Lean Manufacturing Initiatives in Aerospace

Glen holds a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Operations Management from the Charles F. Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University, and a Master of Business Administration from the Barney School of Business at the University of Hartford. He has extensive technical knowledge in various areas such as engineering, manufacturing operations, quality control, SCM, ILS, and program management. Glen has also demonstrated his leadership skills on a global scale by implementing lean and cellular manufacturing methods in aerospace manufacturing systems, which have yielded self-improving value streams.

Please tell us about the journey that you've had so far and your roles and responsibilities atICON Aircraft.

In 1980, I began my aerospace career with a manufacturer specializing in avionics. In 1982, I joined the U.S. Air Force as a maintenance technician for various aircrafts like C five, C one 40 ones, one thirties, KC tens. After completing my Air Force service, I worked at Oakland International Airport with a company called Tower Aviation Services before joining Sikorsky Aircraft in 1988. Over the next 14 years, I held roles such as avionics engineer, ground support engineer, and program manager, working on projects like the MH-60K and S-70CM-1 and S-70C-6.

I transitioned to Pratt and Whitney within United Technologies Corporation, where I took on manufacturing positions with increasing responsibility over nine years. Later, I served as a lean and manufacturing expert at UTC corporate for two years. Following this, I became the president of B&E Precision Aircraft Components in Southwick, Massachusetts, a supplier to major aerospace companies, for seven years. I then took over as president of Phoenix Manufacturing in Enfield, Connecticut, before relocating to the West Coast. Currently, I am the Senior Vice President at Icon Aircraft.

What are some of the major challenges in the market when it comes to lean manufacturing?

Throughout my career, the most significant trend I've observed is the increasing importance of lean manufacturing. In the early days, discussions predominantly centered around quality, often out of necessity. However, as global competition intensified, especially from lower-cost regions like China, Indonesia, Eastern Europe, and Mexico, it became imperative for U.S. companies to take lean manufacturing seriously.

The need to stay competitive forced a reevaluation of costs, prompting a reinvention of processes. Over time, the companies that embraced lean principles not only survived but thrived. By reducing costs and adopting lean methods, they not only stayed afloat but also reinvented themselves successfully, a trend that set them apart from competitors who did not adapt. 

Is there a project initiative that you've been part of recently and have implemented one or couple of best practices to make that successful?

We recently completed three significant lean manufacturing events, or Kaizens, to enhance our production processes. The first focused on the final assembly area, where we completely reorganized it to improve the flow of aircraft assembly. This change allowed us to meet customer demands more efficiently and have aircrafts in our aircraft completion center for the customers to.

In addition, we redesigned the sub-assembly work areas for composite build sub-assemblies, incorporating point-of-use tooling, materials, and documentation. The introduction of a water spider system increased material flow by over 35%, ensuring timely delivery of parts to the final assembly line.

Another Kaizen targeted the layup area, where the Icon A5 is made from carbon fiber composite. Through the reconfiguration of five work centers, we optimized the flow from composite laying to curing in ovens, resulting in a 35-40% increase in throughput.

“In the realm of the lean journey, culture is everything. To embark on this path, you must not only embrace it but believe in it wholeheartedly. Without belief, you'll never step into that arena of transformation.”

These three major Kaizen events have significantly improved manufacturing processes at Icon Aircraft, enhancing efficiency and meeting production demands more effectively.

Any specific piece of advice that you'd like to share with your fellow peers or other industry leaders?

To enhance manufacturing efficiency, the initial step involves robust data collection, and this is often overlooked in many manufacturing entities. Analyzing this data is crucial to identifying turnbacks—any impediments in the production flow. Conducting thorough root cause analyses of these turnbacks is essential to rectifying defects and errors in the manufacturing process. The most effective approach is to create a value stream map of the In addition, we redesigned the sub-assembly work areas for composite build sub-assemblies, incorporating point-of-use tooling, materials, and documentation. The introduction of a water spider system increased material flow by over 35%, ensuring timely delivery of parts to the final assembly line.process, delving into each step to grasp the details.Analyze where inventory accumulates and the duration it's queued, as excess inventory means cash is stagnant rather than generating revenue. After mapping the process, identify bottleneck areas and conduct kaizen events to address the constraints. Next implement lean techniques like 5S, production preparation processes, PAP, and FM to enhance flow and identify factors hindering progress. Applying these tools helps pinpoint and alleviate issues that impede the efficient flow of materials through the process.

Ensuring a lean organization is an ongoing journey, not a destination. Continuous improvement is crucial for sustained success. Secondly, establishing robust standard work is essential for a well-functioning quality management system, aligning with standards such as AS 9100 Rev D. Also, the entire organization must support the lean process, with leadership representation across functions, from engineering to shipping. It is important to have strong leaders across all facets of the organization, ensuring seamless support from inception to execution. The absence of such leadership compromises the strength of your lean initiatives, hindering the smooth and efficient flow of products through your facility.A collaborative culture, inspired by principles like those in Stephen Covey's book on effective leadership, is vital. Covey's advice to seek first to understand, then to be understood, emphasizes collaboration and creating win-win scenarios throughout the organization. At Icon, we prioritize this approach, fostering a collaborative culture where diverse perspectives are valued for the synergy they bring to our business acceleration.