Rotary Wing Structures Technology Demonstration of Tool-less Assembly

It is the objective of the Rotary Wing Structures Technology Demonstration (RWSTD) program to demonstrate new materials and processes to reduce cost. As part of RWSTD, a full-scale article was designed and manufactured using tool-less assembly. Tool-less assembly represents a change in the aircraft assembly paradigm from a process where tooling is used to define part location to one where parts themselves define their location. Compared to traditional assembly techniques, tool-less assembly approaches have been used successfully to demonstrate increased productivity and reduced overall cost. This paper addresses the tool-less assembly process and methodology used to manage dimensional variability. Computer simulations of the completed assembly are modeled using a virtual design process. The simulations are used, as a predictive tool, to correlate the variability of individual part features with the tolerance stack-up of the final assembly. Tolerance and location of detail part features and the resultant final assembly are compared with dimensional objectives and true manufacturing capability. The result is a robust, cost effective design.