HIGH-FLYING Burnley aerospace company Hurel-Hispano has launched a new production line to cope with a major surge in orders.

The company, part of the French state-owned SNECMA group, manufactures thrust reversers which form part of aircraft braking systems.

The Brazilian manufacturers of the Embraer 145 jet are increasing production from 12 aircraft a month to 22 which has put extra demand on the Burnley site.

Managing director Tom Hughes said the reorganisation was excellent news for the Burnley workforce which had now increased to 780.

"The Embraer jet has been selling in increasing numbers," he said. "As a result, we have had to invest in a new type of assembly line to meet our production targets. "

Mr Hughes said the existing three production lines were not designed to cope with the additional output, so the company had taken the opportunity to rethink the process.

After consultation with managers, engineers and operators, the company decided on a single production line with 33 workstations. The units themselves are positioned on turntables which spin round and move up and down to enable operators to gain access to all parts of the thrust reversers.

Senior executives from Embraer travelled to Burnley to see the first units on the new production line, including industrial vice-president Satoshi Yokoya; Eduardo Bonini, 145 programme director; and Cesar Velasco of Gameso, Hurel-Hispano's Spanish customer which also supplies the wings for the aircraft.

Jonathan Matthews, Embraer value chain manager at Hurel-Hispano, said: "The new single piece flow line represents a major step forward in our journey towards lean manufacturing. We now have a superb foundation on which to build."