What's new at ACE

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The Aerospace Congress & Exhibition provides industry suppliers the opportunity to showcase their products, services, and technologies to the global aerospace community. Here's a preview of what some of the exhibiting companies plan to introduce or display—as of mid-June—at this year's event scheduled September 10-13, Seattle, WA. Visit www.aero-online.org for daily coverage of ACE 2001.

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Fastener corrosion protection

In cooperation with The Boeing Co. and Hi-Shear Corp., Aerospace Rivet Manufacturers Corp. has developed corrosion protection for aluminum fasteners. The company applies an organic coating to the aluminum-alloy rivets during the manufacturing process and cures the coating without any detrimental effect to metallurgical properties. This coating eliminates the need for wet-sealant installation by providing equivalent or better corrosion protection along with improved fatigue strength, clean installation, and reduced labor hours and cost. The coating's performance was validated and compared with that of wet-sealant installation through tests, which included salt fog per ASTM B 117 for 2000 h, beach exposure for 2 years and six months, corrosion fatigue, thermal cycle/flexure, and coating adhesion trials. The coated fasteners can be applied anywhere wet or dry aluminum fasteners are installed.

Aerospace management solutions

Three private-label ASP solutions have been developed by Avolo specifically for the aerospace industry. Private label solutions are those hosted by Avolo on its server, while the applications appear seamlessly to users on the clients' websites or intranets, freeing customers from having to manage software maintenance and hosting. The company's private-label catalog allows clients to add transaction capability to their own websites quickly and inexpensively. The loans and borrows solution was engineered to provide airlines with tracking and reporting tools for loaned or borrowed parts. A range of private-label asset management solutions for client websites or intranets has also been developed.

Automated rivet delivery system

Gage Bilt Products will showcase the GBP8000 series automated delivery system for M7885 series rivets as well as nut plates, tacks, and commercial blind rivets. The system is suitable in areas where the operator needs assistance or for overhead applications. It employs a mini-computer system, a long-life, low-maintenance pump, bowl feeder, and a track with escapement to blow-feed the rivet to the installation tool. Pintails are evacuated from the tool, creating a clean work environment and eliminating F.O.D. Each system is specifically engineered to the customer's fastener.

Rotary head technology for automated fastening

Gemcor has patented a servo-controlled rotary-head technology for automated fastening. Six primary modular functions allow rapid changeover and provide good production flexibility as applications change. The six primary stations in the upper head can be tooled to provide one, two, or three tool groups, eliminating the need for an automatic tool changer to accommodate various fastener sizes and styles. Additionally, the rotary head can be configured as opposing multi-head modules, which further enhance production capability by providing common functionality such as drill/probe and fastener insertion from both sides of the workpiece.

Using the company's electric-servo-roller-screw technology, the rotary head provides simplified assembly and maintenance along with a cycle time speed less than or equal to hydraulic riveters currently in operation. The tool also offers machine noise levels of less than 70 dBA and integrated controls with HMI color graphics touch screen.

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