Automated assembly of aircraft wings

June 2014 News

The process of aircraft wing assembly manually could soon be automated thanks to a novel snake-like robot capable of tightening bolts in even the most difficult to access cavities of the wing structure.

Conventional industrial robots are too inflexible to pass through narrow openings. Their rigid arms are not capable of reaching the outermost regions of a workspace that extends up to five metres in length. What is needed is a slim robot with articulated arms. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology are currently working on an automation solution based on articulated robot arms.

The tool is attached to the first in the series of eight limbs, or can be replaced by an inspection camera if required. In total, the robot arm measures 2,5 metres in length and is capable of supporting tools weighing up to 15 kilograms in addition to its own weight. The next stage involves installing the 60 kilogram robot on a mobile platform, allowing it to travel along the length of the wing.

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