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Experimental analysis of the automated process of sanding aircraft surfaces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2016

B. Giublin ,
J. A. Vieira ,
T. G. Vieira ,
L. G. Trabasso  and
C. A. Martins
B. Giublin
Affiliation:
Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, São José dos Campos, Brazil
J. A. Vieira
Affiliation:
Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, São José dos Campos, Brazil
T. G. Vieira
Affiliation:
Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, São José dos Campos, Brazil
L. G. Trabasso
Affiliation:
Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, São José dos Campos, Brazil
C. A. Martins*
Affiliation:
Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, São José dos Campos, Brazil
*
cmartins@ita.br
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Abstract

ITA and EMBRAER are currently executing the research project Automation of Aircraft Structural Assembly (AASA) whose goal is to implement a robotic cell for automating the riveting process of aeronautical structures. The proposal described herein complements the AASA project, adds other manufacturing processes, namely sanding and polishing of aircraft surfaces. To implement the additional processes AASA project resources and facilities were used (robots and metrology systems) and devices designed and /or acquired to allow sharing of these resources. Among these, an Automatic Tooling Support for AERonautics structures (ATS_AER) was designed and built; also, a robot tool changer with high load capacity was acquired. The outcome of this research project is the evaluation of the feasibility of automating the processes of sanding and polishing metal surfaces in the aircraft manufacture using robots. The operating method adopted for surface treatment employed the ‘U’ type trajectory optimised to be run by a KUKA robot KR 500. The sanding process has been applied to aluminum metal sheet specimen sized 2•18ft2 (0•20m2) and used commercial 600 and 800 sandpaper. The automated sanding process yielded an average value of RA 0•48 ± 0•08 which is 25% more efficient when compared to the traditional, manual process whose average value of RA is 0•75 ± 0•51.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 118 , Issue 1199 , January 2014 , pp. 53 - 64
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2014 

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