Lean Manufacturing:
Mankind’s Portal to the Future

by St. Mark’s School of Texas Robotics team

The impacts of the relatively recent engineering and technological revolution have radically altered all aspects of modern life. Machinery has allowed an agrarian society like that of the early United States to break free of the bonds of the sickle and scythe and embrace a completely new standard of living: that of the Industrial Age. The ability to let machines perform the repetitive, manual tasks that were necessary during the Industrial Revolution has allowed for every family to afford many basic apparatuses that are now staples to American life. America’s technological advantages have thrust the world into the Modern Era. Victory during World War II, one of the United States’ most climactic and overarching achievements, was achieved not only because of the bravery of our soldiers, but also through America’s ability to produce more tanks, cars, ships, supplies, and airplanes than its enemies. The ability to mass-produce airplanes, now the world’s most important means of transportation for passengers and soldiers alike, is the next great step in the Industrial Revolution. Building on the storied history of mass production, Lean Manufacturing will lead the world to a newer, more efficient future.

The history of modern Lean Manufacturing originates with mass production and interchangeable parts. Contrary to popular belief, mass production was first developed in the United States not by Henry Ford, but by the famed Eli Whitney. Known more for his cotton gin, Eli Whitney pioneered the field of mass production, although he suffered the same downfall many scientists face; he was ahead of his time. He famously approached the United States Congress in 1812, on the eve of the conflict with Britain, and set before them the unassembled parts of ten muskets. Before that time, muskets required individual manufacturing and individual repair, a necessity that squandered countless hours. In front of key governmental officials, Whitney picked up musket parts at random and promptly assembled the ten muskets, unassembled them, then reassembled them using different parts. Thus, a revolution in military technology was born, and although Whitney died before his industry could fully reach fruition, he became the true father of American mass production.

The next great step in Lean Manufacturing and the usage of Points of Use (POUs) was embodied by Henry Ford. The importance of Henry Ford in modern life cannot sufficiently be emphasized. Although previous inventors had developed the mass production of cars (specifically Ransom E. Olds, hence the name Oldsmobile), Ford perfected and popularized the process, using the best in contemporary technology to create cars of greater quantity and quality. The son of Irish immigrants, the teenage Ford famously dismantled and reassembled the watches of many of his friends and acquaintances, earning him the status of a brilliant repairman. He later worked for Westinghouse and independently operated a sawmill, yet he broke onto the engineering stage in 1893 when he became a Chief Engineer in the Edison Illuminating Company. After meeting with Thomas Edison, Ford became interested in creating his own cars, an interest that would sculpt the entire future of manufacturing.

Ford was not the only man involved in creating his revolutionary factory. It took dozens of investors and engineers working as a team to perfect Fords dream. Much like the St. Mark’s Team, each of Ford’s engineers contributed something specific and valuable. William “Pa” Klann kindled Ford’s interest after emulating the methods by which pigs were slaughtered in Chicago, namely through a conveyor belt in which POUs would dice a specific part, maximizing efficiency. Another man, C. Harold Wills, was one of Detroit’s chief metallurgists and car designers. Lastly, Walter Flanders first developed POUs for Ford, situating specific mechanisms in stationary locations so that workers would not have to move from place to place to construct each car. Ford’s assembly line proved that great engineering breakthroughs require proper teamwork and the experience of many dedicated scientists.

The last great advances in Lean Manufacturing occurred in the genesis of the aviation revolution. That fateful day, December 17, 1903, when Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the world’s first successful airplane, history changed. The development of aviation technology was slow at first yet accelerated rapidly after the First World War. The entire world held its breath as Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean. The 1920’s saw the development of the jet engine, and military jet engines followed decades later. Desire for aircraft reached its apex during World War II, when aircraft were a vital component of every major campaign. Supremacy in warfare was no longer just determined by the number of soldiers, guns, or warships, but by the quantity of airplanes.

Advances in airplane technology necessitated advances in airplane manufacturing as well. Airplane construction skyrocketed during World War II, and women largely constituted the airline construction workforce, one of the first areas where women could inject themselves into the workforce. As aviation technology became more sophisticated, so did the methods of airplane manufacturing. The two leading companies in the aerospace industry, Boeing and Airbus, fiercely compete for the best manufacturing technology and the most efficient production methods to continue meeting growing aviation needs. Lean Manufacturing in the context of airplanes has become one of the most lucrative and important new engineering projects of the twenty-first century.

Lastly, as engineers produce more aircraft each year, they must be wary of foreign object debris (FOD). FOD, defined as any object alien to the aircraft that might cause damage, has claimed the lives of countless passengers. According to Boeing, both internal and external FOD costs the airline industry over $4 billion dollars annually. Many examples of FOD are a result of nature, like birds, sandstorms, and hail. These are unavoidable and can only be minimized by precautions in the airplane structure. However, many FOD manifestations are the fault of airline manufacturers and employees, taking the form of abandoned tools, loose bolts, lockwire, and loose rocks on runway pavement. These petty blunders have caused many deaths. For example, on July 25, 2000, Air France Flight 4590 crashed near Paris as a result of small, titanium debris once part of the reverse thrust of another aircraft that had taken off just a few minutes earlier. A total of 113 people died as result of small metal parts, a lesson to all those who would balk at the importance of FOD elimination at airports.

Luckily, the airline industry has recognized the issues that FOD creates and has made great strides in exterminating FOD altogether. Frequent sweeping, magnetic strips, rumble strips, and FOD containers at all major airports have reduced FOD to a great extent. Additionally, aircraft are tested for FOD at manufacture centers. New engines are actually tested by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by throwing a freshly dead chicken into a running engine. The engine does not necessarily have to continue functioning, yet the aircraft as a whole must maintain itself in the air. Additionally, the FAA uses a chicken gun to fire dead chickens at aircraft to simulate impacts with birds. Lastly, revolutionary technologies like thermal imaging cameras, LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging), RADAR (Radio Detection And Ranging), and multiple camera systems have prevented needless deaths that might arise from the tyranny of FOD.

In conclusion, Lean Manufacturing has radically altered life in the modern world. Every business in the world strives for Lean Manufacturing. Those who have attained leaner and more efficient means of production continue to reap the inevitable rewards of productivity, while those who still suffer in the languor of yesterday’s technologies falter in the global economy. Lean Manufacturing has defined civilizations, declared victors in global wars, and even created empires out of small groups of people. America continues to benefit from her ingenious methods of production and her innovative engineers, but the airline industry still possesses the potential for rapid growth in manufacturing technology. The construction of aircraft and the elimination of FOD daunt even the most veteran scientists, and Team St. Mark’s will bear the standards of this new revolution in aerospace manufacturing.