Machine Readable Coding of 777 Wing Fastening Systems Tooling

This paper presents a detailed overview of the advantages and benefits of using 2-D barcodes, called Data Matrix codes, on Wing Fastening System (WFS) Tooling. This project was conducted on, but not limited to, the 777 Wing Fastening System (GEMCOR) tooling including the drills, fingers, and button dies. This paper will show how using Data Matrix codes to identify tooling will:

• Eliminate excessive downtime due to the operator using the incorrect tooling for a given tool setup.
• Reduce the cost associated with panel rework due to the use of incorrect tooling.
• Reduce the cost associated with excessive tool inventory or last minute ordering to keep up with production needs.
• Track tool life information for each specific tool.
• Provide operators with an easy to use tool setup reference document.
• And provide the factory with the ability to trace panel damage or defects back to the specific machine and exact tooling used.

Also, this paper will provide a detailed analysis of the technology behind the Data Matrix code, the details of the laser engraving process, the hardware behind the vision system necessary to read the Date Matrix code, and the software involved that holds the entire process together.