Drilling and riveting needs high accuracy for aircraft parts assembly. Major manufacturers look for flexible solutions to match their modern requirements and specific process.
SPIE & ABB have developed an innovative force controlled robotic system with high clamping force to allow drilling and riveting multi-material structures. It will fulfill the one-way assembly requirements in several types of aeronautics applications.
Normality and anti-slipping are solved using force-control solution: a 6 components force sensor measures forces and moments at the pressure foot to correct normality and to avoid slipping. A high pressure clamping force directly controlled by robot allows a one-way drilling and riveting cycle. Accuracy is performed by absolute calibration and optical reference setting directly on aircraft part.
The new drilling, sealing and riveting end effector achieves peak drilling, stack thickness measurement, cutting condition adjustment and drill break detection. It is based on a linear motor feed axis in order to optimise accuracy and dynamic. Movement without mechanical parts leads to better accuracy, less wear and altered settings.
SPIE FX-Robotic Cell combines all these technological advance to propose a new flexible and efficient drilling-riveting robotic cell
