Looking beyond the pandemic, we are committed to taking Operational Excellence, flawless execution and continuous improvement to the next level. We are harmonizing how our people, processes and technology unite to eliminate waste, shorten lead times and improve product and process quality.
We’re embracing Industry 4.0 and supercharging our foundations in our people and processes with the appropriate use of technologies. The symmetry we’re establishing between extremely talented people, Lean principles and the right mix of technology – robotics, Artificial Intelligence, automation and the Internet of Things – will lead to consistent and predictable outcomes in the advanced solutions and capabilities we deliver to our customers.
The current industrial revolution in digital transformation provides a plethora of opportunities for the manufacturing floor of the future. L3Harris is taking full advantage of those that will elevate our manufacturing technology to the same level of our next-generation product technology.
First, we’re driving quality upstream, to the source, to ensure we’re designing our products for manufacturability, which also ensures sustainment and maintenance processes also go smoothly. We’re deepening the collaboration between Engineering and Operations to strengthen our Zero Defects mentality, driving quality to the next level.
We’re re-engineering shop floor management to speed communication and translate real-time data into information and action. We’re designing more-connected information systems to implement as many automated and zero-touch operations as possible.
Our goal is to create an environment that reduces stress and fatigue on our personnel. Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality allow our operators to stay “in the loop” but act more like a coach than a player in the operation. For example, vision equipment with Artificial Intelligence software alerts when it detects slight defects in the assembly, and the location is illuminated by overhead projectors to drive quality at the source and improve the cognitive ergonomics of our operations.
The investments we are making today and going forward drive enhancements in our capability to deliver the highest quality products and assure they will work the first time and every time.
Spanning four unique businesses, there isn’t a single panacea for the diverse challenges in our segment’s manufacturing operations. While elements of our manufacturing system are common, we adapt and tailor technologies to accommodate the nuances in each of our businesses, spanning high-volume commercial to low-volume programs.
For example, a pilot program in our Rochester, New York, tactical radio facility meshes all of these elements to transform a multi-cell production system into a single, mixed-model line with high utilization rates and Quality at the Source – a first-of-its-kind innovation for the company. All of the systems we are putting together provide real-time feedback to the operator, management and Engineering support teams to deliver the highest value and quality to our customer.
Activities such as this are building upon our robust and aligned ecosystem – from supply chain to manufacturing, test and sustainment – to create true technology disruption within our operations to maintain our ability to be a partner of choice for our customers.
Across our enterprise, novel and broadly applicable process and technology improvements are emerging and gaining acceptance every day. Our advances in revolutionizing the modern manufacturing space for the digital age, aligned with our dedication to continuous improvement , assures our customers have the highest-quality, most-advanced solutions to successfully complete their missions.
By Balaji Suresh
Vice President, Operations,
Communication Systems, L3Harris
"We’re embracing Industry 4.0 and supercharging our foundations in our people and processes with the appropriate use of technologies. The symmetry we’re establishing between extremely talented people, Lean principles and the right mix of technology – robotics, Artificial Intelligence, automation and the Internet of Things – will lead to consistent and predictable outcomes in the advanced solutions and capabilities we deliver to our customers."
