Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

In its effort to expand its digital and automated manufacturing capabilities, Collins Aerospace has opened a new 27,000-sq-ft facility in Puerto Rico that houses a “smart line.” The facility, which automates printed circuit board assemblies for commercial aircraft engines, marks the company’s first major investment in automated manufacturing since becoming Collins Aerospace, it said.

 


Its fully automated smart line incorporates modern equipment, processes, and practices designed&nbsp;to improve the&nbsp;flow and facility of the manufacturing operations. This includes digital optical inspection and automated confirmations of manufacturing systems. Collins estimates that the new approach will increase productivity by 35 percent, supporting customer deliveries. The new facility is expected to add 150 jobs, increasing its workforce in Puerto Rico to more than 1,500.

 


Importantly for Collins, the smart-line addition represents an effort to accelerate digital technology across its operations. Teams throughout the company are collaborating on initiatives to connect&nbsp;sourcing and manufacturing, from materials planning, quality, and predictive maintenance, to inventory managing, it added.

 


The company has more than 120 smart projects running and has a goal of 10 percent automation across its global manufacturing sites by 2024.

Collins Steps Toward Automation with 'Smart Line'

Collins's new 27,000-sq-ft facility, housing a smart line for circuit board manufacturing, is part of a goal to achieve 10 percent automation by 2024.

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