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Ever increasing process applications inspire us, as suppliers of aircraft, structural-assembly, and equipment to design innovative and modular, manufacturing cells in compliance with modern specification. The result is the new highly flexible Aerospace application specific robot identified as “POWER RACe”. This paper describes how benchmarks for flexible automated drilling and fastening are being achieved with the Power RACe technology platform.

Ever increasing process applications inspire us, as suppliers of aircraft, structural-assembly, and equipment to design innovative and modular, manufacturing cells in compliance with modern specifications. The result is the new flexible C-Frame Panel Assembly Cell (CPAC) Bulkhead riveting System. This paper describes how benchmarks for flexible automated drilling and fastening are being achieved with the CPAC.

Industrial robot applications are going to reduce cost in capital investment and enhancing the capability. A new concept of drill technology is successfully running in composite trailing edge manufacturing for drilling 5/8\mi holes in Composite/Aluminum stacks in IT8 quality. This article characterizes the special features of drilling of CFRP/Titanium and Aluminum stacks. Simplified theoretic models will show how CFRP/Titanium stacks should be machined without scratches and burn marks contacting carbon. Low axial forces and smart chip removal technology are the main characteristics of the drilling tool technology, optimized to reach IT8 quality in one shot operation.

The demand of fulfilling the continually increasing customer requirements forces suppliers to always improve their system solutions to be state of the art. The discussed Pulse Motion Assembly Line for complex 160° Aircraft Structures features the combined drilling and fastener installation in 160° closed complex aircraft structures and in parallel, the use of robots and workers in different cells. The equipment described herein fulfills high precision manufacturing under economic constraints using state-of-the-art accuracy improving realignment methods for robotics. The system provides ultimate flexibility to handle different aircraft panels and types. The paper is intended to describe and focus on the main aspects of the state-of-the-art technology in automated fastening and drilling process to meet the important customer production criteria. Furthermore, it shall explain the integration by presenting the process with a current example in production.