By spreading the company over the current 76,000 square foot campus, Air Industries is able to initiate some LEAN Manufacturing concepts, such as: Geographic Management, Cellular Manufacturing and Improved Production Flow. We are also better able to isolate cost centers so that we can employ activity-based accounting and accountability. With these techniques we are in a position to make good make/buy decisions relative to machining and to apply separate cost center rates for costing such activities as assembly, sub-assembly, inspection and kitting operations. The machine shop activity is also isolated in a separate rate structure with its own focused management team and support disciplines such as N/C Programming and First Piece Inspection.

The typical production flow is improved by locating activities in a flow-oriented sequence. Raw material is received and then moved to the warehouse where tool storage and first cut activities are located. A work release is issued by Contracts from that same location. Production material cut to pre-size or forgings are moved to the machine shop with the appropriate tools, and production travels as a package. Production machining is completed within the machine shop (one building) through the production deburring operations. Machined parts are then moved to the final inspection area and accepted parts are moved to the assembly area, where applicable, or to process and finishing suppliers, where required, all in accordance with operation sheet (traveler) sequencing.

The assembly area may be supplied parts from either the Air Industries Machine Shop or from suppliers. In both cases, parts flow through the common inspection area and into a common stock room and kitting area. This area feeds both the assembly area for further work and customer shipments for completed product. Certain high quality/visibility assembly programs have dedicated stock room areas within the assembly area.

The assembly area is equipped with detail machining, turning, drilling, honing, and deburring to avoid any return to the production machine shop. As a result, our new production flow reduces redundant returns to work stations. If necessary, employees will move to meet parts within the flow sequence.

Our basic work flow at Air Industries starts with the Contracts Department where customer purchase orders are received, production planning is completed, and work assignments are released to the appropriate disciplines. These releases include manufacturing work orders, which are first released to our Manufacturing Engineering Department to develop detailed operation sheets and purchase requisitions. Purchase requisitions are forwarded to Purchasing to assure timely and economic delivery of materials. Detailed manufacturing operation sheets and travelers are released to Production to assure orderly and controlled manufacturing flow.