Additively Manufactured Drilling Jigs With Lightweight Guideway Geometry

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Solution Overview

Problem

The aerospace industry faces challenges in reducing the manufacturing time, cost, and weight of conventional aluminum drilling jigs used for drilling apertures in aircraft parts, as current methods are inefficient and require extensive machining.

Innovation Solution

A one-piece additively manufactured drilling jig with spatially separated cylindrical sockets and a web member, featuring steel bushings and stand-off members to guide drill bits and facilitate the removal of shavings, which can be fabricated using additively sintered metallic powder and adhesively secured bushings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional aluminum drilling jigs are manufactured by milling process, then high dimensional accuracy and robustness are achieved, but manufacturing time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedimensional accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional mechanical milling processes with additive manufacturing (3D printing) technology to manufacture drilling jigs. This substitution enables complex geometries to be created directly from digital models without extensive machining operations, significantly reducing manufacturing time while maintaining dimensional accuracy through computer-controlled layer-by-layer deposition

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the manufacturing parameters and methods by transitioning from subtractive manufacturing (milling) to additive manufacturing. This parameter change allows for optimized jig designs with reduced material waste and fewer processing steps, achieving both high precision and improved productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Weight of stationary object

If pockets are machined into conventional aluminum drilling jigs to reduce weight, then jig weight decreases, but manufacturing time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejig weightVSAvoidmanufacturing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs porous or lattice structures within the additive manufactured jig body to reduce weight. These internal porous geometries are directly formed during the 3D printing process without requiring additional machining operations, achieving weight reduction while avoiding the increased manufacturing time associated with conventional pocket machining

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The invention segments the jig structure into a framework of interconnected elements with void spaces, creating a lightweight lattice architecture. This segmentation is seamlessly integrated into the additive manufacturing process, allowing complex weight-reducing geometries to be produced without additional manufacturing steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Manufacturing precision

If conventional aluminum drilling jigs are used, then robustness and high dimensional accuracy are maintained, but jig weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedimensional accuracyVSAvoidjig weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes composite material structures combining aluminum alloy with porous or lattice architectures created through additive manufacturing. This approach maintains the dimensional accuracy and robustness of solid aluminum while significantly reducing overall jig weight through the optimized internal structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enables a more efficient, cost-effective, and lightweight drilling jig with improved accuracy and reduced manufacturing time, allowing for optimized jig geometry and customized configurations for specific drilling tasks.

Implementation Method 1

the drilling jig according to the embodiments described herein may be positioned relative to a surface of a workpiece so as to align the cylindrical guideways of the bushings with respective locations on the surface of the workpiece where apertures are to be drilled

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAlignment:

Implementation Method 2

a drill bit may be operated within the cylindrical guideways to drill the apertures through the workpiece

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDrilling:

Implementation Method 3

Shavings from material being removed from the workpiece by the drill bit during the drilling operation are therefore allowed to be removed from the drilling location

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectShaving removal:

Data Source

PatentEP4446041A1Additively manufactured geometry optimized drilling jigs and methods of making and using the same

Publication Date: 2024.10.16 EMBRAER SA

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AI summary

Drilling jigs (10) are provided which include a one-piece jig body (preferably additively manufactured from laser-sintered metallic, e.g. aluminum alloy, powders) having at least one set of cylindrical sockets (12a) that are spatially separated from one another, and a web member (12b) joining the at least one set of sockets. Cylindrical bushings (16) are positioned within each of the cylindrical sockets so as to define respective cylindrical guideways for a drill bit.