在最近舉行的巴黎航空展上，法國(guó)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)制造商Snecma宣布將投資建設(shè)一家全新的裝配廠，以滿足新型LEAP發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)前所未有的客戶需求量。LEAP發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)是Snecma與通用電氣組建的合資公司CFM的產(chǎn)品之一，將用于采用新型發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的最新版波音737、空客A320系列和中國(guó)商飛C919機(jī)型。
在該消息宣布之際，這款新發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)已確認(rèn)和已承諾訂購(gòu)的訂單量已經(jīng)超過(guò)8900份，在巴黎航空展上又新增了500多份訂單，而一年后這些數(shù)量龐大的訂單就要變成真實(shí)的產(chǎn)品，開(kāi)始服役了。
盡管還在研發(fā)階段，但新LEAP發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)已成為航空史上最暢銷的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。因此，制造商和整個(gè)供應(yīng)鏈所面臨的挑戰(zhàn)，就是如何生產(chǎn)出足夠的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)，以滿足1.2萬(wàn)多架新飛機(jī)的龐大需求。
波音和空客的月產(chǎn)量接近50架飛機(jī)，這個(gè)數(shù)字還將繼續(xù)上升。由CFM和Pratt & Whitney生產(chǎn)的新一代發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)將會(huì)讓這些150座飛機(jī)變成人氣寵兒，它們將是生產(chǎn)任務(wù)的重中之重，而其中LEAP發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的生產(chǎn)尤其關(guān)鍵，因?yàn)檫@是737 Max系列唯一采用的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。
因此，Snecma正在努力發(fā)展供應(yīng)鏈，為前所未有的生產(chǎn)需求匹配所需的產(chǎn)能。
作為L(zhǎng)EAP前身的CFM56發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)在十多年間產(chǎn)量得到了逐漸增加，最后達(dá)到年產(chǎn)近1600臺(tái)的水平。但LEAP所面臨的挑戰(zhàn)則艱巨得多，因?yàn)樗仨氃诙潭?年內(nèi)，也就是到2020年將產(chǎn)量增至1800臺(tái)以上。該合資公司的美國(guó)和法國(guó)出資方對(duì)分工有所約定，根據(jù)這一約定，CMF所生產(chǎn)的全部發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)中，有一半將由Snecma負(fù)責(zé)進(jìn)行最后總裝，裝配地點(diǎn)為位于巴黎附近的Snecma Villaroche工廠。
為了應(yīng)對(duì)這一巨大挑戰(zhàn)，除了現(xiàn)有的CFM56生產(chǎn)線外，Snecma還將建造兩條專屬于LEAP的全新裝配線。新生產(chǎn)線長(zhǎng)60米，寬20米，每條裝配線的年產(chǎn)量為500臺(tái)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。每條生產(chǎn)線都能裝配LEAP的三種版本——空客A320neo的LEAP-1A、波音737 MAX的LEAP-1B，以及中國(guó)商飛C919的LEAP-1C。這兩條裝配線將分別于2017年1月和2018年初建設(shè)完畢并啟動(dòng)運(yùn)行，屆時(shí)Snecma的Villaroche工廠將具備年產(chǎn)1000臺(tái)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的能力，相當(dāng)于每天可完成4臺(tái)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的生產(chǎn)。
現(xiàn)有的兩條CFM56裝配線從2009年開(kāi)始服役，至今已為Snecma節(jié)約了30%的裝配時(shí)間，而全新的兩條LEAP裝配線將采用一系列創(chuàng)新技術(shù)，繼續(xù)保持這一優(yōu)勢(shì)。
比如說(shuō)，發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的位置移動(dòng)將由觸屏和一個(gè)Snecma擁有專利的高空裝卸系統(tǒng)進(jìn)行管理，該系統(tǒng)配有一個(gè)類似于“旋轉(zhuǎn)搖籃”的裝置，可將發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)沿著水平軸轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)，這樣員工就不用在高空進(jìn)行作業(yè)了。發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)部件和次級(jí)裝配件的定位工作將采用最新的激光投射和虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)輔助系統(tǒng)，此外操作員還能使用通過(guò)網(wǎng)絡(luò)進(jìn)行互聯(lián)的工具，以及其他先進(jìn)設(shè)備。
這些裝配線還設(shè)計(jì)了操作員反饋功能，并可根據(jù)建議進(jìn)行調(diào)整，可以顯著提升整個(gè)生產(chǎn)線和裝配線上各工位操作員的舒適度和工作效率。此外，這兩條全新的裝配線也為未來(lái)可能需要增加的產(chǎn)能保留了調(diào)整的空間。CFM的合作伙伴通用電氣公司也將在其位于美國(guó)印第安納州西拉斐特的工廠進(jìn)行LEAP發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的產(chǎn)能擴(kuò)大工作，其中一條生產(chǎn)線今年年底即可投入使用。
New pulse lines for LEAP engine production
During the recent Paris Air Show, French engine manufacturer Snecma announced significant investment in a new assembly facility to meet the unprecedented level of customer demand for the new LEAP engine, which is being developed as part of the CFM partnership with GE to power the latest re-engined versions of the Boeing737 and Airbus A320 families and the new Chinese COMAC 919 airliner.
