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Technology update
Round up
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Furmanite has developed a new machine tool to counter a problem experienced with the Panavia Tornado. It provides in-situ machining to very tight tolerances for the aircraft's taileron spigot. It was developed for BAE Systems to machine the inboard journal of the taileron spigot, which was wearing to an oval shape during use and needed to be made round once more. This was a machining job that needed to be carried out on the aircraft in a hangar located "anywhere in the world."
Furmanite developed an air-powered machine tool that bolts onto the spigot and can be set to the correct diameters for use by BAE Systems' technicians. According to the company, accuracy was the over-riding factor in developing the design to meet the very tight tolerances required and to get it right every time. The machine shaves off about 0.25 mm from the diameter of the journal and is accurate to within 0.01 mm. A very smooth surface finish was also essential, the machine having to achieve 0.8 µm. The machine also was required to be relatively lightweight and portable. The alternative to the in-situ work was the removal of the taileron spigots, a costly and time-consuming task.
Stuart Birch
Aerospace Engineering July 2000
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