Rotating Scraper Tool for Aircraft Coating Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for removing fasteners from aircraft assemblies with coatings applied to both surfaces and fasteners are inefficient and time-consuming, often causing cosmetic damage due to the difficulty in engaging and removing the coatings without damaging the paint.
Innovation Solution
A tool and method utilizing a first scraper and a second scraper, both rotatable and translatable, to abrasively engage and remove coatings from surfaces and fastener heads, with the second scraper being undersized for insertion into recesses to minimize damage and facilitate fastener removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a sharp tool like a pick is used to remove paint from fastener head recesses, then the coating can be removed to enable fastener extraction, but the paint on the panel surface is damaged creating rough edges and cosmetic flaws
Solution Approach 1:
The scraping tool incorporates different scraper configurations tailored for specific locations: a first scraper for the general fastener head surface and a second scraper specifically sized for insertion into the recess. This localized approach allows effective coating removal from the recess without damaging the surrounding panel surface paint.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraping tool acts as an intermediary device between the fastener and the removal process. Rather than using direct impact methods that damage the surface, the tool mediates the coating removal process through controlled abrasive engagement, enabling fastener extraction while preserving the panel's cosmetic appearance.
2Ease of operation
If coating removal is performed to enable fastener removal, then fastener extraction becomes possible, but the process becomes time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The scraping tool is designed to continuously remove coating material through rotational scraping action. The tool maintains constant engagement with the coating, efficiently removing it in a continuous manner rather than through repeated intermittent attempts, thereby reducing the overall time required for fastener extraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraping tool utilizes abrasive materials with specific hardness properties that exceed those of the coating material. By changing the physical parameters of the removal tool (using harder abrasive materials), the coating removal process becomes significantly faster and more efficient, directly reducing the time loss associated with fastener extraction.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a second scraper is inserted into the recess with a clearance fit, then the coating in the recess can be removed without damaging the fastener head, but the tool complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The scraping tool employs a nested configuration where the second scraper is positioned within the overall tool structure to be insertable into the recess. This nesting approach allows the tool to access the recess area without requiring a completely separate tool, managing the complexity through integrated design rather than multiple independent devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraping tool is segmented into distinct functional components: a first scraper for the general fastener head surface and a second scraper specifically for the recess. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining a relatively simple overall tool structure through modular design.
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
The solution enables efficient and minimally damaging removal of coatings, reducing the time and effort required to extract fasteners while minimizing surface abrasion and cosmetic flaws.
Implementation Method 1
a first scraper configured to abrasively engage the coating on at least one of the surface and the fastener head
Data Source
AI summary
A tool for removing a coating from at least one of a surface and a fastener head that is generally flush with the surface is provided. The tool includes a first scraper configured to abrasively engage the coating on at least one of the surface and the fastener head and a second scraper sized to abrasively engage the coating in a recess in the fastener head. The first scraper is rotatable relative to the fastener head and the second scraper is rotatable within the recess. The first scraper and the second scraper are translatable relative to each other.