At the time of the announcement, before another flood of 500+ orders were declared at Paris, there were already more than 8900 orders and commitments for the new engine, a year before entry into service.
The new LEAP is already the world’s best-selling new engine, while it is still under development, in the history of aviation. The challenge facing the engine manufacturers, and everyone else down through the supply chain, is how to produce enough units to satisfy what has grown to a backlog of well over 12,000 new aircraft.
Even with aircraft output at Boeing and Airbus heading toward 50 airframes every month, and possibly rising even higher, the need to supply the new generation engines (from CFM and Pratt & Whitney) that is making these 150-seat airplanes so popular has become a priority, certainly in the case of the LEAP engine, which is the sole source powerplant on the 737 Max family.
As a result, Snecma is preparing its supply chain and industrial capabilities for an unprecedented production ramp-up.
The LEAP's predecessor, the CFM56, saw its production gradually rise over a dozen years to an annual rate of nearly 1600 engines. The LEAP faces a much more daunting challenge, since it is aiming at an annual production rate of more than 1800 engines as early as 2020, in just four years. In line with the assigned workshares in the joint French/U.S. company, Snecma is responsible for the final assembly of half of all engines made by CFM, with this assembly being handled by Snecma's Villaroche plant near Paris.
To meet this huge challenge, Snecma is to build two new assembly lines dedicated to the LEAP, alongside the two existing CFM56 production lines. These new pulse lines will stretch 60 m long and 20 m wide (about 200 x 65 ft), and each line will offer a capacity up to 500 engines per year. They will be able to assemble all three versions of the LEAP: the LEAP-1A for the Airbus A320neo, the LEAP-1B for the Boeing 737 MAX, and the LEAP-1C for the Comac C919. These two lines will be up and running by January 2017 and early 2018, allowing Snecma to assemble up to 1000 engines/year at Villaroche—the equivalent to over four engines every day.
The two current CFM56 pulse lines, commissioned in 2009, had already enabled Snecma to reduce engine assembly time by 30% and the two new LEAP assembly lines will extend this initiative, while adding a number of innovations.
For example, engine movements will be managed by touchscreens, and an overhead handling system featuring a "swing cradle" that enables rotating the engine around the horizontal axis (a proprietary Snecma process), so staff won't have to work at heights. The positioning of components and subassemblies on the engine will use the latest laser projection and virtual reality assistance systems, while operators will use connected tools and other advanced devices.
The design of these pulse lines involves operator feedback and can accommodate recommendations. It is expected that this will significantly enhance the comfort and efficiency of operators at the various workstations throughout the production and assembly process. The new additions to the plant will allow for a third LEAP assembly line if this is eventually needed to increase production capacity even further. The GE partners in CFM are also expanding their own LEAP production facilities in the U.S. at West Lafayette, IN, which will see a new line open before the end of this year.
發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的位置變換將由觸屏和一個(gè)Snecma專利的高空裝卸系統(tǒng)進(jìn)行管理，該系統(tǒng)有一個(gè)類似于“旋轉(zhuǎn)搖籃”的裝置，可將發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)沿著水平軸轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)，這樣員工就不用在高空進(jìn)行作業(yè)了。
發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)部件和次級(jí)裝配件的定位工作將采用最新的激光投射和虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)輔助系統(tǒng)完成，此外操作員還能使用通過(guò)網(wǎng)絡(luò)進(jìn)行互聯(lián)的工具和其他先進(jìn)設(shè)備。此外這些裝配線還設(shè)計(jì)了操作員反饋功能，并可根據(jù)建議進(jìn)行調(diào)整。