airomerix
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Dear all,
Years ago, I wrote a report on JF-17s manufacturing and presented it on a forum as part of a requirement of an operational course.
For the benefit of the Defence.pk community, I'm just sharing a portion of it after altering a some details and removing blueprints/maps/pictures and graphical representations.
Please do not reproduce let's be proud of the work PAC is doing
________________________________________________________________________
Aircraft Manufacturing Complex - Pakistan Aeronautical Complex
The Facility
The operations related to the manufacturing of the JF-17s airframe are carried out at the state of the art facilities at Aircraft Manufacturing Factory, PAC Kamra. The factory is planned in a strategic manner aimed at maximizing product production efficiency. The following layout structure depicts the overview of the facility aimed at producing one of the most sophisticated machines in the region.
<Picture Removed>
Facility X
The facility X of the AMF is a hi-tech facility equipped with state of the art 5 axis machinery. The 5 axis machinery enables the manufacturing of the most sophisticated parts of the airframe. The steel and aluminum sheets are processed via 8 axis machinery which stretches while strengthening the material metallurgy. The facility X employs over 105 skilled workers which includes 4 officers and 15 supervisors (Junior Commissioned Officers). The facility is commanded by Group Captain who belongs from the Engineering branch of the PAF.
Facility Y
The section of the AMF is an ultra-modern aerospace facility where a variety of parts are manufactured on the ultra-hi-tech 5 axis machines. The 5 axis machines allows the product to be manufactured on a 5 axis model instead of the usual 3 axis (X, Y & Z) applied in other industries such as automobile and shipbuilding. This allows the AMF to manufacture hi-precision airframe parts required to sustain supersonic pressures. The facility is commanded by a Group Captain and employs 150 personnel with 9 officers.
Facility Z
This is an organized aerospace logistics facility whose strategies allow businesses and organizations to gain important capabilities to compete on a global scale. When executed properly, it allows AMF to meet and exceed specific industry and customer expectations.
Below is a list of core capabilities required for an optimal execution of aerospace logistics at PAC Kamra.
§ Strong communication and organizational skills to ensure that all runs smoothly from the planning stage to delivery
§ Supply chain management, to ensure that all components are accounted for and that business needs are planned for
o Manufacturing plan, including the timing of delivery of materials and the final product
o Warehousing and ground transportation solutions, for inventory management along the transportation process
§ Contingency plan, in case of emergencies and unforeseen circumstances
§ Speed, to ensure that the Air Force needs are met in a timely manner, and to minimize costs.
Logistics is a highly challenging task. Every operational component is costly, time sensitive, and interdependent on other components, and therefore every stage must be well planned and very well executed.
Organizations like PAC who incorporate aerospace in their logistics strategy require reliable and timely services – every minute counts and every dollar counts in such an expensive industry.
A strong aerospace logistics strategy of PAC benefits its supply chain and help its businesses gain a competitive edge in its industry. There are factors that must be considered to reap these rewards, including:
§ Special packaging for safety and breakage prevention specifically for aircraft transportation
§ The ability to track progress to understand when and where goods are at any given point
§ Ensure that components for a single item arriving from multiple locations are timed to arrive on time; be it at the same time, or as they are needed in the manufacturing/delivery process
§ Repairs be made quickly and efficiently
Ensure there are warehousing solutions at destinations so product, materials, and inventory are readily available, as they are needed. Inventory management, order processions, and inventory tracking are vital; this will help to ensure there is always enough inventory that components that are used together for production are packaged and delivered together, and that delivery to the destinations occurs on time with no waste.
The facility Z furthermore focuses on the following questions, do you have an emergency grounding contingency plan? Sometimes, for unforeseen reason aircraft can be grounded, causing equipment and inventory to be delayed or prevented entirely from arriving at its destination. To ensure that all client and stakeholder needs are being met, a contingency plan is made by Log Division.
As multiple parts may be arriving from multiple locations at different times, AMF deploys a system to be able to track all stages of delivery from the multiple networks, after carefully and strategically planning the path they will take. Logistics planners at facility Z ensure delivery occurs along the most efficient travel line for both time and costs saving purposes.
