Building on a 15-year working relationship, Daher and Rolls-Royce have agreed that the former will assume full warehousing duties for some 28,000 tools used to manufacture Rolls-Royce jet engines across the UK. Daher will centralize and stock the support tooling in a 30,000-sq-meter warehouse in Doncaster in northwest England.
The tools, which range from hand tools to those weighing up to 30 metric tons, serve the nationwide production network, handling components from fan blades to large powerplant modules. Daher will package and dispatch the tools to the sites where they are needed, then supervise their return and storage.
This arrangement is part of R-R’s program to simplify its logistics operating model, adopting industry-standard practices, and enhancing transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain, according to the engine maker. Reducing transport costs is another goal.
Daher has created a constantly updated internal web portal with the warehouse’s inventory of handling tools. Operators with camera-equipped glasses are directed via Wi-Fi prompts to find specific tools throughout the warehouse.
“We are proud that Rolls-Royce has renewed its confidence in us, and our teams are fully committed to meeting the engine manufacturer’s current and future warehousing and logistical challenges,” said Jacques Grimal, managing director of Daher UK. Stewart Morris, R-R programs executive for civil aerospace operations, said, “Daher’s services are part of a new way of working and represent a significant step in improving our processes.”