Flexible Single Rail Drilling System for Compound Contours

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drilling technologies face challenges in accurately drilling holes on large, compound-contoured work pieces like aircraft wings due to instability and high costs associated with multi-rail systems, which struggle to maintain precise positioning and adhesion over complex surfaces.

Innovation Solution

A single flexible rail system with a carriage mechanism that includes a main and secondary carriage, where the secondary carriage can be clamped in various states for stability, and vacuum cups for adhesion, allowing the rail to conform to the work piece's geometry while maintaining precise positioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a pair of flexible rails is mounted on a compound-contoured surface, then the rails can conform to the surface contour, but the rails cannot be positioned exactly the same distance apart at all points along the rails

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface conformityVSAvoidrail spacing accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The rail system is divided into multiple segments that can independently adjust their positions. Each segment can be positioned and locked at specific locations along the rail path, allowing the system to adapt to compound-contoured surfaces while maintaining precise spacing between corresponding segments on different rails.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The rail system incorporates adjustable and reconfigurable components that allow dynamic adaptation to different surface geometries. The rails can be repositioned, reconfigured, and resecured at various locations to maintain constant spacing while conforming to the specific contour of the workpiece being drilled.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If a pair of spaced rails is mounted on a compound-contoured surface with vacuum cups, then adhesion is improved, but the rails and carriage system may not provide enough stability during drilling

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveadhesionVSAvoiddrilling stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system combines multiple attachment methods including vacuum cups, mechanical clamps, and friction-based holding mechanisms into an integrated rail securing system. This multi-modal attachment approach provides both strong adhesion to the workpiece surface and sufficient stability to support drilling operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The rail system employs composite construction with rigid structural components for stability and flexible adhesive interfaces for surface conformity. The combination of rigid rails with flexible mounting mechanisms provides both the adhesion needed to secure the rails and the stability required for precise drilling operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Manufacturing precision

If multiple drill plates are fabricated for different areas of the work piece, then precise hole locations can be achieved, but the fabrication cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehole location accuracyVSAvoidfabrication cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The rail system is designed as a universal, reconfigurable platform that can be used across multiple workpiece areas and configurations. Instead of fabricating dedicated drill plates for each area, the same rail system can be repositioned, reconfigured, and resecured to accommodate different drilling locations and patterns, significantly reducing fabrication costs while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than discarding the rail system after use on one area, the system can be recovered, repositioned, and reused for subsequent drilling operations on different areas of the workpiece or even different workpieces entirely. This reusable approach eliminates the need for expensive custom-fabricated drill plates for each location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

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 solution enhances drilling accuracy and stability on compound-contoured surfaces, reduces the need for multiple rail systems, and lowers fabrication costs by using a single rail with improved adhesion and ease of setup, enabling precise and efficient hole formation.

Implementation Method 1

the rails are mounted to the surface via vacuum cups

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVacuum adhesion: Vacuum

Data Source

PatentUS8171642B2Method for forming a flexible single rail drilling system

Publication Date: 2012.05.08 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A method for manufacturing a mobile platform component that may involve attaching only a single rail to the mobile platform component, and positioning a carriage system having a main carriage and a secondary carriage on the rail. The main carriage may be positioned along a first axis of movement on the rail. The secondary carriage may be positioned along a second axis of movement perpendicular to the first axis of movement on the main carriage. The main carriage may be releasably secured to the secondary carriage, and the carriage system may be releasably secured to the mobile platform component.