ARMA - Adaptive Robotized Multifunction Assembly Cell

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Developing the most advanced wing panel assembly line for very high production rates required an innovative and integrated solution, relying on the latest technologies in the industry.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Looking back at over five decades of commercial aircraft assembly, a clear and singular vision of a fully integrated solution was defined for the new panel production line. The execution was to be focused on co-developing the automation, tooling, material handling and facilities while limiting the number of parties involved. Using the latest technologies in all these areas also required a development plan, which included pre-qualification at all stages of the system development.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Planning this large scale project included goals not only for the final solution but for the development and implementation stages as well.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The results: <ul class="list disc"><li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Design/build philosophy reduced project time and the number of teams involved. This allowed for easier communication and extended development time well into the project.</div></li><li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">All design teams (machine, tooling, automation, controls) collocated and worked together on integration during all stages of development and implementation for the highest level of integration.</div></li><li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Innovative integration of the tooling and the automated equipment evolved throughout project with the teams working as one group.</div></li><li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Latest fastening technology using all electric, ball-screw squeeze riveting was developed for high-speed and robust automated fastening.</div></li><li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Latest mobilization technology was used to make the automated fastening machines interchangeable to reduce MTTR and to enable more PPM activities offline without affecting production.</div></li><li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">More automation was also introduced for tool changing and to the material handling systems for more consistent processing and to reduce operator intervention.</div></li><li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">All systems were developed together for full integration and to enable more safety interlocks and HMI for simplified operation.</div></li><li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">A 30 month schedule for the complete large scale assembly line was maintained to support the new aircraft launch schedule.</div></li></ul></div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The final solution was a coherent, streamlined and efficient assembly line capable of very high aircraft production rates (<span class="xref">Figure 1</span>).</div><div class="htmlview paragraph"><figure id="F1" class="figure"><div class="graphic-wrapper"><img class="article-figure figure" src="2015-01-2492_fig0001.jpg" alt="PAL, automation cell, Line 4, Position 1 (L4P1)"/></div><span class="label">Figure 1</span><figcaption class="caption"><span class="title">PAL, automation cell, Line 4, Position 1 (L4P1)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div>

<div class="htmlview paragraph">This work will present a digital system that allows an on-line experimental determination of the instantaneous torque of either motoring or braking machines.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">With the procedure developed the machine under test accelerates or decelerates a rigid inertia and all that is required to obtain the instantaneous torque is the instantaneous angular speed signal. An additional external braking or motoring machine, like a dynamometer, is not strictly required, but can add certain value to the testing capabilities. The amount of the total inertia under motion can be determined as part of the actual process with this method.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Digital time invariant linear filters are used to process the speed signal using a conventional high level language code running in a microcomputer. The non recursive filters were designed to obtain a short convolution time with a small memory penalty and to handle a noisy speed signal.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">A personal computer with a commercially available analog to digital conversion card and a graphic display are used to lower the cost of the testing equipment. With this system the performance curves can be displayed on the screen as the test proceeds. The use of a computer increases considerably the possibilities of the method and favors the ease of use.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Several methods to compensate the errors due to the torque losses from the machine output up to the inertial mass are presented.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Complete simulation of real life steady and transient operation of the machine is possible with this system if an additional braking or motoring device is added to simulate the external load.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">The computerized system, the instrumentation, and the mechanical facility required for using this technique are combined in a motorcycle roller test bench that is used as a road simulator.</div>

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">There is an ever growing demand for blind fastener in the aerospace industry. This demand is driven not only by the advantages of single sided installation, but also by the potential to fully automate their installation process.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Blind fasteners can easily be integrated with innovative end-effectors that combine drilling, installation and inspection systems, enabling the reduction of process cycle times and their associated cost savings.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Clearly the advantages of single sided installation are a key benefit, but it cannot be forgotten that currently the mechanical performance of these systems is reduced compared with conventional threaded or swaged parallel shank fasteners. There are other important drawbacks existing around them which could penalise significantly the optimised design and performance of the structures.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Specific key characteristics that take into account some of these drawbacks have been established by Airbus which will be referenced in this paper.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Recently some improvements in new system concepts based on the typical pull and threaded type versions have been achieved by the main aerospace fastener suppliers, based on better mechanical performance, improved cosmetic appearance of the fastener head, etc.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper will give a global view of the characteristics that are considered more important for evaluation of the next generation of blind systems to allow their optimised implementation on new applications as well as a chance to view some new systems developed by the Suppliers.</div></div>

