The scope of this report will document the various voltage levels and provide a rational for each level as discussed and agreed to in the AE-7 committee.

AE-7C Systems

Comparative Research on Emission Characteristic and Combustion Characteristic of Gasoline Direct Injection and Port Fuel Injection for Free-Piston Linear Generator

2020-01-222009/15/2020

As a new type of energy, free-piston linear generator (FPLG) attracts more research on its stable operation and power performance, while less on its combustion and emission performance. So, in this paper, the emission characteristics of FPLG in two different modes are studied through a port fuel injection (PFI) mode which was verified by the experiment and a gasoline direct injection (GDI) mode. The results showed that: both the GDI mode and the PFI mode produced large amounts of nitrogen oxide (NOx) during the working process. But the GDI mode produced before the PFI mode and it produced nearly 2 times than the PFI mode. However, the formation rate of NOx in GDI mode is much lower than that in PFI mode. Meanwhile, in both modes, 90% of NOX was generated in the cylinder at the temperature higher than 1750K, and only about 10% of NOX was generated at a temperature lower than 1750K. As for carbon smoke (SOOT), accorded to the research results, the SOOT production in GDI mode was 25

Yan, Xiao Dong, Feng, Huihua, Zhang, Zhiyuan, Wu, Limin, Tang, Zhifeng, Wang, Yao, Liu, Yunqi

Improving Robotic Accuracy through Iterative Teaching

2020-01-001403/10/2020

Industrial robots have been around since the 1960s and their introduction into the manufacturing industry has helped in automating otherwise repetitive and unsafe tasks, while also increasing the performance and productivity for the companies that adopted the technology. As the majority of industrial robotic arms are deployed in repetitive tasks, the pose accuracy is much less of a key driver for the majority of consumers (e.g. the automotive industry) than speed, payload, energy efficiency and unit cost. Consequently, manufacturers of industrial robots often quote repeatability as an indication of performance whilst the pose accuracy remains comparatively poor. Due to their lack in accuracy, robotic arms have seen slower adoption in the aerospace industry where high accuracy is of utmost importance. However if their accuracy could be improved, robots offer significant advantages, being comparatively inexpensive and more flexible than bespoke automation. Extensive research has been

Sawyer, Daniela, Tinkler, Lloyd, Roberts, Nathan, Diver, Ryan

Changing How the Aerospace Industry Makes Parts

TBMG-3568412/01/2019

Technology that increases production rates and part quality, while reducing setup times and costs, is seeing a surge in demand within the aerospace sector as the commercial aircraft backlog continues to grow.

11 Reasons to Use Automated Metrology

2019-01-136903/19/2019

Aerospace structures manufacturers find themselves frequently engaged in large-scale 3D metrology operations, conducting precision measurements over a volume expressed in meters or tens of meters. Such measurements are often done by metrologists or other measurement experts and may be done in a somewhat ad-hoc fashion, i.e., executed in the most appropriate method according to the lights of the individual conducting the measurement. This approach is certainly flexible but there are arguments for invoking a more rigorous process. Production processes, in particular, demand an automated process for all such “routine” measurements. Automated metrology offers a number of advantages including enabling data configuration management, de-skilling of operation, real time input data error checking, enforcement of standards, consistent process execution and automated data archiving. It also reduces training, setup time, data manipulation and analysis time and improves reporting. This paper draws

Flynn, Robert, Miller, Carson

Mobile Laser Trackers for Aircraft Manufacturing: Increasing Accuracy and Productivity of Robotic Applications for Large Parts

2019-01-136803/19/2019

The demand for higher production rates of large parts in aircraft industry requests more flexible manufacturing solutions. High-accurate mobile robots show a promising alternative in comparison with high-invest special machines. With mobile robot-based solutions processes can be executed simultaneously which increases the productivity significantly. However, the freedom of mobility results in insufficient positioning accuracy of these machines. Hence fast and accurate referencing processes are required to achieve cost-effectiveness and meet production tolerances. In this publication a Mobile Laser Tracker (MLT) system and a holistic approach for future manufacturing systems with mobile robots will be introduced and discussed.

