General Electric Company

Ronald L Link

Mark D Schlegel

John A Duzyk

Jerry P Rihel

Lawrence T Monocello

A process for assembling an engine from an engine frame includes the steps of defining a plurality of work steps necessary to assemble the engine. Each of the work steps has associated therewith a time period for carrying out that work step. A sequence of work steps is established to effect complete assembly of the engine. A plurality of work stations is defined, including a first work station and a last work station, for carrying out the work steps. Each work station includes at least one of the work steps and defines an assembly sequence. Work steps are allocated within the work stations in the assembly sequence to effect an aggregate of the time periods at each station for carrying out the work steps within that work station. The aggregate is about equal to respective aggregates of time periods at each of the other stations for carrying out the work steps within these other work stations. An engine frame is conveyed through the work stations, and the work steps are performed on the engine frame at each of said work stations in the established sequence to complete assembly of the engine. The time period that the engine frame resides at any of the work stations is levelized so that the time period at any one station is substantially equal to the time period that the engine frame resides at any of the other work stations.

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Grove City, PA, United States of America

Ronald L Link