One-Up Assembly with Robots

Demand in Aerospace for assembly systems utilizing industrial robots is rapidly increasing. Robotic systems can often be implemented for smaller, labor intensive products where work is performed from a single side (e.g. close out of skins to spars/ribs). To justify the costs of automation and to maximize build efficiency, the industry is striving toward “one-up” assembly, whereby the product is assembled one time - drilled, inspected, and ultimately fastened - without removal of components for deburring, cleaning, sealing, etc. To qualify this for production on The Boeing Company’s 787 moveable trailing edge (MTE) assemblies, the robotic systems required certain key capabilities to not only produce a quality process, but also verify quality via highly developed measurement systems.