Brillinger, Christoph, Susemihl, Hendrik, Ehmke, Fabian, Staude, Till, Deutmarg, Kevin, Klemstein, Maximilian, Boehlmann, Christian, Hintze, Wolfgang, Wollnack, Jörg

Axiomatic Design of a Reconfigurable Assembly System for Aircraft Fuselages

2019-01-135903/19/2019

Modern aerospace industry develops assembly process lines for new aircraft which is produced on a single production line while shortening production times by new technologies. Production processes are developed with systems such as lightweight fixtures, reconfigurable tools, automated part positioning, automated scanning countersink control, automated riveting, robotic measurement etc. These systems provide the necessary flexibility for aircraft fuselage and wing assembly projects. Aerospace manufacturers invest in assembly lines in order to increase production rates and meet growing customer demands. Most of the investments are allocated to state-of-the-art robots for drilling and riveting, sealing, coating and painting applications, in addition to material handling, carbon fiber layup and different types of machining operations. In this study, an assembly system design methodology is developed by using axiomatic design principles in order to propose a solution to design complexity

Celek, Osman Emre, Yurdakul, Mustafa, Ic, Tansel

A Phased Approach to Optimized Robotic Assembly for the 777X

2019-01-137503/19/2019

Low rate initial production of the 777X flight control surfaces and wing edges has been underway at the Boeing St. Louis site since early 2017. Drilling, inspection, and temporary fastening tasks are performed by automated multi-function robotic systems supplied by Electroimpact. On the heels of the successful implementation of the initial four (4) systems, Phases II and III are underway to meet increasing production demands with three (3) and four (4) new cells coming online, respectively. Assemblies are dedicated to particular cells for higher-rate production, while all systems are designed for commonality offering strategic backup capability. Safe operation and equipment density are optimized through the use of electronic safeguards. New time-saving process capabilities allow for one-up drilling, hole inspection, fastening, fastener inspection, and stem shaving. Multi-function end effectors with dual spindles permits drilling and reaming within a single clamp, and hybrid cutting

Mir, Ryan, DeVlieg, Russell

Deterioration Characteristic of Catalyzed DPF Applied on Diesel Truck Durable Ageing

2018-01-170109/10/2018

In this paper, it was researched the degradation characteristics of catalytic performance of three kinds of DPFs (C1, C2 and C3, with precious metal concentrations being 15, 25 and 35 g/ft3 respectively) after diesel truck aging. It is found out that the crystallinity of three kinds of DPF samples (Used) in full vehicle aging was higher than that of fresh samples (Fresh) and aged samples (Aged) in the laboratory. Compared with Fresh samples, the concentration of Pt atom in precious metal on the surface of Aged and Used samples tends to decrease in most cases. Activities to CO and C3H8 of Aged and Used samples of three kinds of DPFs had all been degraded, and activity degradation showed a substantial correlation with concentration reduction rate of precious metal on the carrier surface. NO2 productivity of Used samples all rose. Crystallinity of DPF samples after full vehicle aging in Inlet, Middle and Outlet areas successively increased. The reduction rate of Pt atom concentration of

Zhou, Hua, Zhao, Hongwei, Yin, Zenghui, Feng, Qian, Zhou, Maoxiang, Li, Jingyuan, Qin, Kongjian, Li, Mengliang

RDI Laser Blanking Systems

1186404/26/2018

The RDI Laser Blanking Systems is a patented technology that combines nonstop coil feeding with high power fiber laser. Ideal for cutting metal, our innovative system reduces the cost-per-part, utilizes a variety of material, eliminates die and die maintenance, and increases material savings while reducing scrap, labor and material handling costs.

