Aircraft Pressure Bulkhead Splice Assembly Without Drill Jigs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for assembling pressure bulkheads in aircraft are inefficient, leading to oversized holes, multiple measurement and alignment steps, labor-intensive processes, and wastage of parts, particularly due to the use of complex and expensive drill jigs, which result in nonconforming joining surfaces and increased production lags.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involves determining the optimized position of splice angles to form a circumferential splice surface, performing a virtual fit with the pressure bulkhead, determining corresponding hole positions, drilling these holes, and joining the splice angles with the pressure bulkhead to achieve an optimized shape, utilizing a measurement machine, computer system, and CNC machine for precise alignment and drilling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If drill jigs are used to assemble pressure bulkhead and splice angles, then alignment and hole drilling can be performed, but the process becomes complex, expensive, and results in oversized holes and nonconforming joining surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a digital copy (3D scan) of the pressure bulkhead instead of a physical drill jig. The scan data is used to create a digital model that guides the positioning and drilling of splice angles, eliminating the need for complex physical assembly jigs while maintaining precise hole alignment and size control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical drill jig system with a digital measurement and positioning system. A 3D scanner captures the bulkhead geometry, and computer processing determines exact hole positions, substituting mechanical alignment tools with digital measurement and calculation methods
2Measurement precision
If multiple measurement and alignment steps are performed with drill jigs, then splice angles can be positioned, but production time increases and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the measurement and positioning calculations in advance by scanning the pressure bulkhead and computing optimal splice angle positions before actual assembly begins. This preliminary digital preparation eliminates the need for repeated measurement and adjustment steps during physical assembly, speeding up production while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the actual pressure bulkhead itself as the reference for positioning splice angles, rather than requiring external jigs or fixtures. The bulkhead's own geometry, captured by the 3D scanner, serves as the positioning guide, simplifying the assembly process and reducing labor requirements
3Ease of manufacture
If drill jigs are used for assembly, then holes can be drilled through pressure bulkhead and splice angles, but part wastage increases and joining surfaces become nonconforming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses 3D scanning to capture the actual geometry of the pressure bulkhead and feed this data back into the positioning system. This feedback loop allows the system to adapt to real-world variations in the bulkhead shape, ensuring precise hole alignment without requiring oversized holes or generating excess waste material from trial-and-error fitting
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure bulkhead assembly for an aircraft includes an aft pressure bulkhead and a plurality of splice angles. The aft pressure bulkhead includes a bulkhead interface surface and aft-pressure-bulkhead holes, pre-drilled through the bulkhead interface surface. The plurality of splice angles is configured to be coupled to the aft pressure bulkhead. Each one of the plurality of splice angles includes a flange surface, configured to mate with the bulkhead interface surface. Each one of the plurality of splice angles also includes splice-angle holes, drilled through the flange surface. Each one of the plurality of splice angles further includes a splice surface, extending from the flange surface. With the splice-angle holes aligned with the aft-pressure-bulkhead holes, a plurality of splice surfaces forms a circumferential splice surface with an optimized shape.