Aircraft Rivet Hole Machining With Optical Countersink Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft structural components often have rivet connections that fall outside tolerance specifications, leading to costly and labor-intensive manual removal and replacement processes, despite previous attempts to minimize such occurrences.
Innovation Solution
A machining system that projects a pattern onto a rivet element in a drilled hole, uses a sensor to detect the pattern, and analyzes the data to adapt tool control data for precise countersink depth adjustment, minimizing tolerance deviations and ensuring rivet connections meet specifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional drilling and measurement methods are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but rivet connections frequently fall outside tolerance specifications requiring manual rework
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of the drilled hole geometry (countersink depth, diameter, angle) before rivet insertion using optical sensors and pattern projection. Based on these measurements, the tool control data is pre-adjusted to compensate for deviations, ensuring the rivet connection will meet tolerance specifications before the riveting operation begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a closed-loop feedback mechanism where the actual drilled hole geometry is measured and fed back to the control system. The control system automatically adjusts the tool control data based on the measurement results, creating a dynamic adaptation process that ensures rivet connections remain within tolerance specifications.
2Productivity
If manual measurement and adjustment methods are used, then the system is easy to operate, but labor costs and subsequent work effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-measurement and self-adjustment operations. The optical sensors automatically measure the drilled hole geometry, the analysis unit processes the data to determine deviations, and the control system automatically adjusts the tool control data without requiring manual intervention. This automation eliminates labor-intensive manual measurement and adjustment processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical measurement methods with optical measurement technology. Instead of using physical measuring tools and manual assessment, the system uses optical sensors and pattern projection to automatically capture and analyze hole geometry, substituting mechanical operations with optical and computational processes.
3Measurement precision
If automated measurement systems are implemented, then measurement precision improves, but the complexity of the detection system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a projected pattern as an intermediary reference medium. The pattern is projected onto the drilled hole surface, and its distortion or displacement is detected by the optical sensor. This pattern serves as a mediator that translates complex hole geometry measurements into detectable optical signals, simplifying the measurement process while maintaining high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates an optical copy or representation of the hole geometry through pattern projection. Instead of directly measuring the physical hole dimensions, the system projects a known pattern onto the hole surface and analyzes how the pattern appears from the sensor viewpoint, creating an optical model that can be precisely analyzed to determine hole geometry parameters.
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 significantly reduces the likelihood of rivet connections being outside tolerance, automating the quality assessment and optimization of drilling procedures, thereby minimizing subsequent work effort and manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
projecting a pattern, using the projection unit, onto a machining point with a rivet element inserted into a drilled hole of the machining point
Implementation Method 2
detecting the machining point, including the projection of the pattern, using the sensor and generating corresponding detection data by means of the sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Method for machining an aircraft structural component using a machining system, the machining system having a drilling unit and a riveting unit, a manufacturing process controller for actuating the components of the machining system, an optical sensor and a projection unit. The method comprising the steps of: projecting a pattern by the projection unit onto a machining point with a rivet element inserted into a drill hole of the machining point, detecting the machining point including the projection of the pattern by the sensor and generating corresponding detection data by the sensor, evaluating the detection data by an evaluation unit, adapting the tool control data for a drill hole to be drilled subsequently according to the manufacturing specification at a further machining point, in particular the countersink depth of the drill hole to be drilled, by the manufacturing process controller on the basis of the evaluation of the detection data.