| This project is a comparative analysis between manual and automated assembly techniques to perform fuselage skin splice join and frame installations on large wide body aircraft. This analysis was concerned with the cost to assemble skin panels for the nose, center and aft fuselage. The focus was on all costs of quality comprised of: prevention, appraisal, internal and external failures. This was accomplished through reviewing machine operator down time logs, interviews and reviewing accounting data.;As a result of this project, there is a better understanding of how quality costs are impacted when introducing a new automated assembly system. The data provides an insight as to the quality improvement benefits to product. Plus this information provides the support groups with data on how the quality of their services impacts production. The primary recommendation from this analysis is to improve the communication between all support groups and production. |
