Siemens helps Spirit AeroSystems keep gantry mills flying

摘要

Through a systematic predictive maintenance program and continuous upgrades to the controls, motors, drives, and other components on its huge multi-axis gantry mills, Spirit AeroSystems of Wichita, KS, has realized substantial productivity gains without the capital investment of new machine tools.rnUnder the direction of Ed Fenn, Facilities Manager for retrofit/machine shop operations, more than 275 retrofits of machine tools have been performed since Fenn helped establish the group shortly after joining Spirit (Boeing at the time) in 1982.rnEach of the approximately 575 machine tools in the facility is monitored under a predictive maintenance program. Wear, uptime, routine maintenance, and even environmental impact are monitored to determine when a planned retrofit or complete overhaul of the machine will be required. Spirit has conserved millions of dollars in new capital expense because of the program, while improving machine tool performance, according to Fenn.