A recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) audit of the production of the Boeing 737 MAX raises new questions about whether it is appropriate for one of Boeing's main suppliers, to use dish soap and hotel key cards in the manufacturing process.
As it turned out, there was nothing wrong with that. In January, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched an audit investigation after a doorplug on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 was blown off. The audit found dozens of problems with Boeing and the 737 MAX airframe supplier, Spire, according to the audit.
In recent years, it has been exposed to quality problems and suffered financial losses. In March, Boeing said it was in talks to buy Spire, which Boeing spun off only in 2005.
But it's worth mentioning that in the wake of the Alaska incident, there was one thing that was misunderstood: it used dish soap and hotel key cards. In fact, the company has been properly authorized to use soap and house key-like tools, which are documented by the FAA to be used as factory tools, known as shop aids.
Joe Butchino, a spokesman for Spire, said: "When people see a hotel key card or dish soap, they think it's sloppy. This is actually an innovative way to solve the problem of efficient store assistance. ”
A Boeing spokesperson confirmed that they have approved the use of dish soap and key card tools as aids. The F.A.A. said the audit was part of its ongoing investigation into the Alaska incident.
As part of the audit, employees of the agency visited Spirit's facility in Wichita, Kansas. They scrutinized one aspect of the manufacturing process, namely how Spirit handles doorplugs, which will replace emergency exits if the plane's seating arrangements are more dense.
An audit document revealed that the FAA had observed that Peri had used hotel key cards to inspect door seals, but "were not identified/recorded/marked in the production order."
The key card is used to check the gap between the seal and the door plug to make sure there are no obstructions, rolling, or squeezing, according to the Ace official. Workers had previously tried other tools that were either too brittle or not bent enough. Inederm's engineers found that the key cards had rounded corners and just the right amount of flexibility, allowing them to check gaps without damaging the seal.
After Ace's employees were found to be using key cards, the company's engineers developed a similar tool for employees. The new device, which is green square, would have been a scratching tool, with engineers rounding the jagged edges.
Sean Black, the chief technology officer of Inere, led the effort and received approval from Boeing for the proper documentation of it. "Our workers often find creative ways to make the airframe manufacturing process more efficient," Blake said. In this case, workers invented the Door Seal Tool, which allowed our team to test the door seal without the risk of the seal degrading over time. ”
Then there's the issue of dish soap. Some audit documents show that in another part of the audit process, the FAA saw Ace engineers apply liquid dish soap to door seals as a lubricant in the assembly process. The agency also cleaned the door seal with a damp cheesecloth to remove soap and debris.
These procedures involve the process by which workers ensure that the seals are properly installed on the door frame. Buccino said the dish soap is there to ensure that there are no tears or swelling when the seals are installed. He said the chemical properties of the soap do not reduce the elasticity of the seal over time. Other common products, including petroleum jelly, cornstarch and talc, have been used, but they are at risk of deterioration over time.