Aircraft Wing Clamp Jaws With Passive Alignment for One-Way Assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of aircraft wing components is time-consuming and complicated due to the need for drilling, shimming, and bolting, and one-way assembly is impractical without maintaining a clamping force, which can lead to inter-laminar burring and disassembly requirements.
Innovation Solution
An automated clamp with flexible jaws and a contact normalization system that aligns and maintains clamping force, using vision systems and contact sensors to ensure precise alignment and drilling/fastening without disassembly, and incorporates a swarf channel for debris removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional drilling and fastening methods are used without maintaining clamping force, then assembly steps can be simplified, but inter-laminar burring occurs and disassembly is required
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp applies clamping force to the aircraft assembly components before drilling operations begin. This preliminary clamping action prevents inter-laminar burring during drilling by holding the composite layers together, eliminating the need for disassembly and cleaning that would otherwise be required.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp maintains continuous clamping force throughout the entire drilling and fastening process. This continuous application of force ensures that the components remain properly aligned and bonded, allowing the assembly to proceed in one continuous operation without interruption or disassembly.
2Productivity
If automated clamping is implemented to enable one-way assembly, then assembly time is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp incorporates a contact normalization system with sensors that automatically detect and measure the contact between clamp jaws and the aircraft assembly surface. This self-measuring capability enables the system to autonomously determine alignment and apply appropriate correction, reducing the need for complex manual intervention while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp uses contact sensors to provide real-time feedback about the alignment and contact status of the clamp jaws with the aircraft assembly. This feedback is processed by a control system that automatically adjusts the clamp position and orientation, enabling precise one-way assembly without requiring overly complex mechanical structures.
3Measurement precision
If clamp jaws are made rigid for precise alignment, then alignment accuracy improves, but adaptability to surface variations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp jaws incorporate flexible elements that allow dynamic adjustment and adaptation to variations in the aircraft assembly surface. These flexible elements enable the rigid portions of the jaws to maintain precise alignment while the flexible portions accommodate surface irregularities, combining both alignment accuracy and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp system uses contact sensors to detect surface variations and automatically adjusts operational parameters such as clamp position, orientation, and applied force. This parameter adjustment allows the clamp to adapt to different surface conditions while maintaining precise alignment through active control rather than passive mechanical compliance.
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
Enables efficient one-way assembly of aircraft wing components by preventing inter-laminar burring and debris accumulation, reducing assembly time and maintaining clamping force throughout the process.
Implementation Method 1
The bearing surface may be formed between a spherical end surface of the jaw body and a spherical end surface of the nose-piece
Implementation Method 2
The clamp jaws may comprise two or more flexible elements configured to bias the nose-piece towards the jaw body
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
An automated clamp for clamping a rib web to a rib post or rib foot of an aircraft wing box, the clamp comprising: a clamp frame having a first arm and a second arm extending from the base of the clamp frame, wherein the second arm is moveable towards and away from the first arm; a robot end effector connector coupled to the clamp frame; clamp jaws including a first jaw fixed at a distal end of the first arm, and a second jaw fixed at a distal end of the second arm, the clamp jaws configured to clamp a rib web to a rib post or clamp a rib web to a rib foot; wherein the first jaw and/or second jaw comprises a contact normalisation system, the contact normalisation system comprising: a jaw body fixed relative to the respective arm, and a nose-piece rotatably coupled to the jaw body and configured to contact a surface of one of the rib web, rib post and rib foot, wherein the nose-piece is configured to passively rotate relative to the jaw body upon contact with the surface.