Following a boom in commercial aircraft orders in 2011, a year which saw the successful launch of the Airbus A320 NEO and the Boeing 737 MAX, the aerospace industry is now faced with having to deliver a huge backlog. According to a study of the aerospace and defense industry released by global business advisory firm AlixPartners, the industry must increase production rates by 45 percent in volume by 2015 if it is to meet demand, representing the industry's biggest challenge in the coming years.
EADS, the parent company of jet maker Airbus, has upped the ante in its long-running blood feud with Boeing, setting the stage for a messy battle between the two aerospace giants. According to a person with knowledge of the matter, the European conglomerate is set to announce the construction of a new manufacturing facility for its Airbus aircraft in the heart of Dixie - Mobile, Alabama.
The Offshore Group of Tucson, Arizona, has entered into a long-term relationship for the provision of outsourced manufacturing support, or "shelter," services in Mexico with UK-based manufacturer, J.J. Churchill Ltd. The British firm, a precision machinist for aerospace OEMs, will install production capacity in The Offshore Group's Roca Fuerte Industrial Park in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico. The term of the contract between the two parties is for 10 years.
Asset tracking is one of the leading RFID applications. This is because the process improvement delivers some of the clearest benefits and fastest ROI.
What began as a trickle of stories about challenges to China's supposed economic dominance has become a steady flow. It began with revelations of working conditions at Chinese factories. Soon we were reading about rising wages in the industrial sector - great for Chinese workers, but sure to make the country a less attractive source of cheap manufacturing for the West. Then there was the recent slowdown in China's foreign direct investment, along with the nation's struggle to create an economy that's geared more toward domestic consumption in the service of a growing middle class. Meanwhile, serious questions persist about the stability of China's banking system. And just last week, we learned that China's trade surplus with the U.S. is rapidly shrinking, as the country wrestles with the consequences of a stronger yuan.
Challenge: Our client, a large manufacturer of interconnect products, deployed InfinityQS software in its military/aerospace division. The application allows users to conduct extensive comparative quality data analysis throughout the enterprise and across the supply chain.
The market for RFID transponders, readers, software and services will generate $70.5bn from 2012 to the end of 2017. The market was boosted by a growth of $900m in 2011 and the market is expected to grow 20 percent year over year per annum. Government, retail, and transportation and logistics have been identified as the most valuable sectors, accounting for 60 percent of accumulated revenue over the next five years.
As enterprises look to minimize complexity, improve inbound supply chain efficiency and reduce costs, there is a growing need for intelligent solutions that provide the visibility, optimization and integration required to ensure that every part, component and package is shipped using the most effective service level.
The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the aerospace and defense industry. Learn how aerospace and defense companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter!
Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.