Manufacturing’s future needs its past

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is best known as the home of one of only two remaining airworthy Avro Lancaster bombers left in the world.

The year 1898 is known in history circles as the year the U.S. went to war with Spain after the battleship Maine sank in Havana Harbor. The war itself is best known for Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders’ charge from Kettle Hill to the more famous San Juan Hill. The entire war lasted just 10 months.

Meanwhile, that same year in Nagoya, Japan, Eiichi Okuma founded his namesake company with the initial goal of manufacturing and selling noodle-making machines. Today, the company manufactures all forms of CNC machines. It has lasted 125 years.

“We look forward to serving the evolving needs of our customers and the industry for today and throughout the next century,” said Okuma America Corp. President/COO Jim King of the milestone.

It’s a company with quite a history. It’s also looking to the future.

It’s important to spend time thinking about manufacturing’s past, present, and future.

History was on full display during a recent visit to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope, Ont., to take in a Canadian Tooling & Machining Association presentation and museum tour. It has since occurred to me that this museum is highlighting Canada’s manufacturing history as much as it is the aircraft.

The museum’s main goal is to acquire, document, preserve, and maintain a complete collection of aircraft flown by Canadians and the Canadian military services from the beginning of the Second World War to the present day.

If you think you have supply chain and inventory problems, try tracking down a housing for a 1950 Noorduyn Norseman. The museum’s Norseman was built by Canadian Car and Foundry, Fort William, Ont., but the company has its roots in Montreal.

The museum is best known as the home of one of only two remaining airworthy Avro Lancaster bombers left in the world. This particular plane was built by Victory Aircraft, Malton, Ont., and it’s currently undergoing a six-figure engine overhaul to be ready for the summer flying season.

What the museum can’t buy, trade, or scrounge for, it makes. It’s a tall task that involves era-correct materials and precision, aerospace-calibre part creation.

A lot of Canadian shops helped in the manufacture of these planes. If you have history with them or have any 1940s 6160 aluminum—or as it was called back then, aluminum alloy 61S—I’m sure the museum can find a use for it.

Almost completely self-funded, and with a yearly budget that exceeds $5 million, the museum needs all the help it can get. And that includes donations of any kind that can be used to create parts and help maintain this legacy of Canadian manufacturing. Donations can be made at www.warplane.com.