Meeting Notices

“Creating Competitive Advantage through Your Supply Chain”

South Bay (CA) Chapter September 10 meeting

In recent years, the aerospace markets for both commercial and military products have become more and more competitive. With industry consolidation and few new aircraft being launched this trend is becoming ever more prevalent.

Most companies have reacted to these challenges by initiating continuous improvement activities focused largely on leaning out production operations and reducing direct labor product content. Businesses who have embraced lean initiative for many years are finding diminishing returns from this approach. In many cases this activity has been accomplished by the outsourcing of non-core operations and work content, reducing the internal production base.

Given this situation, many companies have realized they must redirect their attention to creating value through enhanced supply chain efficiencies. Ducommun is in the midst of such a supply chain transformation.

Please join us in Torrance, CA, on Thursday, September 10, 2015, 7:30am – 9:00am PDT (networking at 7:00am), when Joel Benkie (President & COO) and Jerry Redondo (VP of Operational Excellence) of Ducommun share some key aspect of their strategy and approach.

Attendance is limited to the #1 or #2 operating executives of A&D companies or plants, i.e., organizations that have a direct role in production, e.g., engineering, fabrication, coating, and testing. Likewise, to promote exchange, each meeting is limited to 20 attendees.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $40 for non-members ($30 Early Bird until September 3). Advanced registration is required. or more information and to register to attend the meeting or for the waitlist, go to http://adfsbsep15.eventbrite.com.

Click here for more information about and to join The Aerospace & Defense Forum.

The South Bay Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Moss Adams, Aerospace Engineering Corp., Community Bank, and California Manufacturing Technology Consulting, and led by the heads of Aerospace Manufacturing & Engineering. Alloy Processing, Triumph Aerostructures-Hawthorne, Dasco Engineering Corporation, Brek Manufacturing, and Frontier Associates.

Tour & Strategic Discussion at Triumph Aerostructures

South Bay (CA) Chapter August 13 meeting

Triumph Aerostructures – Vought Aircraft Division – Hawthorne has been a major innovator of both military and commercial airframe structures since the 1930s. This experience has enabled them to become a world-class supplier of skin panels.

The Hawthorne plant has produced Boeing 747 fuselage panels since the aircraft program began in 1966. Since that time, they have delivered more than 1,400 fuselage ship sets, including those for Air Force One. This fuselage section is 172 feet long. Each shipset has 21 major side and door panels delivered to Boeing in six custom, oversized railcars. In addition, Triumph Aerostructures – Vought Aircraft Division builds five upper and three lower “bonnet” panels for each 747 fuselage, along with 90 to 130 floor beams per ship set.

At the main assembly plant, subassemblies are assembled, such as access doors, stringer assemblies, and skin panel assemblies. To help ensure first-time quality, the site uses Determinate Assembly (D/A), an advanced digital manufacturing process that minimizes product variability and allows “snap-together” final assembly of large structures.

Please join us in Hawthorne, CA, on Thursday, August 13, 2015, 7:30am – 10:00am PDT (networking at 7:00am), when Marty Jones, President – Hawthorne, will host a presentation, tour, and strategic discussion at Triumph Aerostructures.

Attendance is limited to the #1 or #2 operating executives of A&D companies or plants, i.e., organizations that have a direct role in production, e.g., engineering, fabrication, coating, and testing. Likewise, to promote exchange, each meeting is limited to 20 attendees.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $40 for non-members ($30 Early Bird until August 5). Advanced registration is required. or more information and to register to attend the meeting or for the waitlist, go to http://adfsbaug15.eventbrite.com.

Click here for more information about and to join The Aerospace & Defense Forum.

The South Bay Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Moss Adams, Aerospace Engineering Corp., Community Bank, and California Manufacturing Technology Consulting, and led by the presidents of Aerospace Manufacturing & Engineering. Alloy Processing, Triumph Aerostructures-Hawthorne, Dasco Engineering Corporation, Brek Manufacturing, and Frontier Associates. Breakfast at this meeting is sponsored by Morgan Stanley.