 wing/body join as we were waiting for the 777F, and that was an eye opener for a flight line maintenance type. The RV assembly line was a huge eye opener as to the issues we have with our rigs. The assemblers don’t have time to clean after completing their work, so no wonder there’s loads of trash, uncut tie wrap tails, missing screws, etc all over. That’s also the reason they use self drilling screws, it’s faster.
Nothing that I saw at the HC plant could correlate to the aviation world. There was no (that I saw) tool control, parts issuance control and qa made a cursory pass over the rig near the end of the about 30 minutes at the station. They had some cool stands that allowed the workers to work on the roofs and upper walls that retracted into the roof rafters, but the assemblies were moved by hand. I even witnessed an assembler move a cabinet by dragging it on the corners. There was one rig at the station to install the front cap and one brace was bent. It was identified, but fixed, who knows. My guess, no. To repair it, they’d have had to replace the frame (as it was weakened where it was bent) and that would have added time.
Now, the MorRyde plant, they did have parts issuance control, and it was cleaner. Of course the we’re working 3 shifts, so they can spread out the work better. In reality, i’m very amazed there aren’t more issues with these rigs.