A Quasi-Dimensional Charge Motion and Turbulence Model for Diesel Engines with a Fully Variable Valve Train

2018-01-016504/03/2018

With the increasingly strict emission regulations and economic demands, variable valve trains are gaining in importance in Diesel engines. A valve control strategy has a great impact on the in-cylinder charge motions, turbulence level, thus also on the combustion and emission formation. In order to predict in-cylinder charge motions and turbulence properties for a working process calculation, a zero−/quasi-dimensional flow model is developed for the Diesel engines with a fully variable valve train. For the purpose of better understanding the in-cylinder flow phenomena, detailed 3D CFD simulations of intake and compression strokes are performed at different operating conditions with various piston configurations. In the course of model development, global in-cylinder charge motions are assigned to idealized flow fields. Among them, swirl flow is characterized by an engine swirl number that is determined by both developments of the swirl angular momentum and the moment of inertia. The

Yang, Qirui, Grill, Michael, Bargende, Michael

Automation in Simulation Process: Simplifying the Complexity in Vehicle Design

2018-01-047104/03/2018

General Motors (GM) vehicle design operations group has envisioned that all designers and Design Engineers (DEs) should be able to analyze simple and single components and produce robust subsystem parts to support full vehicle system analysis. This vision is achieved by developing the Smart Simulation Tool (SST) within the Siemens NX CAD system. This tool empowers the designers to take charge of simple parts and produce high quality parts first time. This tool will also make both design and engineering analysis organizations at General Motors more efficient and productive. This paper describes the Smart Simulation Tool that was developed to automate the pre and post processing tasks of the Siemens NX Advanced Simulation process. Generally, the simulation process consumes a lot of designer’s time for building the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models, typically one to two hours and is very tedious and has the potential for errors. The Smart Simulation tool has automated analysis tasks

Nallapati, Sankar, Kenny, Lisa, Wilkinson, David

Optical Bonding of Automotive Smart Surfaces

TBMG-2834002/01/2018

Behr Hella Thermo Control (BHTC) of Lippstadt, Germany, manufactures automotive interior components. As the demand for smarter cars increases, BHTC encountered a new automotive interior challenge: optical bonding of automotive smart surfaces. The challenge of optical bonding led to a working relationship with Precision Valve and Automotive (PVA) of Cohoes, NY, to meet BHTC’s production and flexibility needs.

Experimental and Kinetic Analyses of Thermochemical Fuel Reforming (TFR) with Alcohol Enrichment in Plug Flow Reactor: a Verification of In-Cylinder TFR

2017-01-227810/08/2017

In-cylinder thermochemical fuel reforming (TFR) in spark ignition natural gas engine was developed to reveal that thermochemical fuel reforming could increase H2 and CO concentration in reformed gas, leading to an increase of thermal efficiency and engine performance. Moreover, ethanol enrichment has been proved to have great potential to optimize TFR performance. In order to explain TFR phenomenon chemically, methane oxidation experiments were conducted in a laminar flow reactor with addition of ethanol and methanol at equivalent ratios of 1.5, 1.7, 1.9 and 2.1 from 948K to 1098K at atmospheric pressure. Experimental results showed that methanol have great ability to facilitate the oxidation of methane than that of ethanol. Meanwhile, the degree of methane conversion became more significantly as the equivalent ratio increased. Kinetic analysis of oxidation of methane with alcohol enrichment in a plug flow model was also conducted in this study. There was good agreement between

Deng, Zhiwei, Li, Ang, Zhu, Lei, Huang, Zhen

Neighboring Mobile Robot Cell with Drilling and Fastening

2017-01-209409/19/2017

Electroimpact, in collaboration with Boeing, has developed an advanced robotic assembly cell, dubbed “The Quadbots.” Using Electroimpact’s patented Accurate Robot technology and multi-function end effector (MFEE), each robot can drill, countersink, inspect hole quality, apply sealant, and insert fasteners into the part. The cell consists of 4 identical machines simultaneously working on a single section of the Boeing 787 fuselage, two on the left, and two on the right. These machines employ “collision avoidance” a new feature in their software to help them work more synchronously. The collision avoidance software uses positional feedback from external safety rated encoders mounted to the motors on the robot. From this feedback, safe spaces, in the form of virtual boundaries can be created. Such that a robot will stop and wait if the adjacent robot is in, or going to move into its programmed work envelope. Another feature of the collision avoidance is to limit robot speeds when they are

Everhart, Tyler

Integrating 20 Tow, 1.5 Inch AFP Heads on Large Part for High Deposition Rate Application

