Abstract:
Bell Textron's Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC) is an innovative proving ground, commissioned on March 25, 2021. At the MTC, Bell tests and refines technologies to support the manufacturing readiness and build processes for future vertical flight aircraft. The MTC is designed to address the biggest rotorcraft manufacturing challenges, including cost, schedule, and quality. The facility is connected and controlled by a network of IT, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and cybersecurity systems that manage its processes and operational data. The MTC provides a breadth of capability and houses both manufacturing and quality inspection processes in one site that produces composite blades, gears, cases, tooling, and more. The MTC focus areas include manufacturing of rotorcraft dynamic components and advanced composites, but also include integration for aircraft assembly, digital infrastructure, and digital manufacturing. This paper shows how Bell's advances in manufacturing support high-rate rotorcraft production and optimal manufacturing.