Fastener Delays Cause Additional Boeing 787 Setback
Fastener Delays Cause Additional Boeing 787 Setback
Jason Sandefur
Material shortages for fasteners forced Boeing to announce a second delivery delay for its 787 Dreamliner.
The latest set back comes weeks after Boeing announced an initial six-month delay and promptly replaced the head of its 787 program, which has been hampered by a critical shortage of aerospace fasteners and other supply problems.
Boeing named Pat Shanahan, 45, general manager of the 787 program. Shanahan replaces Mike Bair, 51, who had lead the Dreamliner’s development since its launch in 2004.
Scrambling to speed up production, Boeing has sent hundreds of engineers to help third-tier suppliers as far away as Israel.
In recent weeks CEO Jim McNerney has blamed Alcoa Fastening Systems and other fastener suppliers for ongoing shortages that have delayed the test flight of the 787.
However, earlier reports suggesting that 787 fastener specs were as much as 8 months late, forcing AFS and other suppliers to work non-stop to complete design work and manufacture the 9 different fastener types for the Dreamliner. Web: boeing.com �2007 FastenerNews.com
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