2017-01-214909/19/2017

As carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) become more integrated into the design of large single piece aircraft structures, aircraft manufacturers are demanding higher speed and efficiency in Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) deposition systems. To facilitate the manufacturing of large surface area and low contour parts (wing skins, in this case) at a high production rate, Electroimpact has developed a new AFP head consisting of 20 1.5 inch wide pre-impregnated carbon tows. The new head design has been named the ‘OH20’, short for ‘One and a Half Inch, 20 Tows’. This AFP head format creates a deposition swath over 30 inches wide when all 20 tows are active. A total of four of these AFP heads have been integrated with a quick change robotic tool changer on two high speed, high acceleration, and high accuracy moving beam gantries. All head CFRP spool loading, maintenance, and cleaning can be accomplished in a maintenance cell while the other AFP head is depositing CFRP in the part cell

Gillespie, Cameron S.

Referencing Strategies for High Accuracy Machining of Large Aircraft Components with Mobile Robotic Systems

2017-01-216609/19/2017

The demand for higher production rates in aircraft industry requests more flexible manufacturing solutions. A bottleneck in production is the machining of large components by vast portal machines. Time-consuming referencing processes result in non-satisfying cost-effectiveness of these high-invest-machines. Mobile robot-based solutions are able to operate simultaneously which increases the productivity significantly. However, due to the limited workspace of robots, machining tasks have to be divided and long trajectories are separated in single overlapping segments. Thus high-accuracy referencing strategies are required to achieve desired production tolerances. In this publication different advanced optical reference strategies will be discussed taking the inhomogeneous behavior of a mobile robotic machining system into account. Investigations on the absolute positioning and the machining accuracy will show the impact of different referencing strategies on sub-scale machining

Susemihl, Hendrik, Brillinger, Christoph, Stürmer, Sven Philipp, Hansen, Stephan, Boehlmann, Christian, Kothe, Simon, Wollnack, Jörg, Hintze, Wolfgang

Automatic Tool Change System for Stringer Side Rivet and Bolt Anvils on a D-Frame or C-Frame Fuselage Fastening Machine

2017-01-208009/19/2017

Manually changing stringer-side tooling on an automatic fastening machine is time consuming and can be susceptible to human error. Stringer-side tools can also be physically difficult to manage because of their weight, negatively impacting the experience and safety of the machine operator. A solution to these problems has recently been developed by Electroimpact for use with its new Fuselage Skin Splice Fastening Machine. The Automatic Tool Changer makes use of a mechanically passive gripper system capable of securely holding and maneuvering twelve tools weighing 40 pounds each inside of a space-saving enclosure. The Automatic Tool Changer is mounted directly to the stringer side fastening head, meaning the machine is capable of changing tools relatively quickly while maintaining its position on the aircraft panel with no machine operator involvement. Additionally, since the tools are all contained within an interlocked enclosure, this system reduces the required frequency of tool

Merluzzi, James, Bahr, Isaac

High Volume Automated Spar Assembly Line (SAL)

2017-01-207309/19/2017

The decision to replace a successful automated production system at the heart of a high volume aircraft factory does not come easily. A point is reached when upgrades and retrofits are insufficient to meet increasing capacity demands and additional floor space is simply unavailable. The goals of this project were to increase production volume, reduce floor space usage, improve the build process, and smooth factory flow without disrupting today’s manufacturing. Two decades of lessons learned were leveraged along with advancements in the aircraft assembly industry, modern machine control technologies, and maturing safety standards to justify the risk and expense of a ground-up redesign. This paper will describe how an automated wing spar fastening system that has performed well for 20 years is analyzed and ultimately replaced without disturbing the high manufacturing rate of a single aisle commercial aircraft program.

Calawa, Rick, Smith, Gavin

The Next Generation HI-LOK and HI-LITE System

2017-01-208609/19/2017

The fast growth of air traffic and the need for lighter and more fuel efficient aircraft is driving the ramp-up of important new aircraft programs. These increases in production rates are driving manufacturers to seek out robust and reliable installation systems. They must also adapt to the unique requirements of composite materials that now have an increasingly important place in the aerospace industry. Moreover, environmental constraints continue to evolve and drive new regulations, such as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) in Europe. As an example, this regulation is leading to the adoption of non-chromate surface treatments and paints for most applications. The legacy generation of fasteners does not comply with all of these new requirements. Clearance fit installation and the lower coefficient of friction of composite structures increases the resultant installation torque on the pin recess, at levels the traditional hexagonal recess