Things to keep in mind for this to be effective:
§ Local and international time zones, for delivery time and arrival time
§ International rules, regulations and laws for international transportation
§ Includes: taxes, trade agreements, environmental laws, human rights and manufacturing regulations
§ Transportation from the nearest airport to the items destination
§ Time-critical solutions, for late or last-minute shipments, and for rush orders
§ Having an onboard courier for sensitive or highly valuable items
Final Assembly
The final assembly of the JF-17 Thunder is done in a hi-tech state of the art facility at AMF. The huge hanger has the capacity of assembling up to 20 jets a year. The facility includes workstations where airmen work on the aircraft according to their expertise and field. The following tasks are performed at the final assembly
i) Butt joining of the minor surfaces
ii) Engine installation
iii) Cockpit installation
iv) Systems integration
v) Canopy installation
Flight Test Station (FTS)
The Air Force deploys different methods to test the aircraft's performance in a static position. Engine performance, electronic functioning, hydraulic symmetry are some of the tests the aircraft has to go through on the ground. Furthermore, specialized tests like GVT (Ground Vibration Test) to test the strength of the aircraft wing loading are also carried out by this facility. This facility is commanded by a Group Captain and 2 supervisors with a total strength of around 25 personnel.
Building the Thunder
The JF-17 is built inside the Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (AMF). The 3 major sub-groups of the AMF division at PAC which are responsible for the manufacturing of the JF-17 are:
i) Aircraft Production Group [APG]
ii) Structure Building Group [SBG]
iii) Parts Production Group [PPG]
iv) Logistics (Log)/Support Group
These three sub-groups are coordinated by an authority known as Production Planning & Control (PP&C). This authority on a very basic level deals with the Project Planning Office.
(PPO) which coordinates with the Chinese CAC/CATIC for the raw and semi-finished materials required to manufacture the aircraft locally.
The raw material on a very first level comes in the form of aluminum alloy sheets and bars. The Log division of the JF-17 stores these supplies until the facilities of Parts production group (PPG) requests their issuance. These sheets and bars are sent to Facility X at the AMF to be made into pieces of different strengths and sizes. For further processing, the finished products of facility X which are now stored at Log are transferred to facility Y which converts them into several components and structures. The semi-finished products of the facility Y are later sent to facility T sub-division for testing purposes and finally leave the PPG group for the next stage which takes place in the facilities of Structure Building Group (SBG).
The SBG now has semi-furnished parts of the wings, vertical tail, flaps, middle and rear fuselage. All of these parts come together as a result of the high-precision manufacturing at the facilities of X and Y at the AMF. The SBG group then assembles these parts together with the front fuselage section of the aircraft which is a direct import from Chinese Aerospace Corporation (CAC). After the assembly of the airframe structure. The aircraft is moved to the final assembly area which comes directly under the Aircraft Production Group (APG).
From the basic skeleton to the battle ready machine, this is what APG must accomplish in just 75 working days. Which translates into 16 battle ready assets in 12 months or equivalent to raising of one fighter squadron per year. Truly remarkable for a country with a comparatively young experience in aerospace industry.
The Aircraft production group builds the aircraft in 12 major sub-stages. Which are;
Stage 1: Acceptance
<Details Removed>
Stage 2: Laying and securing
<Details Removed>
Stage 3: Installation of pipes & components
<Details Removed>
Stage 4: Butt joining of aircrafts major surfaces.
<Details Removed>
Stage 5: Continuity & power on checks.
<Details Removed>
Stage 6: Adjustment of hydraulic & landing gear system.
<Details Removed>
Stage 7: Flight control adjustments & testing.
<Details Removed>
Stage 8: Installation of Engine & KCA
<Details Removed>
Stage 9: Aircraft leveling and system harmonization.
<Details Removed>
Stage 10: Quality inspection of complete aircraft
<Details Removed>
Stage 11: Aircraft symmetry and installation of seat/canopy.
