Lean thinking and speed of Boeing 737 Final Assembly

How long does it take to do the final assembly of a Boeing 737 and how does Lean thinking matter? Final assembly includes wings, tail, wheels, engines, interiors, wiring, cockpit controls, and flight systems.

The Boeing 737 is assembled in one plant in Renton, Washington near Seattle. Since implementing Lean thinking and continuous improvement, monthly output of 737s from Boeing’s Renton plant has tripled:

1999  11
2005  21
2014  42
2017  47
2018  52

As of April 2015, the two 737 production lines produce 42 planes per month or 2 planes per day. It takes 9 days from the time an empty shell arrives at the factory until a completed plane roles out the door ready to fly to the paint shop.

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Watch a timelapse of a Boeing 737 being assembled.