Lo, Justin

Faster, Better, Economic - Newest Acid Zinc-Nickel Technology for Brake Caliper Plating

2017-01-250709/17/2017

The demand for zinc-nickel coatings continuously increases in the automotive industry due to their high corrosion protection as well as superior wear and heat resistance compared to pure zinc platings. The state-of-the-art plating systems in the brake caliper industry are acid zinc-nickel electrolytes, as only they allow for direct plating on cast iron. Cast iron is the most common base material for the production of automotive brake components due to excellent mechanical and thermal properties. Well suited coatings will preserve the functional properties and provide additional advantages like improved corrosion protection and homogeneous and long lasting appearance. Consistently increasing quality demands, extended warranty periods and cost pressure lead to further developments and force the industry to look for new solutions. Therefore improvement of throwing power (thickness distribution) of acid zinc-nickel electrolytes would allow for a reduction in plating time and thus an

Hoch, Matthias, Kaczmarek, Michal, Ahr, Markus

Drilling Material Stacks: Can it be both automated and affordable?

SN-000106/26/2017

Automating a manufacturing process often comes with substantial investment or sustained operational costs of complex subsystems. But, by reducing complexity and using technologically mature components, it is possible to develop viable scaled and robust automated solutions. For the past several years, aerospace manufacturers have endeavored to automate manufacturing processes as much as possible for both production efficiencies and competitive advantage. Automating processes like drilling, fastening, sealing, painting, and composite material production have reaped a wide range of benefits; from improving quality and productivity to lowering worker ergonomic risks. The results have improved supply chains from small component manufacturers all the way up to airframe assemblers. That said, automation can be very expensive, and difficult to introduce when a product is anywhere beyond the beginning of its life cycle. In this Solution Notes, engineers address those two challenges with a mix

Four Ways to improve Production by Understanding the Physics of Servos

TBMG-2669404/01/2017

There is always a need to increase production in automation applications. Sometimes achieving improvements requires breaking the process down to its fundamental basics. The science behind the technology of servo-based motion control systems should be considered when attempting to eliminate inefficiencies. Four fundamentals to examine are inertia, resonance, vibration suppression, and regeneration.

The Ecosystem for Engineering Design Applied to Formula SAE

2017-01-132403/28/2017

Modern mechanical design is heavily supplemented by computer-aided design and engineering (CAD/CAE) tools. The predominance of these tools have been developed to augment the analysis efforts during the detailed phase of the design process. Yet, many design oversights and inefficiencies are the result of inadequate vetting of engineering requirements, and vague accountability to those requirements during conceptual design. The Ecosystem for Engineering Design is developed herein as an immersive CAE tool for comprehensive design process support that facilitates the elimination of these sources of design inefficiency. In addition, the Ecosystem promotes rigid adherence to phase-appropriate design process activities increasing productivity. Many time-consuming administrative and information management tasks are automated to further increase designer efficiency. The Ecosystem for Engineering Design incorporates an array of phase-based design utilities including Total Design [1] and

Jones, Robert, Steingrimsson, Baldur, Etesami, Faryar, Yi, Sung

Engineering Productivity Increase with Organization Architectures

2017-01-024803/28/2017

Motivation - Ambiguous product targets, a global market, innovation pressure, changing process requirements and limited resources describe the situation for engineering management in the most R&D organizations. Achieving complex objective with limited resources is a question of performance. Performance in engineering departments is highly correlated to the existing capability of the engineering staff. When the reduction of engineering effort in development projects becomes additional goal for the management, an increase of engineering productivity is required. International engineering sites are established globally to push the capacity limits and to increase the productivity by the accessing big employment markets of engineering talents. By solving the conflict of limited resources and complex engineering goals, a need organizational challenge occurs - global co-engineering. Co-engineering is the extension of simultaneous engineering by the distribution of tasks and responsibilities

Koark, Fabian Jorg Uwe, Korandla, Arvind

Glass Fibers with Potential Far Beyond Transmitting Light

TBMG-2622501/01/2017

Glass fibers do everything from connecting us to the Internet to enabling keyhole surgery by delivering light through an endoscope. But as versatile as today’s fiber optics are, scientists around the world have been working to expand their capabilities by adding semiconductor core materials to the glass fibers.