<Details Removed>
Stage 12: Aircraft transfer to flight test station (FTS)
<Details Removed>
_____________________________________________________________________
END
Years ago, I wrote a report on JF-17s manufacturing and presented it on a forum as part of a requirement of an operational course.
For the benefit of the Defence.pk community, I'm just sharing a portion of it after altering a some details and removing blueprints/maps/pictures and graphical representations.
Please do not reproduce let's be proud of the work PAC is doing
________________________________________________________________________
Aircraft Manufacturing Complex - Pakistan Aeronautical Complex
The Facility
The operations related to the manufacturing of the JF-17s airframe are carried out at the state of the art facilities at Aircraft Manufacturing Factory, PAC Kamra. The factory is planned in a strategic manner aimed at maximizing product production efficiency. The following layout structure depicts the overview of the facility aimed at producing one of the most sophisticated machines in the region.
<Picture Removed>
Facility X
The facility X of the AMF is a hi-tech facility equipped with state of the art 5 axis machinery. The 5 axis machinery enables the manufacturing of the most sophisticated parts of the airframe. The steel and aluminum sheets are processed via 8 axis machinery which stretches while strengthening the material metallurgy. The facility X employs over 105 skilled workers which includes 4 officers and 15 supervisors (Junior Commissioned Officers). The facility is commanded by Group Captain who belongs from the Engineering branch of the PAF.
Facility Y
The section of the AMF is an ultra-modern aerospace facility where a variety of parts are manufactured on the ultra-hi-tech 5 axis machines. The 5 axis machines allows the product to be manufactured on a 5 axis model instead of the usual 3 axis (X, Y & Z) applied in other industries such as automobile and shipbuilding. This allows the AMF to manufacture hi-precision airframe parts required to sustain supersonic pressures. The facility is commanded by a Group Captain and employs 150 personnel with 9 officers.
Facility Z
This is an organized aerospace logistics facility whose strategies allow businesses and organizations to gain important capabilities to compete on a global scale. When executed properly, it allows AMF to meet and exceed specific industry and customer expectations.
Below is a list of core capabilities required for an optimal execution of aerospace logistics at PAC Kamra.
§ Strong communication and organizational skills to ensure that all runs smoothly from the planning stage to delivery
§ Supply chain management, to ensure that all components are accounted for and that business needs are planned for
o Manufacturing plan, including the timing of delivery of materials and the final product
o Warehousing and ground transportation solutions, for inventory management along the transportation process
§ Contingency plan, in case of emergencies and unforeseen circumstances
§ Speed, to ensure that the Air Force needs are met in a timely manner, and to minimize costs.
Logistics is a highly challenging task. Every operational component is costly, time sensitive, and interdependent on other components, and therefore every stage must be well planned and very well executed.
Organizations like PAC who incorporate aerospace in their logistics strategy require reliable and timely services – every minute counts and every dollar counts in such an expensive industry.
A strong aerospace logistics strategy of PAC benefits its supply chain and help its businesses gain a competitive edge in its industry. There are factors that must be considered to reap these rewards, including:
§ Special packaging for safety and breakage prevention specifically for aircraft transportation
§ The ability to track progress to understand when and where goods are at any given point
§ Ensure that components for a single item arriving from multiple locations are timed to arrive on time; be it at the same time, or as they are needed in the manufacturing/delivery process
§ Repairs be made quickly and efficiently
Ensure there are warehousing solutions at destinations so product, materials, and inventory are readily available, as they are needed. Inventory management, order processions, and inventory tracking are vital; this will help to ensure there is always enough inventory that components that are used together for production are packaged and delivered together, and that delivery to the destinations occurs on time with no waste.
The facility Z furthermore focuses on the following questions, do you have an emergency grounding contingency plan? Sometimes, for unforeseen reason aircraft can be grounded, causing equipment and inventory to be delayed or prevented entirely from arriving at its destination. To ensure that all client and stakeholder needs are being met, a contingency plan is made by Log Division.
As multiple parts may be arriving from multiple locations at different times, AMF deploys a system to be able to track all stages of delivery from the multiple networks, after carefully and strategically planning the path they will take. Logistics planners at facility Z ensure delivery occurs along the most efficient travel line for both time and costs saving purposes.
