“We knew that automation and robotics would be key to meeting the F-35 program’s goal of continued high-volume production,” says Glenn Masukawa, vice president and F-35 programme manager at Northrop Grumman. “We also needed to be affordable, which implied a lot of cost reductions over time.”
To meet production expectations, the company turned to the U.S. automotive industry for inspiration. “We teamed up with KUKA Systems North America, a Detroit-based automation technology company that specialized in integrating assembly lines for the automotive industry,” explains Scott Johnson, F-35 centre fuselage integrated product team lead. “We blended their understanding of automation and automotive production lines with our expertise in aerospace tooling. The resulting Integrated Assembly Line (IAL) represents the best production practices from both industries.”
Located at the Aircraft Integration Center of Excellence in Palmdale, California, the IAL incorporates more than 115 build stations and 22 automated systems. Now at full production, the system completes an F-35 centre fuselage every 30 hours, a production interval of 1.25 days, with more than 1,400 units delivered to date.
Johnson highlights that the IAL produces all three F-35 variants — CTOL, CV, and STOVL — on the same line. “All three variants use the same base tooling,” Johnson says. “Our secret sauce, however, is Northrop Grumman’s very robust global supply chain.”
Mechanics receive parts in custom “shadow boxes” designed for accuracy and efficiency. “This simple but very effective process means that we have near-perfect accuracy in installing the right part on the right jet,” says Masukawa.
With nearly 100,000 employees and extensive U.S. manufacturing infrastructure, Northrop Grumman continues to invest heavily in its workforce and supply chain. The company has added over $13.5 billion in infrastructure and R&D, driving innovation in design, development and production to meet present and future security needs.
Source: Northrop Grumman.
