This project involved delivering systems into tight spaces that are traditionally inaccessible for automation- quite a challenge! Both the sealant and swaging end effectors offer a technological breakthrough for aerospace manufacturers.
This involved the design, build, test and delivery of a sealant dispensing end effector. Each sealant cartridge is automatically changed when empty, providing the system with an unlimited run time assuming enough cartridges are kitted.
It utilizes a Loop developed projector imaging system to image defined features and calibrate the robot arm to the correct tool centre point. This provides the required information to re-position and fillet seal along the desired join, eliminating the chance of error. The imaging system can also act as a quality control measure, which may not be possible for an operator, due to the position within the wing box work space.
A challenging application where the design had to be small and agile to reach, fasten and swage into aircraft wing box. The system automatically deploys collets from a storage tray beneath the tooling. The brief required the system to a carry an interchangeable cartridge, which would feed the end effector collets one at a time to the swaging head. The cartridge can also be automatically changed once it becomes empty. The imaging system is used to verify each fastener before and after swaging as well as quality control.
