AFSO 21 event saves Air Force $1.4 million Published July 5, 2007 By Senior Airman James Bolinger 436th AW Public Affairs DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- MXS Quick Engine Change shop returns $1.4 million in servicable parts to Supply during 5-day rapid improvement event Dover Air Force Base's 436th Maintenance Squadron saved the Air Force more than $1.4 million after the completion of a five-day rapid improvement event here recently. Using Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century and Lean principles, the 436th MXS Quick Engine Change section improved its processes and those of several other agencies base wide. The QEC makes kits that contain all the parts necessary for adapting the TF-39 engine to the C-5 Galaxy. The Lean event, which took place May 7 - 11, involved the relocation and organization of parts and tools to streamline the production of a QEC kit. "This event involved several units here, including the 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 436th Maintenance Squadron and base contractors," said Maj. Robert Gomez, 436th MXS commander. "Our QEC section was filled with spare parts. We were working in the old Air Force mentality of save it because you might need it. Some of those parts have probably been sitting in boxes for 15 - 20 years." When a QEC kit is removed from the engine in the Jet Engine Intermediate Maintenance shop, it is then routed to the QEC section for inspection, repair or replacement, said James Dickinson, 436th MXS QEC section supervisor. "The old process required the mechanics to walk to JEIM, Building 725, to pick up and inventory the QEC kit, adding extra travel time and distance," said Mr. Dickinson. "Once completed, the kit was returned to the JEIM shop for installation." This project used to take 12 days, said Maj. Gomez. Now, MXS can produce one kit in seven days. The reason for the slow production rate was an excessive inventory that took up space and did not allow enough space for efficient work area, said Mr. Dickinson. Basically, the more efficient the work area, the more movement is minimized and time is saved. The best part about this event is the quick return on the investment, said Maj. Gomez. Many RIEs take weeks or even longer before the benefits are realized. "This event had an immediate effect and took five days to plan and execute, and the day it ended we saved the Air Force $1.4 million," he said. "It is exactly what you want when you think Lean." The new process allows QEC to produce one more kit per month without a manning change. The event began with several days of planning to ensure it wouldn't adversely affect other agencies. The dedicated team of Lean professionals, who made up the QEC RIE team, began by moving the Fan Stator Repair Section from the JEIM shop, to the Accessories/Component Repair shop, Building 719, said Mr. Dickinson, RIE team member. Stators are cross-section supports that sit in front of the fan blades inside of the engine. "This move saved travel time, because the wash-rack is located in ACR shop and all stators have to be cleaned prior to repair," said Mr. Dickinson. "The only wash-rack big enough to clean a stator is in the ACR so it made sense to move their repair shop closer." The floor space that once housed the Stator Repair Section, Building 725, was turned into a storage area for serviceable spare parts, which are needed to satisfy the increased production rate required by Air Mobility Command Headquarters, said Mr. Dickinson. Once the Stator section was in place, the QEC section was moved from one end of Building 719 to the other, said. Mr. Dickinson. This move along with the return of $1.4 million of serviceable parts back to Supply allowed the QEC section to design an efficient cellular layout. "All (QEC) mod sections were consolidated into one area saving travel time and providing a better span of control for the section supervisor," said Mr. Dickinson. "The parts turned in to Supply increase the numbers of some hard-to-get components, and those parts were made readily available to all TF-39 engine-using bases." The return of serviceable components to Supply was where the shop saw the immediate monetary return on the RIE. "The Lean Team eliminated wasted time and effort by reducing excessive inventory down to a manageable level that still allowed them to meet production needs, by creating an efficient cellular layout that eliminated unnecessary movement and duplication of effort," he said. Lean is an important concept in Air Force culture, said Maj. Gomez. "We have made leaps and bounds in the streamlining of processes over the last several years," said Maj. Gomez. "Until recently, it has been primarily Air Force members leaning their processes. This event involved our civilian contractors in the Maintenance Squadron. "This is important, it means that our Lean culture is spilling over to non-military members who work on base," he said. "The two people who work in QEC are Defense Support Services personnel and we have other DS2 civilians imbedded in the Fabrication Flight, Propulsion Flight and Non-destructive Inspection shop." Lean is the future of the Air Force and has really enhanced the quality of life here in the Maintenance Squadron, said Mr. Dickinson.