Welded Aircraft Engine Pylon Structure With Notched Panel Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of aircraft engine pylons requires significant raw material and generates material waste due to the need for edge production in machining processes, leading to high production costs.
Innovation Solution
The pylon's primary structure is formed by welding notched panels and longerons, eliminating the need for edge production and enhancing assembly robustness and simplicity through edge-to-edge welding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If edge production and machining processes are used to assemble longerons and panels, then the assembly can be produced with traditional manufacturing methods, but material waste increases and production costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the edge production step from the traditional manufacturing process. By using notched panels that directly receive longerons without requiring separate edge production, the method removes the source of material waste while maintaining ease of manufacture through simplified assembly operations
Solution Approach 2:
The notches are pre-formed in the panels during the blanking stage, before assembly. This preliminary action eliminates the need for subsequent edge production and machining operations, reducing material waste while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through integrated design
2Ease of manufacture
If edge production and machining are performed for each component, then traditional assembly methods can be used, but production costs increase due to material waste
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the panel blanking and notch formation into a single integrated operation. The notches are formed as part of the panel blanking process itself, eliminating the need for separate edge production and machining steps, thereby reducing production costs while maintaining ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the separate edge production and machining operations from the manufacturing process. By using notched panels that are directly formed during blanking, the method removes costly intermediate steps while maintaining traditional assembly simplicity
3Adaptability or versatility
If bolt type fixing means are used to connect longerons and panels, then the assembly can be disassembled and reconfigured, but the assembly robustness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical bolt-type fixing system with a direct welding connection. The notched panel design allows longerons to be positioned and then permanently joined by welding, eliminating bolts while achieving superior assembly robustness through direct metal-to-metal fusion
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 reduces material waste, minimizes the number of blanks required, and results in a more robust and cost-effective assembly process for the pylon's primary structure.
Implementation Method 1
said panel and said longeron being assembled by welding at least a part of said end to at least a part of said notch
Data Source
AI summary
The pylon, intended to support a flying vehicle engine, includes a primary structure formed by at least one longeron and one panel, the panel including at least one end part provided with a notch, the longeron being provided with an end adapted to be positioned in the notch, the panel and the longeron being assembled by welding a part of the end to a part of the notch. A welded primary structure enables minimization of the blanks of parts associated with the longerons and with the panels by avoiding having recourse to the production of edges.