The Boeing Company
One up assembly aircraft panel drilling system

Abstract:

An end effector provides one up assembly drilling through mated components, including a panel, by preloading the components. The end effector includes a drill and clamp dispenser for temporarily inserting and removing expansible single-sided clamps at various pre-drilled locations in the panel. In one method, pilot holes are first pre-drilled into mated components, for example an aircraft wing panel and a wing rib or spar; an initial pilot hole location is identified, and an expansible clamp is inserted into a pilot hole adjacent a desired initial fastener hole location. The clamp is torqued, causing its expansion for preloading the wing panel and rib and/or spar components under a predetermined load. The fastener hole is then drilled, the end effector untorques and removes the clamp and identifies a second (and/or next) pilot hole location, and the process is replicated.