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Airframe manufacturers have radically changed their operational approach to improve the affordability of their products. The deployments and use of automated fastening equipment has changed as well. Many manufacturers have adopted a cellular manufacturing flow model as a method to reduce cost, inventories and work-in-process. Automated fastening equipment can be integrated into a cellular manufacturing environment as free-standing service cells or dedicated to a specific cell. The operational techniques and the machine capability requirements differ from the traditional factory operation and layout.

The cost and quality advantages of introducing automated fastening technology into an aerospace production environment have been well documented. To realize these advantages the appropriate planning and control techniques need to be applied subsequent to bringing the equipment online and during the operational phase. A disciplined set of industrial engineering techniques can be applied to existing equipment and at the introduction of new equipment. The techniques used will vary according to the time horizon, service environment, and applications being considered. A valid set of metrics is used to monitor and reinforce the techniques.