Influence of manufacturing tolerance on aircraft direct operating cost (DOC)

The influence of manufacturing tolerance on direct operating cost (DOC) is extrapolated from an engine nacelle to be representative of an entire aircraft body. Initial manufacturing tolerance data was obtained from the shop floor at Bombardier Aerospace Shorts, Belfast while the corresponding costs were calculated according to various recurring elements such as basic labour and overtime labour, rework, concessions, and redeployment; along with the non-recurrent costs due to tooling and machinery, etc. The relation of tolerance to cost was modelled statistically so that the cost impact of tolerance change could be ascertained. It was shown that a relatively small relaxation in the assembly and fabrication tolerances of the wetted surfaces resulted in reduced costs of production that lowered aircraft DOC, as the incurred drag penalty was predicted and taken into account during the optimisation process. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.