Paperless Manufacturing Execution System (PMES) Certified for Production of Space Shuttle External Tank
HMS Software Inc., a leading developer of manufacturing
information management systems, today announced that its manufacturing
execution system (MES) was certified for production readiness by NASA
and Lockheed Martin Space Systems. Lockheed Martin will use the MES to
produce the Space Shuttle External Tank at NASA’s Michoud Assembly
Facility in New Orleans, La.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Michoud Operations plans to begin
production use of the HMS Enterprise Manufacturing Information Suite
in April. The HMS system will replace three legacy systems at the
Lockheed Martin plant and will be used to manage manufacturing
information for the External Tank, an element of the Space
Transportation System.
HMS products certified for production use in this manufacturing
environment include Second-Generation HMS-CAPP® for manufacturing
process plans, HMS-Bill of Material Management to coordinate the
“as-built” bill of materials, and HMS-Shop Floor Management® for
shop floor work instructions. Lockheed Martin has also installed
HMS-Quality Management® to manage the high levels of manufacturing
control and precise documentation required by programs such as the
External Tank. This electronic system allows Lockheed Martin to
document, analyze and disposition nonconformances and manage the
corrective and preventive action process.
“The new MES from HMS Software delivers the visibility and
traceability that are critical as we initiate a near paperless
manufacturing process for the Space Shuttle External Tank program,”
said John Welborn, PMES project manager, Lockheed Martin Space
Systems, Michoud Operations. “HMS Software offers tools that organize
shop floor work documentation and nonconformance data so we have an
accurate view of work status at all times.”
“Certification of a paperless manufacturing system for the Space
Shuttle External Tank program required not only approval from
information technology, operations, and safety and product assurance
executive management at Lockheed Martin, but also required the
approval of the NASA External Tank Resident Manager and NASA Safety &
Mission Assurance, as well as NASA’s chief engineer,” said Alexander
Houtzeel, president, HMS Software. “HMS was able to deliver a complete
production-ready MES that met the specific needs and objectives of
each of the varied stakeholders for this program.”
About Lockheed Marin Space Systems, Michoud Operations
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Michoud Operations designs and
assembles large aluminum and composite structures such as the Space
Shuttle External Tank for aerospace and other applications at the NASA
Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems is a unit of Lockheed Martin
Corporation. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs
about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the
systems integration of advanced technology systems, products and
services. The corporation reported 2004 sales of $35.5 billion.
About HMS Software Inc.
HMS Software develops systems to define, execute and document
manufacturing, assembly and maintenance information for complex and
quality-critical products. The HMS Enterprise Manufacturing
Information Suite includes systems for process planning, manufacturing
execution and quality management to increase manufacturing visibility,
enhance shop floor productivity and control product quality. Founded
in 1992, HMS maintains a blue-chip customer base in the aerospace,
defense and related markets with established implementations at
organizations such as Boeing, BAE Systems (formerly British
Aerospace), Honeywell and Lockheed Martin. HMS Software, Inc. is a
privately held company with more than 100 employees, headquartered in
Concord, Mass., with additional offices in Carlsbad, Calif., and an
affiliate site in Staffordshire, England.
The product names Second-Generation HMS-CAPP, HMS-Shop Floor
Management and HMS-Quality Management are registered trademarks of HMS
Software Inc.
