Aircraft Drilling Positioning Using Dual Geometry Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

In the aircraft industry, structural parts often need to be finished and fitted in confined spaces, requiring time-consuming and labor-intensive assembly processes, especially when drilling through materials like carbon-fiber reinforced plastic and Titanium, where drilling speeds are compromised due to material challenges and the need for repeated hole drilling.

Innovation Solution

A method using a machine tool device with a measuring unit and control system that pre-drills components to final dimensions, includes machine-readable data for precise positioning, and uses ultrasonic or other contactless methods for accurate hole alignment, allowing automatic drilling from outside confined spaces without the need for drilling templates or shims, reducing wear and assembly time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If drilling is performed in confined spaces through materials like carbon-fiber reinforced plastic and Titanium, then the holes can be created for assembly, but drilling speeds are compromised and tool wear increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrilling speedVSAvoidmaterial challenges

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The component is pre-drilled to final dimensions at the supplier before assembly. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming drilling operations during final assembly, thereby improving productivity while avoiding the material-related drilling challenges in confined spaces

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The drilling operation is extracted from the assembly process and performed separately at the component manufacturing stage. This separation allows drilling to be done in optimal conditions at the supplier's facility rather than in confined assembly spaces, resolving the contradiction between productivity and material challenges

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Manufacturing precision

If traditional assembly methods with templates and shims are used in confined spaces, then positioning can be achieved, but assembly time and effort increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidassembly time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Traditional mechanical positioning methods (templates and shims) are replaced with an automated optical/measuring system. The measuring device scans the component and workpiece to automatically determine precise positions, eliminating manual positioning operations and significantly reducing assembly time while maintaining high precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The component and workpiece themselves provide the positioning information through their geometric features. The measuring device reads data directly from the components (holes, surfaces, edges) to determine positions, allowing the components to 'self-position' without requiring external templates or shims

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Manufacturing precision

If multiple measurements and verification steps are performed to ensure positioning accuracy, then assembly quality improves, but the process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly qualityVSAvoidprocess complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple measurement and verification operations are merged into a single integrated scanning process. The measuring device performs all necessary measurements (component features, workpiece features, position verification) in one automated sequence, improving assembly quality while actually simplifying the process by eliminating separate manual measurement steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This method reduces assembly time and effort, increases accuracy to 0.1 mm, minimizes tool wear, and eliminates the need for pilot holes and shims, improving ergonomics and assembly rate while reducing burr-related disassembly and reassembly issues.

Implementation Method 1

the measuring unit may use an ultrasonic measuring head, and the second geometric datum is measured by means of ultrasonic waves

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectUltrasonic waves: Ultrasound

Data Source

PatentUS11899422B2Positioning-, drilling-, and joining methods for a machine tool device

Publication Date: 2024.02.13 AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH

AI summary

A drilling method is provided allowing drilling in confined spaces with less effort. Two independent data sources are used for reducing tolerances between the component to be joined to the workpiece. The component is measured at the supplier using photogrammetry or laser scanning. First geometric data of the component obtained by this measurement are put in a data storage, such as a barcode tag or database. At the manufacturer, the first geometric data are used to position the component relative to the workpiece. Subsequently, the component is measured to obtain second geometric data indicative of the positions and diameters of the component joining holes. After determining a deviation between the first and second geometric data to be smaller than a predetermined threshold, the automatic drill is positioned at the correct drilling location and joining holes are drilled into the workpiece. Finally, the component and the workpiece are joined by fasteners.