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Novator's patented orbital drilling technology is now well known for its ability to drill holes with high quality and finish in a single operation. By using orbital drilling, the need to disassemble the parts in order to remove the burrs is eliminated. A fully implemented orbital drilling process makes it possible to reduce the drilling time by 50%. Dry drilling makes coolant obsolete and reduces environmental hazards. To exploit the advantages of orbital drilling, Airbus started a project with Novator a few years ago in order to develop a Portable Orbital Drilling Unit to be used in the final assembly lines in Toulouse and Hamburg. This lightweight, portable system, called Twinspin PX3, is a CNC controlled unit allowing for a continuous radial offset adjustment of the cutting tool. Based on this innovative process, it makes it possible to produce not only cylindrical holes but also conical holes or more complex shaped holes.

Looking at ways to improve assembly techniques and cut lead times for serial and future programs, Airbus' research and technology team launched a project some years ago to evaluate greater automation of sub-components or final assembly lines. The idea was to develop a new type of machine or ‘robot’ that could be attached to fuselage sections using suction cups, and walk along it while drilling and installing fasteners. A camera inside the robot takes a snapshot to work out its position on the part, so that it knows where to drill or install what. Once a fixed working area is complete, the robot moves itself into a new position and starts the process again until the whole surface is covered. Three companies - Alema, MTorres and Serra - were approached to develop prototype robots along the same basic principles, although each was asked to follow a slightly different specification to test a range of options, such as weight, size and positioning.

This paper describes the development and application of new self-removable temporary fasteners for orbital junction. These low size temporary fasteners made of aluminum are easily automatically destructible by drilling and have been deployed into our automatic robot on final assembly line. The major benefit of these new temporary fasteners is then the possibility to be integrated into an automatic assembly process. The R&D team of the Final Assembly Line unit at Airbus - Toulouse, has conducted this project in cooperation with LISI Aerospace.