ROBOT-DEPLOYED ASSEMBLY TOOL AND METHOD FOR INSTALLING FASTENERS IN AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES

• Main Authors: HARMAN, EDWARD BRUCE, TOH, CHIN H, SARH, BRANKO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 20.11.2008
• Subjects: COMBINED OPERATIONS; FORGE FURNACES; FORGING; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HAMMERING; MACHINE TOOLS; MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVINGMATERIAL; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; OTHER WORKING OF METAL; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRESSING METAL; PUNCHING METAL; RIVETING; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS

An assembly system and method for assembling an aircraft wing box (200) o r other structure that may define an interior area accessible through at lea st one access opening are provided. The method includes inserting a robot (2 50) having an assembly tool (452) mounted thereto into the interior area thr ough the at least one access opening. The assembly tool may be positioned at a fastener location, and may be clamped to the structure. A hole may be mad e through the structure, and a fastener may be installed in the hole.