Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI, Tokyo, Japan) in investing in expanded production facilities for the 787 Dreamliner composite wing box at Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works (Shimonoseki) and Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works (Nagoya) in response to Boeing's plan to increase production from the current rate of 10 shipsets per month to 14 shipsets by the end of decade. Construction will begin October 2014, to expand Shimonoseki where composite reinforcing stringers are manufactured and also at Nagoya's Oye Plant, where composite skin panels and wing boxes are fabricated and assembled. Increased production rate is targeted to begin in 2016.
Shimonoseki will expand the Aircraft Shop and add an autoclave for curing the layered prepreg parts under high temperature and pressure. In the Nagoya Oye plant, an automated tape layer will be added and the Painting and Assembly Factory will be expanded including modification of automated drilling machines and painting robot installation.