Overview
The videos show the manufacturing process of Chinook and Robinson aircrafts. The place where the aircraft is made is big and spacious especially for the Chinook military aircraft. The companies have equipped the staff with all the necessary resources. The manufacturing process of an aircraft involves sequential interdependence. There is therefore a lot of teamwork as the plane moves through the preparation of material, assembly, finishing, painting and testing processes. The process requires a lot of team work because the inputs of one department are used by another.
All the people in these departments have to work well to ensure that the product has been designed and manufactured well. From the videos one can see that it is a well coordinated process among the workers or technicians.
While the Robinson company video mainly concentrates on the design, manufacturing and testing process, the Chinook Company goes further to talk about maintenance of the aircraft and the selling strategy. The Chinook video is more in depth and even longer. From their video we learn that the customer is in the mind of the manufacturer as they design and construct the plane. The customer comes to check out the plane. Is it what he had in particular? The customer is also present in the testing process.
The companies throughout the manufacturing process are concerned with the safety in use of the aircraft. The narrators in the video show the various steps that the technicians take to ensure that the aircraft material and components can sustain the aircraft activities. Both companies also mention the amount of time it takes to complete the aircrafts from the beginning process. The Robinson Company furthermore gives the time required in the particular stages.
The Robinson aircraft
The helicopter is a versatile machine that flies in any direction. It is able to land in the most difficult place. In the video we are able to see how the process begins till the aircraft is taken to outside for flight tests. Before even the construction of the aircraft, the designers sit down and come up with the designs of the helicopter in 3D with the help of the relevant computer software. It takes a total of 700 hours between the drying stage and the cutting of the pattern on the fiber.
The Robinson helicopter is made up of carbon fiber which is a composite material lighter and stronger than steel. The material is protected by double layers of green plaster. To cut the carbon fiber the company uses a blade machine ultra sound.
They use several layers of carbon fiber to make the rear view of the helicopter. They use the green light of a laser to assist them position the parts. The technician then uses a heat gun they uses a beehive web that goes to solidify the structure. However the fiber material is still soft and it has to be hardened by being washed under pressure. It is put in an oven that is 177 degrees centigrade. It stays in the oven for a period of 10 hours. After these the pieces are removed from the oven and taken to the machining area. Before using the fiber the fiber material is hit with a resonance hammer so that the technicians can detect if there are any faults.
The technicians mount an electrical harness on a pattern before it is put in the helicopter (How it’s made episodes, 2009) The electrical wiring of the plane is connected to the flight control panel of the helicopter. This is an important part of the plane and it can be compared to the brain of a human being. An aircraft can have on average 2350 meters of wiring while there are others that can have 9000metres of wiring. An aircraft has on average 9960 rivets which are made secure by the use of a ram and a gun. There are precautions taken to ensure aid does not get into the airplane and cause humidity and corrosion of the parts.
The technicians put the pieces of the plane systematically that is the front and side parts. In the next step, the motor is brought to the plane.
The motor weights 120kg and needs to be handled carefully. Safety is a primary consideration of the company. The screws of the plane have been perforated so that a cable can be inserted. The presence of the cable is important as it helps the screws withstand the high pressure vibration of the airplane blades without loosening. The technicians now put the blades of the helicopter on the plane. Each of the blades weighs 41kg each. These blades are what assist the plane to fly. The blades are made up of composite materials and an aluminum alloy. They then test the flight control panel which has been put at the dashboard.
Once the technicians establish control with the control tower they have the assurance that everything is running well. Now all the technicians have to do is to finish the interior
of the craft. The spacing in the facility is well with adequate space for the technicians to carry out their work. The seats and the safety belts are installed. Finishing also entails putting the ceiling, the doors and the windows. The last step once the finishing is done is to paint the aircraft. After painting, it is taken outside for flight tests before it is used. The tests are very important as they help the technicians determine once more that the electrical and magnetic components are operating well.
The company takes on average a total of 110 days to finish assembling the whole aircraft. The components of the aircraft are many, totaling to 3019 parts. Every year the company assembles a total of 185 aircrafts. The aircraft after completions weighs a total of 2.8tonnes. The average altitude for the plane is 6096 meters above sea level.
The Chinook aircraft
The video does not show the assembly of a particular aircraft like the Robinson video but the narrator, who is the chief manager at the assembly site shows the viewer the different work stations involves and explains the whole process as well of aircraft manufacturing.
When it comes to the CH47D Chinook Boeing helicopters we are shown a working facility located in Philadelphia. The first work stations are the assembly points which are the main stages in aircraft manufacturing. There is an auxiliary power unit which is a small engine that enables the running of a generator for flight testing. We are also shown the maintenance work platform section in the facility when companies have brought in their aircrafts for maintenance. The machine location where the technicians
conduct their work as they move up and down checking the aircraft supports an average of 500 kilograms. This means that on average two people are able to look at the engines of the aircraft during maintenance.
There is the cable wiring section where they put the wires of the aircraft that will connect to the cockpit. The aircraft is bigger than the Robinson aircraft requiring manpower of around five people to do the wiring. There are safety precautions taken by the company. There is an engineer who goes through the aircraft plans to ensure that the installation by the technicians has been done according to plan. After the finishing, there are flight tests conducted to ensure that everything is running smoothly.
The aircraft after the finishing process goes to the last section where it is painted (Nam Video, 2008). It stays in this section for a total of 5 days. Before the flight tests however, the technicians conduct a simulated rain exercise on the aircraft to check whether there is any possibility of water getting inside the aircraft and affecting critical equipment or the personnel.
The aircraft leaves the painting zone and is taken to the nest stage. At this time the blades are put on the aircraft. Fuel is put into the aircraft and the aircraft is checked to see whether there are any leaks. A safety flight inspection is carried out. The installation and communication components are confirmed. The process of putting the blades, checking fuel and flight testing also helps the company to ensure that the aircraft performs to the company’s and customer’s level of satisfaction. This process takes an average of 25 to 30 days.
The customer actually comes to the assembly facility to view and test the plane to see if it matches his requirements. There is a section in the facility where the customers have an opportunity for their fuel to be checked and any problems resolved. The pressure for the plane is also checked at the same place. These are military crafts for carrying the troops as they engage in their diverse kind of duties. The aircraft carries and average of 35 troops.
Conclusion
The video for the Chinook is different from the Robinson. The Robinson movie has gone into much detail in discussing the materials used in manufacture and the processes taken by the company till the helicopter is ready for use. The Chinook presentation is different as it gives an overview of the work stations of the company and the roles the employees play in the work stations. The video shows a complete Chinook aircraft.
It then takes us to an incomplete one where we are shown what happens in the specific work stations. The Robinson aircraft is not as big as the Chinook aircraft. However the Chinook facility is big and facility and adequate in meeting the company and customer requirements.
From the videos, aircraft manufacturing has several stages which is designing, assembly wiring, putting blades, finishing, wiring and aircraft ground testing. It does not matter whether it is a big aircraft or a smaller one, the main processes are the same or well defined. It is a sensitive process and both companies take the necessary precautions. Both companies have highlighted how during the whole manufacturing they take precautionary steps to secure the safety of the pilot and the passengers.
Works Cited
How it’s made episodes. How it’s made helicopters. Online Posting. Youtube. 2009. Web.
Nam Video. Cool Stuff Being Made: Boeing Chinook helicopter. Online Posting. Youtube. 2008. Web.