New Tube-Cutting Technology Meets Next-Generation Production Needs

TBMG-2557710/01/2016

Stents and hypodermic tubes (hypotubes) are used in countless applications, and the demand is growing rapidly in response to the continued demand for stent applications and growth of minimally invasive surgery. The sheer number and diversity of devices is rapidly increasing, and with it, the demand for more laser-cut stents, flexible tubing, cannulas and micro cannulas, needles, biopsy devices, and other minimally invasive tools. Figure 1 shows examples that represent common features of modern stents.

System and Method for Space Utilization Optimization and Visualization

TBMG-2552110/01/2016

NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed a space-allocation and planning software system to allow for more effective and efficient facility usage. It also provides a customizable strategy for organizing personnel and project teams to maximize productivity and synergies among employees. Cost-reduction solutions are suggested based on organizational input constraints related to the facility. The program uses a standard Web browser to allow for visualization of an entire organization down to individual rooms. The planning tool is based on algorithms that were developed using ArcGIS software and Visual Basic codes, which enable evaluation of different space-management scenarios in real time.

An Asymmetric Wrenching System with High Torque Transfer Capability for Aerospace Pins

2016-01-208109/27/2016

The installation of common threaded aerospace fasteners by the application of a torque to a nut or collar is made possible by an internal wrenching element or recess feature adapted to the threaded end of a pin, which accepts a mating anti-rotation key designed to partially balance the applied torque. In applications such as the mechanical joining of composite structures accomplished by wet clearance fit installations of permanent fasteners, high nut or collar seating torques not adequately opposed by frictional resistance at the contact surfaces of the fastener and joint members effectively shift a greater proportion of the torque reaction requirement onto the recess and mating anti-rotation key which in turn can experience high torsional stresses exceeding their design capability and result in frequent service failures. In particular, the industry standard hexagonal recess and key have been shown to be highly susceptible to such severe conditions with failure rates as high as 20% in

Pinheiro, Rodrigo, Gurrola, Robert, Dzebo, Sead

Automated FML Manufacturing for Aircraft Fuselages

2016-01-211209/27/2016

As a new material FML, made by aluminum foils and Glasfiber-Prepreg, is a real alternative to common materials for fuselages of aircrafts like monolithic aluminum or CFRP. Since experiences within A380 this material has some really good advantages and develops to the status as alternative to aluminum and composite structures. To become FML as a real alternative to aluminum and carbon structures there are many things to improve: design, material, costs and process chain. So following one of the main goals for an industrial application for high production rates of aircrafts is the automation of production processes inside the process chain for FML-parts like skins and panels for fuselages. To reach this goal for high production rates first steps of automation inside this new process chain have been developed in the last two years. Main steps is the automated lay-up of metallic foils and Glasfiber-Prepreg. Over this there are some more steps within positioning of i.e. stringers and

Apmann, Hilmar

Aircraft Wing Build Philosophy Change through System Pre-Equipping of Major Components

2016-01-212009/27/2016

In the civil aircraft industry there is a continuous drive to increase the aircraft production rate, particularly for single aisle aircraft where there is a large backlog of orders. One of the bottlenecks is the wing assembly process which is largely manual due to the complexity of the task and the limited accessibility. The presented work describes a general wing build approach for both structure and systems equipping operations. A modified build philosophy is then proposed, concerned with large component pre-equipping, such as skins, spars or ribs. The approach benefits from an offloading of the systems equipping phase and allowing for higher flexibility to organize the pre-equipping stations as separate entities from the overall production line. Its application is presented in the context of an industrial project focused on selecting feasible system candidates for a fixed wing design, based on assembly consideration risks for tooling, interference and access. Further industrial

Judt, David, Forster, Kevin, Lockett, Helen, Lawson, Craig, Webb, Philip

Implementation of High-Performance Vibration Assisted Drilling Process for Drilling and Fastening Systems

