Part Count: Monolithic Part Effects On Manufacturing Labor Cost, An Aircraft Applied Model

摘要

There are significantly different manufacturing processes and part counts associated with composites that are not currently addressed within the procurement and life cycle management processes in the Department of Defense (DoD). A series of initiatives have culminated in significant evidence over the last decade to combat the implied risk of composite aircraft. An Air Force Research Labs program, Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA), provides substantial support for the impact of part size on life cycle cost on payload aircraft. This paper evaluates select current methods used and seeks to introduce modifications to the projected manufacturing hours cost. The findings suggest the impact of monolithic parts appears to permeate most of the major cost categories in development and production. The discussion addresses the far- reaching implications of trading several parts for one. This research finds that a significant relationship between relative part count and major cost categories does exist. Specifically, a percentage reduction in part count drives a corresponding percentage reduction in the manufacturing hours. The series of findings pertaining to part count and cost merit consideration for updates to the CERs and interim modifications to capture some portion of the impact in current life cycle cost models.