In the high-stakes world of aerospace manufacturing, every detail matters. From the tiniest component to the largest assembly, precision, durability, and speed are key factors in delivering products that meet mission-critical standards.
This case study highlights the pivotal role that Aerol, a Caster Concepts Company, and the rest of the Caster Concepts companies played in supporting one of the biggest names in aviation—Boeing—through vertical integration across all the business units. By delivering specialized casters for Boeing’s 777 Center Fuselage Section Tool, Aerol & company showcased the ability to produce highly engineered, USA-made products while seamlessly supporting other USA-based industries.
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The Challenge: Meeting the Demands of Boeing’s Fuselage Tooling
In the early 1990s, Boeing approached Aerol, now a Caster Concepts Company, with a daunting task. The aerospace giant was developing the Boeing 777, a wide-body aircraft designed to revolutionize commercial air travel. A key aircraft component —the center fuselage section—required tooling capable of handling enormous loads while maintaining flexibility and speed during manufacturing. This challenge came full circle in 2024 when Boeing once again turned to Aerol for a second set of specialized casters.
Boeing needed to increase the production rates of the 777, which required adding a second tool. These tools—equivalent in size to a small house—had to be mobile, durable, and able to support a total weight of over 50,000 pounds, including the fuselage. With the ability to move at high speeds and handle such a heavy load, Boeing relied on Aerol to innovate a custom solution.
The Solution: Vertical Integration at Its Best
Leveraging vertical integration across Caster Concepts’ multiple business units, Aerol embarked on the challenge to design and manufacture custom casters that would meet Boeing’s unique requirements.
At the heart of the solution was the development of the 14380 caster—a super heavy-duty pneumatic dual-wheel swivel caster explicitly designed for the center fuselage section tool.
The caster had to carry the tool’s weight (30,000 pounds) along with the added fuselage load. The casters also needed to withstand the rigors of frequent, high-speed travel across the production floor. With these demanding criteria in mind, Aerol coordinated an effort across several specialized companies within the Caster Concepts family, each contributing its expertise to the project.
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE. The project began with Aerol’s engineering expertise. Aerol’s responsibility was to design and engineer a caster capable of handling Boeing’s requirements. With decades of experience and a Quality Management System (QMS) that meets AS9100D standards, Aerol’s design prioritized durability, reliability, and safety.
As a result, the 14380 caster was engineered with approximately 200-300 parts, making it one of the most complex casters the team has designed. Despite the intricacies, Aerol’s engineering expertise ensured the caster could handle the extreme load traveling at five mph required in Boeing’s production environment.
PRECISION FABRICATION AND FINISHING. Once the design was finalized, the next step was fabrication. Fabricating Concepts, another Caster Concepts Company, was tasked with handling all aspects of fabrication. This included laser cutting, heating, and finishing (powder coating) of the many components required for the fuselage section tool.
Fabricating Concepts’ advanced fabrication capabilities ensured that all parts were produced to exact specifications while maintaining high-quality control. This was critical in ensuring that the 14380 casters would perform reliably in the demanding environment of Boeing’s production floor.
WELDMENTS FOR STRENGTH AND STABILITY. Given the substantial load the casters would need to support, weldments—assemblies created by welding together multiple components—were essential. Caster Concepts produced all the weldments for the caster. The strength and stability provided by Caster Concepts’ weldments ensured that the casters would remain durable under intense stress and prolonged use.
LARGE FORMAT ASSEMBLY AND MACHINING. For the heavy-duty machining and large-format assembly needed in the manufacturing of the 14380 caster, Aerol relied on Albion Machine & Tool, another Caster Concepts Company. Albion Machine & Tool’s expertise in machining large components ensured that the caster would meet Boeing’s rigorous performance and durability standards.
PRECISION TURNING AND TOOLING MODIFICATIONS. Next, the project moved to Triple E, a Caster Concepts Company known for its precision turning capabilities and ability to create or modify tooling to ensure that every component they manufacture meets exact tolerances—especially AS9100D standards. This attention to detail was crucial for a project where even the slightest error could have significant consequences in terms of performance and safety.
Finally, REACTION INDUSTRIES, Caster Concepts’ in-house poly processing company, provided the poly bumpers required for the project. Using advanced meter mix machines and large-capacity processing ovens, Reaction Industries produced bumpers that absorbed impact and vibration and prevented damage to the sensitive tooling required to manufacture the fuselage.
The Result: Seamless Integration and Superior Products
Thanks to the vertical integration of Caster Concepts’ various business units, Boeing received a fully customized solution that met their exact needs. The collaboration between Aerol, Fabricating Concepts, Caster Concepts, Albion Machine & Tool, Triple E, and Reaction Industries reduced lead times and ensured the highest quality of each component—all while keeping the production entirely within the United States.