2016-01-209609/27/2016

Drilling of high-strength titan material and composites in combination creates complex challenges in order to achieve required productivity and quality. Long spiral chips are characteristically for the titan drilling process, which leads to e.g. chip accumulation, high thermomechanical load, surface damages and excessive tool wear. The basic approach is the substitution of today’s peck drilling as current solution to this problem and the implementation of a vibration assisted drilling, so called micro-peck-drilling-process, to generate a kinematic chip breakage in a significant more efficient way. To meet perfectly the requirements regarding rates, quality and automation level, Broetje-Automation as system integrator has investigated and developed the implementation of different alternative high-performance systems and methods to approach the optimal oscillation movement of the tool. In addition to the analysis of the system, the process has been investigated to complete the

Schnieders, Simon, Eickhorst, Dirk

Assembly Assistance and Position Data Feedback by Means of Projection Lasers

2016-01-210709/27/2016

The global competition challenges aircraft manufactures in high wage countries. The assembly of large components is very difficult and distinguished by fixed position assembly. Many complex assembly processes such as aircraft assembly are manually done by highly skilled workers. The aircraft manufactures deal with a varying number of items, increasing number of product variants and strict product requirements. During the assembly process hundreds of clips, ties and stringers as well as thousands of rivets must be assembled. To remain competitive in global competition, companies in high wage countries like Germany must insure a continuously high productivity and quality level. To achieve a reduction of cycle times with a simultaneous increase in quality, supportive assistance systems for visual support, documentation and organization within the assembly are required. One example for visual assistance systems are laser projection systems. As a part of the research project IProGro

Mueller, Rainer, Vette, Matthias, Scholer, Matthias, Ball, Jan

Mobile Robot Assembly Cell (RACe) for Drilling and Fastening

2016-01-207809/27/2016

The demand of flexible and cost-efficient solutions for automated fastening systems inspired us, the BROETJE-Automation, to develop the robot and end-effector technology to fulfil the customer’s requirement for a highly accurate, automated robot based drill and fastening system for an aerospace application. This paper describes an innovative mobile robot platform for multiple uses in aviation industry. The base platform will be equipped with suitable modular units to meet the requirements of each customer exactly. The required absolute positioning accuracy is reached by using a special compensation package for the robot that was developed by BROETJE Automation. Several aircraft manufacturers are operating with this mobile cell works on single aisle and twin aisle programs. This solution demonstrates how standard robots equipped with a mature compensation method resulted in a highly flexible and cost-efficient light weight automation response.

Logemann, Torsten

Vibration Assisted Drilling on Automated Drilling Units: Challenges, Dynamic Modelization and Prospective Developments

2016-01-209709/27/2016

The Vibration Assisted Drilling (VAD) process has been implemented in Automated Drilling Equipment (ADE) on an industrial scale since 2011. Today more than 11000 ADEs are currently used on aircraft assembly lines. As well as drawing up a short report on the use of this new process, the authors make an assessment on new challenges that VAD has to face up. Indeed production rates are increasing and ADE manufacturers improve their technologies, one of the most recent and major development concerning the electrical motorization of the machines. These evolutions are as many opportunities for the VAD provided you have a clever understanding as well as an expert knowledge of the process. Thus the authors propose a new dynamic model of the whole VAD system which integrates the behavior of the part, cutting tool/material pair and the machine. The confrontation of model results and experimental validation tests demonstrates the relevance of the works. On this basis the authors detail some

Laporte, Sylvain, De Castelbajac, Cosme, Ladonne, Mathieu

Predicting Impact Damage, Residual Strength and Crashworthiness of Composite Structures

2016-01-049704/05/2016

The development of the latest generation of wide-body carbon-fibre composite passenger aircraft has heralded a new era in the utilisation of these materials. The premise of superior specific strength and stiffness, corrosion and fatigue resistance, is tempered by high development costs, slow production rates and lengthy and expensive certification programmes. Substantial effort is currently being directed towards the development of new modelling and simulation tools, at all levels of the development cycle, to mitigate these shortcomings. One of the primary challenges is to reduce the extent of physical testing, in the certification process, by adopting a ‘certification by simulation’ approach. In essence, this aspirational objective requires the ability to reliably predict the evolution and progression of damage in composites. The aerospace industry has been at the forefront of developing advanced composites modelling tools. As the automotive industry transitions towards the increased

