Japanese and South Korean manufacturers working together on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner say the first-ever aerospace collaboration has proved very successful.
The first delivery of the much-delayed 787 aircraft is due some time in the first three months of 2011.
And with 847 of the aircraft on order, Boeing's suppliers are gearing up for the anticipated production rate of 10 per month from late 2013.
Boeing has previously made aircraft by sourcing individual parts and systems from suppliers and assembling them into the finished product.
But this time, major suppliers located as far away as Japan, South Korea and Australia build whole sections of the Boeing 787 and send them off to the US on ships or massive cargo planes such as Boeing's "Dreamlifter" for final assembly.
It is hoped the process will speed up final assembly.
Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) builds the centre wing box and uses parts that have come from Korea Air's aerospace division (KAL) and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).
FHI Boeing 787 program manager Yasuhiro Toi said working on Boeing's newest aircraft was a "good chance" to enlarge the company's supply chain.
"The Boeing vision is a good teacher for us," Mr Toi told journalists during a media tour of the facility on September 30.
"In this program especially, Asian partnerships is important for us."
Mr Toi said the company searched across Asia for the right partners for its part of the 787 project and said KAL and KAI have proved "very good and reliable".
It is the first time FHI has worked with a Korean company on an aerospace project.
Their close proximity to Japan meant staff on either side of the Korea Strait could be called on at short notice.
"Once we find some concerns, the next day we can visit them, that's very good," Mr Toi said.
"We are very happy to work with them."
Korean Air aerospace division senior vice president Sehan Kim said the company has also been pleased to work with its Japanese partners.
In addition to manufacturing 787 components which are delivered direct to Boeing's final assembly plants in the US, Korean Air also sends wheel bulkheads and stringers to Japan for further work and assembly.
It is also the first time the company has worked with Japanese manufacturers on aerospace projects.
"They are good leaders and good companies to work with," Mr Kim told journalists during a media tour of the airline's manufacturing site in Busan, South Korea on September 28.
"We are very happy to work with Japanese companies."
Boeing vice president of 787 supplier management George Maffeo said the company was thrilled with the performance of its Asian partners in building components for Dreamliner.
Mr Maffeo said companies on both sides of the Korea Strait have shown tremendous reliability and commitment to lean manufacturing processes.
"They are always looking for opportunity to improve the production system using lean activities," Mr Maffeo told journalists during a media tour of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on October 1.
"They really get it when it comes to figuring out how to implement lean practices and drive efficiency in overall production.
"I can honestly say I think it is higher here in Asia than it is in any other part of our supply chain."
Meanwhile, Korean Air's Mr Kim was asked if the combined expertise of Korean, Japanese and other manufacturers in the region could one day join together to form an Asian consortium to build aircraft.
"It's a very good question, but I don't know what the answer is," Mr Kim said, before adding, "Asia is much different from Europe, that's my answer".
Mr Maffeo said Boeing has brought some of its US suppliers to visit the operations of its Asian partners in South Korea and Japan.
"That used to be a intermittent event. Today it's just how we do business," he said.
* The reporter travelled to Japan and South Korea as a guest of Boeing.
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