Upskill

130 miles of wiring go into every new Boeing 747-8 Freighter, tucked away overhead and underfoot from the cockpit to the wheel wells.Every Boeing aircraft, from the workhorse 737 to the new 787 Dreamliner, has multiple configurations, each with its own wiring scheme. In past years, technicians used “phone books” full of diagrams to do their work. Even with laptops, the same basic problem arised: constant look-away interruptions as workers got directions and cross-checked diagrams and schematics.

GE Aviation loses millions of dollars each year to errors made at key points during the assembly and overhaul of its engines. The costs show up in lost productivity, delays in testing, delays in customer deliveries, and the man-hours required to troubleshoot and correct faults. If errors arenʼt detected until after the engines are sent to customers, the repair costs exponentially increase.B-nuts are one such key manufacturing point. They play a critical role in aircraft engine fluid lines and hoses, providing a sturdy, reliable seal―but only if tightened and torqued properly. If not torqued properly, there will be a need for a maintenance do-over, cancelled flight, or even an in-flight shut down.