Can Lean Manufacturing Change the Aerospace Defense Industry

Abstract

In times of decreasing orders, increasing overhead costs and fewer customers, lean manufacturing techniques may allow the aerospace defense industry to remain healthy and profitable while offering the united States an avenue to maintain a more viable national industrial base. The automobile industry has shown lean manufacturing techniques can substantially reduce costs, cut development time, and produce a better product than mass production. The American aerospace defense industry is now working to implement these new techniques through the F-22 Engineering and Manufacturing Development Program, and the Lean Aircraft Initiative. European defense companies are also implementing the principles of lean manufacturing with results well worth noting.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1994
Accession Number
ADA280420

Entities

People

  • Cynthia L. Segersten

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircraft Industry
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Business Administration
  • Defense Industry
  • Employment
  • Engineers
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Manufacturing Engineering
  • Military Aircraft
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Production Engineering
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Economics

Technology Areas

  • Space