<div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper describes work being conducted by OC Robotics and Airbus to develop snake-arm robots to conduct assembly tasks within wing boxes - an area currently inaccessible for automation.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">The composite, single skin construction of aircraft structures presents new assembly challenges. Currently during box close-out it is necessary for aircraft fitters to climb into the wing box through small access panels and use manual or power tools to perform a variety of tasks. In future wing designs it may be that certain parts of the wing do not provide adequate access for manual assembly methods. It is also known that these manual interventions introduce health and safety concerns with their associated costs.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Snake-arm robots provide a means to replace manual procedures by delivering the required tools to all areas of the wing box.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Such a development has broader implications for aircraft design and assembly. There is potential for considerable cost savings for the aerospace industry through reduced weight, improved aerodynamics, standardisation of assembly processes, increased rate and reduced health and safety costs.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper presents early results of the demonstration snake-arm robot and outlines expectations for future development. It also identifies critical design parameters for the snake-arm and considers the tools and processes delivered by the snake-arm.</div>

<div class="htmlview paragraph">South American automotive market pushes tier 1 supplier companies, as Visteon Corporation - Guarulhos, Brazil, to work in an environment of high complexity mix of products together with low volume operations.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">As a ring of the above supply chain, the Injection Area is a key internal supplier for the Plant, providing skins (cockpit plastic covers), consoles and other interior and exterior plastic parts to the manufacturing assembly cells.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">For a long time Kanban system has been used inside the Injection Area to minimize inventory through a pull system and to gain production flexibility.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper explores the link between the Kanban system and the Economic Batch Size (EBS) calculation. The EBS is the production administration approach of optimizing the replenishment costs (mold changeover costs) and inventory holding costs (injection buffer).</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper will discuss the benefits of the proposed methodology above, based on a case inside the mentioned Injection Area.</div>

<div class="htmlview paragraph">The paper traces the development of the approach to airworthiness taken by Canadian government authorities from its origin through to current practices. It describes the Aerospace industry, the carriers and general aviation in statistical terms, indicates the impact of economic regulatory reform and suggests the way ahead for Canadian and other authorities lies in the attitude and methodologies practiced by the European authorities in their development of JARs.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">I SHOULD PERHAPS start this presentation with a short word about authorities. At the conclusion of a speech on safety regulation by Mr. Ronald Ashford of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, reported in Flight International of April 19, 1986, the following quotation from St. Paul to the Romans appeared:</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph"><div class="quote"><div class="htmlview paragraph">“You wish to have no fear of the authorities? Then continue to do right and you will have their approval, for they are God's agents working for your good”.</div> </div> </div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Aprocryphal or not, this would appear to give some divine authority for our regulatory activities.</div>

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Avionics industry is moving towards fly-by wire aircrafts with less reliance on mechanical systems leading to increase in the complexity of in-flight hardware elements. RTCA/DO-254 and EUROCAE ED-80 plays a vital role in the design assurance of airborne electronic hardware.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">RTCA/ DO-254 and EUROCAE ED-80 are the industry standards for Design Assurance Guidance for Airborne Electronic Hardware. The two different agencies FAA and EU regulate and apply this design assurance guidance to the regulatory law in CFR and EASA CS respectively. This paper discusses the need for DO-254 /ED-80 certification in Aerospace industry, the advantages and benefits to the avionics manufacturers. The paper presents the study made on similarities and differences between DO-254/ED-80. This paper simplifies the thin line of distinction on the classification of the product as a simple and complex hardware and also on the applicability of DO-254 for both simple and complex hardware based on FAA AC20-152, Order 8110.105 and EASA Certification Memo SWCEH- 001 for AEH.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">DO-254 suggests to use compliant tools or to show the history of the tool being previously used for design, synthesis and simulation. This is a key factor for trade off analysis of FPGA/ASIC based design vs non FPGA/ASIC based design.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Due to the longevity of aircraft in commercial operation, avionics and aircraft systems need to be design to support a longer product life span. This makes component obsolescence, a challenge and forces products potentially go through redesign phase which may impact the design approval under DO-254/ED-80 an require updates and re-verification as well as the potential for re-certification. This paper provides some suggested guidance for taking credit from previous design DO-254/ED-80 baselines, which will help in reducing the recertification efforts. Discussion and thoughts are presented for leveraging the certification artifacts for current and future COTS, Hard IPs, Vendor COTS IPs and Soft IPs. This paper makes an attempt to show how to carry out an analysis on change impact assessment, applicability involved in various Development Assurance Levels against design/verification requirements.. Various pain points with respect to certification and reusability approach has been discussed Possible solutions to overcome areas of significant impact has been outlined in this paper.</div></div>

