The art of wing assembly

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AWBA II partner findings

Low-voltage electromagnetic riveters on the A340-500/600 assembly line at Broughton.

According to Airbus UK, AWBA II demonstrator test work "is currently meeting all expectations." AWBA II partner AEA focused on optimization of automatic drilling parameters to maximize hole quality and minimize burr size. The company's goal was to optimize and perfect the efficiency and speed of the drilling cycle without sacrificing hole quality. AEA carried out a series of drilling tests using a manufactured fixed testbed and conducted extensive robot-based drilling tests using a robot-mounted drilling end-effector. Upon completion of these trials, AEA also undertook modal analysis and vibration trials on the robot to see what effects—if any—these factors might have on hole quality and accuracy when automatically drilling.

AEA lists five particular observations and conclusions on hole quality from its research:

• Material type had the biggest impact on quality, with aerospace-grade metals offering better results over commercial grade materials.
• Lubricants, specifically BCO14 and RTD, improved quality.
• There was little difference in quality between steel and carbide high-speed drill bits.
• Best hole quality was achieved in aluminum alloys between 4000 and 8000 rpm and low-speed feeds.
• No deterioration in quality was detected at or near vibration modes.

From the results of the demonstration, AEA has determined that for the fastest drilling of holes without sacrificing hole quality and burr size, spindle speed should be set between 4000 and 8000 rpm and feed speed should start at 5.5 mm/s and be reduced to 1.5 mm/s just before breakthrough.

The A340-600 wing box is created in jigs where all major structural components such as the ribs and spars are loaded in a set sequence for assembly.

AMTRI's involvement in AWBA II included generation of the original system concept; concept design; design and build of gantry and subsystems; installation, wiring, and commissioning; design review for the internal robot; participation in the development of the metrology methodology; and development of the cell-control-system methodology.

BAE Systems ATC's involvement in AWBA II was the provision of a set of key technologies for the demonstrator cell and as a significant contributor to its design. A conventional Kuka 350 robot was adapted to make it suitable for drilling and fastening operations, including a new end-effector and the addition of a seventh axis. For the cell's internal robot, ATC developed a vision sensor to guide it into the correct position for bolt swaging. According to the company, detailed calibration has enabled high positional accuracy to be achieved. An ATC-developed communications system based on Twincat and IFIX allowed management of the external robot's components from a single-cell controller and management of the other partners' subsystems within the overall cell-safety system.

Leica applied and further developed laser tracking systems for AWBA II. Objectives included a move toward jigless manufacture through the use of optical metrology during construction, provision of metrology control for positioning parts and manufacturing robots, applying new techniques to enable higher degrees of automation, increasing the scope for application of trackers within confined environments, and ensuring that new wing box design and construction methods integrate tracking technology in an optimal way.

The AWBA cell demonstrator uses a Kuka 350 robot for drilling and fastening operations.

As AWBA neared completion, Tecnomatix assumed responsibility for producing a consolidated demonstrator cell simulation model using final data models from each of the project partners. The company has also completed a simulation model showing the application of the AWBA-demonstrator principles to the automated assembly of a complete wing box—a full-scale production mockup.

RTS Advanced Robotics was involved with the Internal Robot System (IRS) that carries a fastener sensor and a swaging tool to the furthest reaches of the 6.5-m-tall wing box with access only via a narrow aperture. The IRS is designed to behave similar to a typical industrial robot, but with the ability to be set up from a remote and safe location (through remote operation) so that the operator is not placed in a potentially dangerous position. To cope with the uncertainty of fastener positioning, the final docking and swaging operation is sensor-guided by the Internal Robot Control Systems (IRCS).

The particular problems of manufacturing large aerospace structures are reach and accuracy such that traditional robotic automation techniques are no longer affordable or applicable. This system demonstrates a sensor-guided automatic system based upon affordable technology suited to the aerospace manufacturing environment. The IRCS incorporates capacitive sensors for collision avoidance.

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