An Aerospace An Aerospace Manufacturing Manufacturing

PerspectivePerspective

Automated Systems in Fastener Automated Systems in Fastener TechnologyTechnology

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Fasteners in AviationFasteners in Aviation

Fasteners Installation in the Aerospace Industry– Fully/Semi-Automated Fastening Systems

Flex Track Horizontal Rivet Injector Snake-arm Robots One piece Barrel Fastening Automated Riveting Cell

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Flex Track for Aircraft Manufacturing Processes

Traditionally, aircraft fastener drilling has been accomplished by using fixed drill templates.

The Boeing Company has recently developed a portable, more flexible automated drilling solutions, called Flex Track

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Flex Track for Aircraft Manufacturing Processes

Flex Track components:– Rails– Carriage– Add-ons / Modular Tool

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Flex Track for Aircraft Manufacturing Processes

Flex Track is a modular two-axis numerically-controlled positioning system that solves a 5-axis application.

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Flex Track for Aircraft Manufacturing Processes

Flex Track Video

http://minift.com/movie.html

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Horizontal Rivet Injector

The Low Voltage Electromagnet Riveter (LVER) is a 5-axis machines designed to accurately fasten a vertically oriented wing skin and stringer. (Figure 1)

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Horizontal Rivet Injector

Major components of the rivet injector

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Horizontal Rivet Injector

The skin side process tools and clamping foot (See Figure 2)

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Snake-arm Robots

Snake-arm robots for aircraft assembly– The purpose of a snake-arm is to introduce

tools or sensors into a confined space. – The diameter of the end effectors’ envelope

must be equal to or less than the diameter of the snake-arm.

– The length of the end effectors must be minimized, ideally to the diameter of the snake-arm or at least to less than 1.5x the diameter.

– Snake-arm robot mounted on Kuka industrial robot (See Figure)

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Snake-arm Robots

Three interchangeable end effectors were designed by OCRobotics for the demonstrator:

– An inspection tool (pictured above) containing several cameras with various functions – A swage tool (pictured right) to swage a rivet and direct the removed section into a collection

area – A sealant tool (pictured right) incorporating a standard sized sealant cartridge and nozzle,

with cameras to allow automatic orientation of the tool piece to the seam.

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Snake-arm Robots

Snake-arm Robot on an assembly line, reaching into the wing box.

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One piece Barrel Fastening

The one-piece-barrel (OPB) fuselage design offered a new challenge to fastening equipment assembly cell.

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One piece Barrel Fastening

To accurately locate fasteners relative to the frames was to base fastener positions relative to tack fastener positions for automatic fastening.

The tooling that supports the barrel would rotate the barrel through 360 degrees of rotation.

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Automated Riveting Cell for A320 Wing Panels

The machine is based on existing Electroimpact technology but incorporates numerous design modifications to process tools, fastener feed hardware, machine structure and the control system.

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Automated Riveting Cell for A320 Wing Panels

Improvements on the machine:– Rivet Feed to EMR– Lockbolt cycle time– Fastener Buffer– Simplified Collar Feed System– Machine Structure Improvements– Control System Improvements

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Aerospace Fasteners Selection

Many factors affect the selection of a specific type of fasteners for a specific area or application in aerospace.

Some important consideration are:– Installation Cost– Rate – Weight– Shear, allowable– Skin thickness– Aerodynamic flushness– Noise– Corrosion

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