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This paper describes and demonstrates the use of an assembly centric design algorithm as an aid to achieving minimal hard tooling assembly concepts. The algorithm consists of a number of logically ordered design methodologies and also aids the identification of other enabling technologies. Included in the methodologies is an innovative systems analysis tool that enables the comparison of alternative assembly concepts, and the prediction and control of the total assembly error, at the outline stage of the design.

The Jigless Aerospace Manufacture (JAM) project has been set up to investigate the significant technological and economic issues to enable the minimisation of product specific tooling in the design and assembly of large aerostructures. As part of this on-going work, the use of error budgeting was explored to asses it suitability as a tool to enable the design of large aerostructures that would be easily assembled without recourse to expensive jigs and fixtures. This technique, which has been successfully used for the design of precision machines [1, 2], has the potential to allow the comparison of several concepts and configurations early in the design process and so help the selection process as well as highlighting areas where redesign should be considered at the detail design stage. This paper detail how such a technique can be used during design of aerostructures, in particular when these structures employ integrated location and reference features to help the assembly process.