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The automation of assembly processes in aircraft production is, due to technological and organizational boundary conditions, very difficult and is subject to technological challenges and economical risks. The technological challenges are especially the large product dimensions as well as the high amount of variants. At the same time, aircrafts are produced in low quantities with inflexible and expensive fixtures.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">As part of the research projects TRSE (semi-automated robot welding for single item production) and 4by3 (Modularity, Safety, Usability, Efficiency by Human-Robot-Collaboration) at ZeMA, the goal is to develop new process technologies, planning tools and adequate equipment in order to enable efficient and customized automation for various production processes.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The human-robot-cooperation is an approach to a required, adjusted and flexible automation. Worker and robot work together without a separating protection device in an overlapping workspace.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The idea is to support the worker in the production process with a sensitive robot to achieve a higher process efficiency and an improvement of quality.</div></div>

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The increased diffusion of cooperation between humans and robotics in manufacturing systems is one of the next things to implement within robotics. Since the computer power gets more and more powerful, the possibilities increase to achieve safer working environment, due to that all safety signals demands fast management of data. This could lead to a possibility to work closer and more direct with a robot, using the robot as a third hand. Within an EU FW7 funded project called LOCOMACHs (Low Cost Manufacturing and Assembly of Composite and Hybrid Structures) there are one study focusing on how to support a future higher TRL-leveled HMI cell (Human Machine Interaction) in an assembly task. The main objective in this paper is to present how different external safety systems could support the whole HMI assembly cell to work properly in an industrial context. The scenario for HMI, in this case, is that an operator enters into the robot working area with the aim to perform an assembly task that need two hands. There are different support systems that could be applied to this assembly application, but every one of these needs to coincide with official standards to be applied in an approved industrial HMI assembly cell. The different safety support systems that are used in this research are light barriers, physical barriers and three-position enabler. These safety support systems are tested in a demonstrator assembly cell using a mock-up wing part. The tests with the selected safety support systems in the physical demonstrator will be compared with a concept that uses cameras to achieve the same degree of safety.</div></div>

<div class="htmlview paragraph">The parameters of time, temperature, and turbulence affect the efficiency of incinerators in the control of organic solvent emissions from stationary equipment. Fuel costs are a problem, however, on which more data are needed. For example, for a large incinerator with no heat recovery features, the installed cost may be as low as $1.75/cfm for a 23,000 cfm unit with a fuel cost as low as $23/hr. A small unit without heat recovery but using no external combustion air might cost $11/cfm.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">The cost of equipment and operation is directly proportional to the exhaust volume to be handled.</div>

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">To grow the application space of polymer additive manufacturing (AM), the industry must provide an offering with improved mechanical properties. Several entities are working towards introducing continuous fibers embedded into either a thermoplastic or thermoset resin system. This approach can enable significant improvement in mechanical properties and could be what is needed to open new and exciting applications within the aerospace industry.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph"><b>Introduction of Continuous Fiber Reinforced Polymer: A New Additive Manufacturing Path for Aerospace</b> examines a couple of unsettled issues that are beginning to come to light regarding these materials and focuses on the ability to design and provide robust structural analysis for continuous fiber reinforced polymer AM—unsung aspects that can make or break this new technology as it finds its way into the aerospace market. Without solutions to them, adoption by the aerospace industry will be limited to point design applications, thus constraining the technology to being nothing more than a specialized tool.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph"><a href="https://www.sae.org/publications/edge-research-reports" target="_blank">Click here to access the full SAE EDGE</a><sup>TM</sup><a href="https://www.sae.org/publications/edge-research-reports" target="_blank"> Research Report portfolio.</a></div></div>