Falzon, Brian, Tan, Wei

Development of Fracture Model for Laser Screw Welding

2016-01-134404/05/2016

This paper describes the development of a fracture finite element (FE) model for laser screw welding (LSW) and validation of the model with experimental results. LSW was developed and introduced to production vehicles by Toyota Motor Corporation in 2013. LSW offers superb advantages such as increased productivity and short pitch welding. Although the authors had previously developed fracture FE models for conventional resistance spot welding (RSW), a fracture model for LSW has not been developed. To develop this fracture model, many comprehensive experiments were conducted. The results revealed that LSW had twice as many variations in fracture modes compared to RSW. Moreover, fracture mode bifurcations were also found to result from differences in clearance between welded plates. In order to analyze LSW fracture phenomena, detailed FE models using fine hexahedral elements were developed. The analytical results revealed that the fracture modes were determined not only by equivalent

Kumagai, Koushi, Kuwahara, Masaaki, Yasuki, Tsuyoshi, Koreishi, Norimasa

ST-Lib: A Library for Specifying and Classifying Model Behaviors

2016-01-062104/05/2016

Test and verification procedures are a vital aspect of the development process for embedded control systems in the automotive domain. Formal requirements can be used in automated procedures to check whether simulation or experimental results adhere to design specifications and even to perform automatic test and formal verification of design models; however, developing formal requirements typically requires significant investment of time and effort for control software designers. We propose Signal Template Library (ST-Lib), a uniform modeling language to encapsulate a number of useful signal patterns in a formal requirement language with the goal of facilitating requirement formulation for automotive control applications. ST-Lib consists of basic modules known as signal templates. Informally, these specify a characteristic signal shape and provide numerical parameters to tune the shape. We propose two use-cases for ST-Lib: (1) allowing designers to classify design behaviors based on

Kapinski, James, Jin, Xiaoqing, Deshmukh, Jyotirmoy, Donze, Alexandre, Yamaguchi, Tomoya, Ito, Hisahiro, Kaga, Tomoyuki, Kobuna, Shunsuke, Seshia, Sanjit

Testing of Real-Time Criteria in ISO 26262 Related Projects - Maximizing Productivity Using a Certified COTS Test Automation Tool

2016-01-013904/05/2016

Increasing productivity along the development and verification process of safety-related projects is an important aspect in today’s technological developments, which need to be ever more efficient. The increase of productivity can be achieved by improving the usability of software tools and decreasing the effort of qualifying the software tool for a safety-related project. For safety-critical systems, the output of software tools has to be verified in order to ensure the tools’ suitability for safety-relevant applications. Verification is particularly important for test automation tools that are used to run hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) tests of safety-related software automatically 24/7. This qualification of software tools requires advanced knowledge and effort. This problem can be solved if a tool is suitable for developing safety-related software. This paper explains how this can be achieved for a COTS test automation tool. Maximizing the productivity of a software tool’s use involves

Himmler, Andreas, Lamberg, Klaus, Schulze, Tino, Stavesand, Jann-Eve

Development of Robust Anti-chipping Performance Primer for Various Application Process Conditions

2016-01-053604/05/2016

Chipping performance of body paint on a vehicle has become increasingly important in harsher climates such as North America and Russia. Stones can cause body paint to chip down to substrate and expose bare metal, which can then lead to corrosion. The primer layer serves not only as the adhesion promoter between metal substrate and topcoat, but also secures overall chipping performance of the coating system. The benefits of a softer body primer have been established and described in Bock and Engbert’s SAE paper “Waterborne Polyurethane Based Paint Materials for the Automotive Industry - Present Situation and Future Possibilities - ,”[1], however, the challenge exists in accommodating various application process conditions. This paper describes the balancing of developing a robust high chipping performance body primer with lower glass transition temperature (Tg) and higher damping efficiency (tan delta), while maintaining critical process parameters such as reparability and indirect

Gidcumb, Yuko N., Kubish, Scott, Templeman, Cynthia, Richards, George, Ikeura, Yukihiro

Items per page:

1 – 50 of 335