Offset Collar Delivery for Low-Clearance Lockbolt Swaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated fastener installation systems face challenges in aligning collars with lockbolts, particularly in low clearance environments and when holes are not optimally positioned, leading to misalignment and inefficiencies in the swaging process.
Innovation Solution
A collar delivery system for offset swage tools that includes a pair of fingers with a vertical portion and an inclined ramp, allowing the collar to be placed flush against the Inner Mold Line (IML) of a part without an air gap, enabling precise alignment and swaging of collars onto lockbolts before the lockbolt is inserted.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a collar is placed onto a lockbolt after the lockbolt has been driven through a hole, then the collar can be positioned on the lockbolt, but misalignment between the collar and lockbolt may occur, particularly in low clearance environments or when holes are not optimally positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The collar is delivered to the swage nose in advance before the lockbolt is inserted into the hole. The swage nose holds the collar in a predetermined position, and only after the lockbolt is in place does the collar transfer to the lockbolt. This preliminary positioning action ensures precise alignment is achieved before the actual fastening operation begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The swage nose acts as an intermediary device between the collar delivery system and the lockbolt. It temporarily holds the collar in the correct position and facilitates the transfer of the collar to the lockbolt, ensuring proper alignment without requiring direct manual positioning by the operator.
2Measurement precision
If the hole is located in a position that is difficult to detect or is not optimally oriented, then the installation process becomes more challenging, but automated systems may still struggle to align collars accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The automated collar delivery system automatically detects hole positions and orientations, and the swage nose automatically adjusts to deliver collars at the correct offset positions. The system serves itself by using sensors to detect hole locations and computing the appropriate collar delivery positions, eliminating the need for manual intervention or complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If collar delivery is attempted in low clearance environments, then space constraints are imposed, but traditional collar delivery methods require sufficient clearance to position collars accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The collar delivery system transitions from delivering collars from above (vertical dimension) to delivering collars horizontally along the IML surface. The swage nose moves the collar along the surface of the part in a horizontal direction, allowing precise placement in low clearance environments where vertical access is limited. This dimensional change enables operation in previously inaccessible areas.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for fastening via a swage tool. One embodiment is a method for fastening via a swage tool, the method including selecting a hole located at a part; aligning an axis of a lockbolt collar with a center of the hole; placing the lockbolt collar flush against the part at a first end of the hole; and swaging the lockbolt collar onto a lockbolt that has been driven through the hole.