<div class="htmlview paragraph">The automotive and the aerospace industries are constantly looking at optimizing their production with cost effective and versatile material separation processes suitable for machining three-dimensional parts (3D) in all kind of materials.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Automation with robots has become quite common for manufacturing large serials of parts with constant quality and accuracy, avoiding risks for the operator.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper will deal with robotised waterjet cutting used to cut automotive floor carpets and other interior trim parts such as headliners, instrument panels, door panels, trunk liners, acoustical insulation, parcel shelves and some fiberglass reinforced components.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Furthermore we will talk about robotised routing, a suitable alternative for machining some of the above mentioned components. We will also describe abrasive waterjet, ideal for cutting 3D components made of metals, alloys and thick composites.</div>

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The first cross-industry guidelines for the implementation of structural health monitoring for aerospace applications have been created as a SAE International Aerospace Recommended Practices document: SAE ARP 6461 ‘Guidelines for Implementation of Structural Health Monitoring on Fixed Wing Aircraft’ [<span class="xref">1</span>]. These guidelines have brought together manufacturers, operators / users, systems integrators, regulators, technology providers and researchers to produce information on the integration of SHM into aircraft maintenance procedures, generic requirements and advice on validation, verification and airworthiness.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The take-up of SHM in the aerospace industry has been slow, in part due to the lack of accepted industry practices surrounding not just the technology itself (sensors and sensor systems) but also the associated issues arising from the introduction of new methods into aircraft maintenance. The SHM community responded by forming an Industry Steering Committee on the topic which then became a Technical Group within the SAE International standards organization (G-11 SHM). The initial task of this group was to produce guidelines to address some of the issues that currently prevent adoption of SHM in commercial and military aircraft operations.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper is a summary of the key content to the guidelines and the rationale behind their development. This is the first document of its type and as such is not concerned with details of the SHM technologies themselves but instead, focuses on the key steps needed to implement the technologies within the current regulatory environment and prevailing aircraft structural design and maintenance practices.</div></div>

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Since 2000, avionics is facing several changes, mostly driven by technological improvements in the electronics industry and innovation requirements from aircraft manufacturers. First, it has progressively lost its technological leadership over innovation processes. Second, the explosion of the electronics consumer industry has contributed to shorten even more its technology life cycles, and promoted the use of COTS. Third, the increasing complexity of avionics systems, which integrate more and more functions, have encouraged new players to enter the market.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The aim of this article is to analyze how technological changes can affect the competitiveness of avionics firms. We refer to criticality levels as a determinant of the market competitiveness. Certification processes and costs could stop new comers to bring innovations from the consumer electronics industry and protects traditional players.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The study will compare three avionics systems regarding their patent dynamics since 1980: flight controls, Integrated Modular avionics and Head-Up Displays. We assume that differences in the market competitiveness may appear due to their differences in their related criticality level. Systems belonging to Design Assurance Level A or B required wide-range of capabilities and long-term experience. The opportunity for new comers to introduce a certified-version of their product could be constrained by certification requirements.</div></div>

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Elastohydrodynamic (EHD)-simulation is a widely applied simulation technique that is used in a very diverse field of applications ranging from the study of vibroacoustics to the calculation of friction power losses in lubricated contacts. In particular, but not limited to, the automotive industry, technical advances and new requirements put current EHD simulation methodology under test. Ongoing trends like downsizing, downspeeding, start-stop and the continuing demand for increasing fuel efficiency impose new demands and challenges also on the simulation methodology. Increasing computational capabilities enable new simulation opportunities on the other hand.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">In the following, an overview is given on the current state of the art and today’s challenges for the elastohydrodynamic simulation of journal bearings and their wide range of applications from highly loaded main bearings supporting the crank shaft in the ICE to high speed turbocharger bearings.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The topics addressed in this work span a wide range from mixed lubrication, low viscosity lubricants, polymer coatings, microstructured surfaces to the simulation of the thermal behavior and the simulation of hydraulically coupled journal bearings as they are commonly present in internal combustion engines.</div></div>