The Boeing Company

Jeffrey J Kilwin

Roger W Engelbart

Christopher Mark Vaccaro

James Leonard Scherer

George E Bible

Thomas E Burns

Christian E Schaefer

Ronald J Newcomer

Eugene T Darlak

Kip Ryan Kuldell

Tony S Goddard

Brian Stutzman

Jeffrey L Foore

Philip Lawrence Freeman

Richard J Steckel

Christopher B Mathiesen

Jim S Piszar

Jerry R Harmon

Kip R Kuldell

A method for automated installation of a semi-tubular fastener rivet is provided. The method includes controlling a numerical control drilling and riveting machine having an upper head and a lower head, to control movement of a lower pressure bushing, to apply a clamping force to hold a workpiece against an upper pressure bushing. The method includes controlling an upper drill spindle on the upper head, to drill a rivet-receiving hole from an upper side of the workpiece and to countersink the rivet-receiving hole. The method includes controlling a lower drill spindle on the lower head, to countersink the rivet-receiving hole from a lower side of the workpiece. The method includes controlling movement of an upper anvil from a retracted position to an installation position, and controlling movement of a lower anvil, to apply an upset force to a tail portion of the semi-tubular fastener rivet installed in the rivet-receiving hole.

Method for automated installation of semi-tubular fastener rivets

There is provided an automated rivet apparatus for installing a semi-tubular fastener rivet. The apparatus includes a numerical control (NC) drilling and riveting machine and a controller. The NC drilling and riveting machine includes a lower head having a lower pressure bushing, a lower drill spindle, and a lower anvil to apply an upset force to a tail portion of the semi-tubular fastener rivet. The NC drilling and riveting machine further includes an upper head having an upper pressure bushing, an upper drill spindle, and an upper anvil that holds the semi-tubular fastener rivet to insert the semi-tubular fastener rivet in a rivet-receiving hole. The lower drill spindle countersinks the rivet-receiving hole from a lower side of a workpiece. The controller directs movement of a nose of the lower anvil to apply the upset force and form a predetermined flare contour in the tail portion within a lower countersink.

Automated rivet apparatus for automated installation of semi-tubular fastener rivets

A method and system provide for reducing gaps between two mating parts. Either or both parts may be nondestructively inspected at a plurality of locations on a surface to gather a data set relating to the part thickness. The data set may be used to calculate a set of as-built thickness values for the part and a set of deviations from a design model. A mating area may be determined for mating surfaces of the parts. One or more layers of sacrificial material in the mating area may be prepared for any deviations greater than a design allowance. The system may include a ply cutting device and an additive manufacturing device coupled to a computer to receive the sacrificial material layer data and shim data and to cut the one or more layers of sacrificial material and to construct the shim. A shim may be constructed for any deviations equal to or greater than a minimum shim thickness. The one or more layers of sacrificial material may be applied to the part, cured, and machined to a desired thickness. The shim may be applied between the part surfaces. The parts may be fitted and assembled together.

Predictive surface adjustment for joint assembly

A method and a system are provided for predicting and creating a shim for use in a joint where two parts, such as a skin and a substructure, are assembled together. Digital models for the skin and the substructure may be used as nominal maps of the outlines and profiles of the parts. The skin may be inspected, e.g., by nondestructive means, such as ultrasound, to determine as-built thickness profile for comparison to the skin's digital model of the thickness profile. Mating areas of the skin and substructure may be determined from their digital models of their outlines. Deviations in the mating areas of the as-built thickness of the skin from the digital model of the skin may be used to generate a digital model of a shim. The shim may be constructed from its digital model by additive manufacturing techniques that may involving machining or 3D printing.

Predictive shimming of joints

A minimum bond assurance feature for a pi-joint assembly is provided. The pi-joint assembly includes a substructure, a member coupled to the substructure. The substructure includes one or more standoff extending above one of the lower side, the front side and the back side of the substructure. The standoff includes a space location control surface. The member includes a base, a pair of axially elongated leg extending from the base to define a channel therebetween. The channel of the member has a first channel side, a channel floor and a second channel side, wherein the space location control surface may contact the member maintaining a standoff distance between the one of the lower side, the front side and the back side of the substructure and corresponding one of the channel floor, the first channel side and the second channel side of the member. A method of assembling a pi-joint assembly of the present invention is also provided.

Minimum bond thickness assembly feature assurance

An adhesive injection process for a Pi-joint assembly comprises the steps of: machining at least two ports into a female part of a Pi-joint assembly; inserting a filler into a gap between a male part and the female part; applying a sealant above the filler; creating a vacuum with a vacuum pump at one port; injecting an adhesive through another port; and drawing the adhesive towards the vacuum pump until the gap under the filler is completely filled with the adhesive. The adhesive injection process incorporates lean technologies that enable increased productivity during the assembly of a Pi-joint design using adhesive bonding. The adhesive injection process is suitable for, but not limited to, applications in the aerospace industry, such as the aircraft airframe assembly. The adhesive injection process may be used for the bonding of upper and lower skins to airframe structure as well as for structure-to-structure bonding.

Adhesive injection process for Pi-joint assemblies

A system and methods for locating and drilling determinate assembly (DA) holes using a coordinate measuring device (CMD) are disclosed. A system includes a CMD having a probe tip, a guide element having a reference hole for receiving the probe tip, and a drill bushing having a drill bit guide hole for accurately drilling a DA hole at a target position. Methods for locating and drilling DA holes comprise steps of: calibrating a CMD; inserting a CMD probe into a reference hole of a guide element; positioning the CMD probe and guide element at a target position on a part; maintaining the guide element at the target position; removing the CMD probe from the guide element; inserting a drill bushing into the reference hole of the guide element; and drilling a DA hole in the part, utilizing a drill bit guide hole located in the drill bushing.

Locating and drilling determinate assembly holes using a coordinate measuring device

A self-locating feature for a pi-joint assembly is provided. The pi-joint assembly includes a substructure, a member coupled to the substructure. The substructure includes one or more land extending above one of a front side and a back side of the substructure. The land includes an outer surface, a depth location control surface and an edge location control surface. The member includes a base, a pair of axially elongated leg extending from the base to define a channel therebetween, and one or more notch located in one of the pair of axially elongated leg. The notch includes a depth contact location control surface and an edge contact location control surface, wherein the depth location control surface of the land of the substructure is correspondingly coupled to the depth contact location control surface of the notch located in one of the axially elongated leg, and the edge location control surface of the land of the substructure is correspondingly coupled to the edge contact location control surface of the notch located in one of the axially elongated leg. A method of assembling a pi-joint assembly of the present invention is also provided.

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St. Peters, MO, United States of America

Jeffrey J Kilwin