Things to keep in mind for this to be effective:
§ Local and international time zones, for delivery time and arrival time
§ International rules, regulations and laws for international transportation
§ Includes: taxes, trade agreements, environmental laws, human rights and manufacturing regulations
§ Transportation from the nearest airport to the items destination
§ Time-critical solutions, for late or last-minute shipments, and for rush orders
§ Having an onboard courier for sensitive or highly valuable items
Final Assembly
The final assembly of the JF-17 Thunder is done in a hi-tech state of the art facility at AMF. The huge hanger has the capacity of assembling up to 20 jets a year. The facility includes workstations where airmen work on the aircraft according to their expertise and field. The following tasks are performed at the final assembly
i) Butt joining of the minor surfaces
ii) Engine installation
iii) Cockpit installation
iv) Systems integration
v) Canopy installation
Flight Test Station (FTS)
The Air Force deploys different methods to test the aircraft's performance in a static position. Engine performance, electronic functioning, hydraulic symmetry are some of the tests the aircraft has to go through on the ground. Furthermore, specialized tests like GVT (Ground Vibration Test) to test the strength of the aircraft wing loading are also carried out by this facility. This facility is commanded by a Group Captain and 2 supervisors with a total strength of around 25 personnel.
Building the Thunder
The JF-17 is built inside the Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (AMF). The 3 major sub-groups of the AMF division at PAC which are responsible for the manufacturing of the JF-17 are:
i) Aircraft Production Group [APG]
ii) Structure Building Group [SBG]
iii) Parts Production Group [PPG]
iv) Logistics (Log)/Support Group
These three sub-groups are coordinated by an authority known as Production Planning & Control (PP&C). This authority on a very basic level deals with the Project Planning Office.
(PPO) which coordinates with the Chinese CAC/CATIC for the raw and semi-finished materials required to manufacture the aircraft locally.
The raw material on a very first level comes in the form of aluminum alloy sheets and bars. The Log division of the JF-17 stores these supplies until the facilities of Parts production group (PPG) requests their issuance. These sheets and bars are sent to Facility X at the AMF to be made into pieces of different strengths and sizes. For further processing, the finished products of facility X which are now stored at Log are transferred to facility Y which converts them into several components and structures. The semi-finished products of the facility Y are later sent to facility T sub-division for testing purposes and finally leave the PPG group for the next stage which takes place in the facilities of Structure Building Group (SBG).
The SBG now has semi-furnished parts of the wings, vertical tail, flaps, middle and rear fuselage. All of these parts come together as a result of the high-precision manufacturing at the facilities of X and Y at the AMF. The SBG group then assembles these parts together with the front fuselage section of the aircraft which is a direct import from Chinese Aerospace Corporation (CAC). After the assembly of the airframe structure. The aircraft is moved to the final assembly area which comes directly under the Aircraft Production Group (APG).
From the basic skeleton to the battle ready machine, this is what APG must accomplish in just 75 working days. Which translates into 16 battle ready assets in 12 months or equivalent to raising of one fighter squadron per year. Truly remarkable for a country with a comparatively young experience in aerospace industry.
The Aircraft production group builds the aircraft in 12 major sub-stages. Which are;
Stage 1: Acceptance
<Details Removed>
Stage 2: Laying and securing
<Details Removed>
Stage 3: Installation of pipes & components
<Details Removed>
Stage 4: Butt joining of aircrafts major surfaces.
<Details Removed>
Stage 5: Continuity & power on checks.
<Details Removed>
Stage 6: Adjustment of hydraulic & landing gear system.
<Details Removed>
Stage 7: Flight control adjustments & testing.
<Details Removed>
Stage 8: Installation of Engine & KCA
<Details Removed>
Stage 9: Aircraft leveling and system harmonization.
<Details Removed>
Stage 10: Quality inspection of complete aircraft
<Details Removed>
Stage 11: Aircraft symmetry and installation of seat/canopy.
<Details Removed>
Stage 12: Aircraft transfer to flight test station (FTS)
<Details Removed>
_____________________________________________________________________
END
