Combining Hard and Soft System Thinking: The Development of a Value Improvement Model for a Complex Linear Friction Welding Repetitive Process (lfw-VIM)

Linear Friction Welding (LFW) is a relatively new process adopted by aircraft engine manufacturers operationalizing new technologies to produce better value components. With increasing fuel prices and economical drives to reduce CO2 emissions, LFW has been a key technology in recent years for aircraft engine manufacture in both commercial and military market sectors. For joining Blades to Discs (‘Blisks’), LFW is the ideal process as it is a solid state process which gives reproducibility and high quality bonds therefore improving performance. A fault detection and isolation (FDI) model of the LFW machine has been developed in [1] in order to detect and predict common machine faults. The purpose of this research investigation is to develop a bespoke value improvement model (VIM) for the LFW repetitive process identifying the critical influencing factors – whether human, machine system or both- to achieving the customer requirements, successful FDI model implementation and user uptake. Action research and case study intervention will be implemented at the Rolls-Royce site enabling the combination of hard systems (the FDI model) and soft systems (VIM model) to be effectively utilized to develop a holistic model (lfw-VIM). Outcomes of the research show the VIM approach can be used to aid successful change management and the implementation of a complex system