2nd April 2025 | 1 min read
The complexity of aerospace supply chains can create significant challenges in maintaining efficiency and productivity.
A tier 1 aircraft component manufacturer wanted to increase efficiency and operational effectiveness at a UK site aligned to its end-to-end supply chain, and asked Unipart to make performance improvement recommendations.
Unipart undertook an extensive review of the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) processes, which require up to 1.5 hours of changeover for every 15 hours of use. The client requested Unipart to undertake a full review of this changeover with an aspiration of reducing the 1.5 hours by 30%. Unipart implemented its recommended changeover reduction principles.
Using Unipart’s Changeover Reduction Analysis tool, Unipart consultants engaged with the CNC team to conduct an in-depth analysis of the changeovers to understand the root cause of the lack of timeliness. This analytical and collaborative approach not only provided a granular understanding of existing processes and pinpointed areas for optimisation, but also enabled the CNC team to recognise the waste within the entire changeover process, fostering a shared understanding and driving improvement.
35%
changeover time reduction
Building upon these insights, Unipart documented a series of improvements and recommendations, resulting in a more streamlined process. In addition to tackling the current inefficiencies, these improvements will create a roadmap for ongoing continuous improvement.
From Unipart’s recommendations, the manufacturer should expect:
The feedback on the project was very positive and future collaboration with the client to execute the strategic roadmap is anticipated.
