| abstract |
The present invention relates to a portable process for automated fastening ofnaircraft structures. The invention will employ two primary elements for locating andninstalling through-the-skin fasteners. Inside and outside units are attached onto annairframe and indexed to each other through coordination holes that have been pre-drillednthrough the structure. The aircraft structure is assembled with the pre-drilledncoordination holes by aligning adjacent airframe parts and inserting alignment pins. Thenalignment pins will provide a degree of clamping to pull the parts together and providenindexing for inside and outside vacuum attachment track systems. The invention isnequipped to traverse along the track system, accurately position itself, and drill only orncountersink a hole, insert a fastener, and fasten, i.e., upset a rivet, or run down anthreaded nut, then reposition itself to the next fastener location and repeat the process. |