Automated/Mechanized Drilling and Countersinking of Airframes

Title: Automated/Mechanized Drilling and Countersinking of Airframes
Author: George Nicholas Bullen
ISBN: 0768076463 / 9780768076462
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 262
Publisher: SAE
Year: 2013
Availability: 45-60 days

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Modern aircraft manufacturing involves drilling and countersinking hundreds of thousands to millions of holes. Doing this work by hand accounts for 65% of the cost of airframe assembly, 85% of the quality issues, and 80% of the lost time due to injuries.

Automated drilling and countersinking replaces traditional hand methods and involves using numeric control machinery to drill and countersink a finished hole “one shot” (drilling a finished hole without using pilot holes or tool changes). This is a proven cost reducing technology that improves quality where it has been applied successfully.

The focus of this book is on automating the process of drilling and countersinking holes during airframe manufacturing. Since this is the area of greatest return on investment for airframe producers, the book provides a stepped approach for evaluating possible areas for applying automation and a detailed description of the process for choosing, acquiring, and transitioning the right machinery for success. It also provides a vision for a 10- to 15-year future state of airframe manufacture.

Readers will use the information to:

  • Understand the evolution of automated/mechanized drilling and countersinking airframes.
  • Access decision models and matrices to help evaluate the feasibility of applying automation/mechanization to any airframe.
  • Gain access to a step-by-step procedure to select the right piece of machinery.
  • Learn the necessary processes for testing and transitioning machinery to production.
  • Assess and acquire data to evaluate the effect of the process.
  • Choose and train the right individuals to manage and run the machinery.
  • Conduct cost benefit analysis models.
  • Make recommendations for maintenance and spares.
  • Address socio-economic factors to reconfigure a facility from hand to automated activities.

No other book provides such detailed technical, economic, and social information about automating the single largest contributor to airframe cost.

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Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Chapter 1 : Historical Perspective : Why Airframes Have Holes
Chapter 2 : Airframe Manufacturing Cost Drivers
Chapter 3 : Incentives and Disincentives to Automate
Chapter 4 : Types of Drill/Countersink Automation
Chapter 5 : Considerations Before Replacing Hand Drilling with Mechanization or Automation
Chapter 6 : How to Choose the Right Automation
Chapter 7 : Steps to Installation
Chapter 8 : Test Procedures
Chapter 9 : Transition to Production
Chapter 10 : Training
Chapter 11 : Maintenance
Chapter 12 : Social Impact of Automation
Chapter 13 : Future State of Airframes and Automation Summary

Appendix A Automated Machine Suppliers for D/C of Airframes
Index
About the Author