Wichita: The Global Air Capital and Hub of Aircraft Manufacturing

Aircraft manufacturing companies, including Beechcraft, Cessna and Stearman Aircraft, made their way to Wichita in the 1920s and 1930s to establish their manufacturing plants. As the city grew, it became known as the “Air Capital of the World.” Many of those original factories, along with a few additions, including Boeing, Learjet and Spirit AeroSystems, still operate in Wichita today.

Spirit AeroSystems formed when Boeing decided to sell its commercial operations to a firm called Onex in 2005. The company now builds parts for several aviation companies. Spirit specializes in fuselages, pylons, nose sections, spar and other various parts for these passenger planes.

While Spirit has been around for almost 100 years, that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t use a boost in its production strategy from the incorporation of industrial robot automation. Drilling holes, riveting together airplane sections, bonding and sealing parts, and automating composite fiber placement are just some of the robotic applications that aviation companies are able to incorporate industrial robots.

The aviation industry requires extensive quality checks for accuracy, weight restrictions and stress tests. Investing in automation allows Spirit to remain competitive and increase production rates while maintaining the extreme quality requirements needed to ensure a safe, reliable and efficient aircraft.

When companies in Wichita decide to make the switch from manual to automated applications, they should contact a company like RobotWorx. Our staff will work with you to get you the right new or reconditioned robot system to fit your budget.