Product category:
Measurement and Quality Software and SPC
News Release from: Cimworks UK | Subject: GAGEtrak Calibration Management Software
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 April 2003
Calibration management software ousts
file cards
Calibration management software for an Airbus wing manufacturing and assembly plant replaced large, manual, card-based filing system and has increased the throughput of gauges for recalibration.
CimWorks UK of Rugby have completed the commissioning of GAGEtrak Calibration Management Software for the Airbus wing manufacturing and assembly plant at Broughton, North Wales In 1971, production of wing sets for the first Airbus - an A300 began at the plant
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 20 Aug 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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Since then, more than 3000 wing sets have been manufactured and 30 years on, the success of the Airbus family of aircraft in the civil aviation market continues with developments to the product line including the 555 seater A380 superjumbo.
In November 2001, CimWorks UK delivered GAGEtrak Calibration Management Software as part of Airbus' drive for increased manufacturing efficiency.
Keith Hough, Head of the Calibration department at Broughton said, "The essence of what we do here is drill holes, then fill them." Having operated the calibration management function with GAGEtrak since March of 2002, Keith also went on to say; "the product itself, and the quality of customer support by CimWorks UK has been excellent." The Airbus, Broughton plant has in excess of 20,000 measurement gauges used in the production of the aircraft wing sets, all of which, in order to satisfy the quality standards of Joint Air Regulation 21 (JAR 21), require that they are tested and recalibrated to strict ISO standards, tolerences and timescales.
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Systems to trace and track the calibration history and location of each gauge have always been required, and until CimWorks UK installed GAGEtrak, the method employed by Airbus was a large, manual, card-based filing system, employing a separate card for each of the 20,000 gauges in the plant.
By definition, the integrity of such a system to work accurately and efficiently is inevitably limited by its dependence on human input to record, update and file the data obtained as each gauge is tested.
Whilst the manual recording of information is workable, subsequent analysis for work scheduling, or cost-control is less so, because of the limitations imposed by retrieval from a large, card-based system.
Manual collation and analysis of the many items of information held in 20,000 records imposes time and capability constraints on the overall efficiency of the database.
Keith Hough says the implementation of GAGEtrak has increased the throughput of gauges for recalibration and reduced the possibility for human error in the recording process of the data obtained.
One example of this is the integration of gauge measuring machines facilitating automatic entry and recording of the measurements taken for each gauge directly into the record for that gauge within GAGEtrak.
Keith also said the data retrieval and reporting options within GAGEtrak have facilitated statistical analysis and management reporting capabilities that were previously not possible.
"The data analysis capability of GAGEtrak has helped us gain a better understanding of our own operation and has vastly improved the management and cost-control of our function." Future implementation plans for the database include a web reporter facility on the company's intranet allowing personnel throughout the site to see which gauges will become out of date in any upcoming week.
As a result re-calibration planning and scheduling will be greatly improved across the plant.
The importance to Airbus of the introduction of GAGEtrak should not be underestimated.
Hough said; "If the gauges fail, wings could stop being produced!" Consequently a comprehensive analysis of the various gauge management software packages was undertaken by Airbus prior to specifying GAGEtrak and calling in CimWorks UK.
Based upon the features required and functionality, a weighted matrix was used to determine the best available package.
GAGEtrak came out as the clear winner, and since the introduction of GAGEtrak in March, significant efficiencies and cost savings have been realised.
According to Hough, data retrieval on any gauge in the plant has become "call-centre quick".
Gauge history is complete, producing reliable and accurate audit trails.
The data base created has instituted a powerful management tool and control system.
It has eliminated peaks and troughs in recalibration schedules.
Knowledge of and the preplanning of soak times has eliminated delays in recalibration and improved the efficiency and throughput of the calibration room.
There is now powerful management control for the renewal and retirement of gauges.
In addition, GAGEtrak has created the ability to undertake comparative cost/life analyses between different gauge manufacturers.
This has lead to more cost-effective procurement and tangible savings in tooling costs.
In 2002 alone, Airbus invested ?280 million in the Broughton plant on manufacturing infrastructure, equipment and tooling, principally in support of the A380 super jumbo programme.
GAGEtrak is now an integral and important part of the existing wing manufacturing process and will also be in the new A380 programme which has already begun production.
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