Aircraft Wing-Body Joint Assembly for Accessible Hole Deburring
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Solution Overview
Problem
The formation of burrs at the exit edges of fastener holes in metallic aircraft components during drilling increases production time and cost due to the difficulty in accessing and deburring these edges, necessitating a time-consuming process to prevent crack formation.
Innovation Solution
A joint construction method where a splice panel is used to align fastener holes vertically, allowing easy access for deburring before assembly, reducing the need to pry apart overlapping panels and simplifying the deburring process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If fastener holes are drilled through overlapping panels to attach aircraft wing to aircraft body, then the joint is formed, but burrs are created at the exit edge which form notches and create fatigue critical regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by drilling fastener holes through the leg panel alone before overlapping it with the skin panel, rather than drilling through both panels simultaneously. This allows the exit edges to be accessed and deburred before final assembly, eliminating the fatigue-critical notches that would otherwise form in the overlapping configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The drilling operation is segmented into separate steps: first drilling holes in the leg panel while it is accessible, then assembling the overlapping joint. This segmentation allows the deburring operation to be performed on exposed exit edges rather than attempting to access hidden edges within the overlap, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability.
2Reliability
If deburring tool is used to remove burrs from exit edge of fastener hole, then crack formation is prevented, but access to exit edge is difficult when panels are overlapped
Solution Approach 1:
The deburring operation is performed as a preliminary action before the panels are assembled into the overlapping configuration. By drilling holes in the leg panel first and deburring the exit edges while they are accessible, then assembling the joint, the patent ensures reliable crack prevention without the operational difficulty of accessing hidden edges.
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional sequence is inverted: instead of assembling the overlapping joint first and then attempting to deburr the hidden exit edges, the patent deburls the exit edges first when they are accessible, then assembles the joint. This inversion makes the deburring operation practical and effective.
3Reliability
If overlapping panels are pried apart with wedge or lever to gain access to exit edge, then deburring can be performed, but construction time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the burr removal as a preliminary action before assembly, eliminating the need to pry apart overlapping panels later. By drilling and deburring holes in the leg panel while it is in an accessible, non-overlapped state, the time-consuming prying operation is completely avoided, significantly improving productivity while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A joint joining an aircraft wing to an aircraft body employs a splice panel that is engaged in surface engagement with a skin panel on a side of the aircraft body and is engaged in surface engagement with a leg panel extending upwardly from the aircraft wing. A plurality of fasteners extend through the splice panel and the leg panel and extend through the splice panel and the skin panel. The plurality of fasteners attach the splice panel to the skin panel and attach the splice panel to the leg panel and thereby attach the skin panel to the leg panel. After fastener holes have been drilled through the splice panel and the leg panel to attach the splice panel to the leg panel, the splice panel can be removed from the leg panel. This provides easy access to the fastener holes drilled through the leg panel for deburring of the fastener holes.