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Bombardier is to dramatically increase the amount of automation in the build process on its newest aircraft programme.
The use of robots to construct the cockpit and fuselage of the C-Series jet is likely to be monitored closely by other aircraft manufacturers that are looking to take cost out of their operations.
Construction of the C-Series jetliner will include the use of six 10.8-tonne robots in the assembly of the cockpit and fuselage. Until now, Bombardier aircraft have been assembled largely by hand. However, at a diameter of 3.7m, the fuselage of the C-Series family of aircraft is larger than that of any airliner ever built by the company.
Joining the fuselage sections of the aircraft by hand would require many hours to assemble the necessary scaffolding for workers to reach the top of the plane, as well as many more hours to move the scaffolding down the length of the fuselage.
The robots are able to extend to a full height of 5.72m. From their base, they can reach the top or the bottom of the aircraft.
Francois Minville, vice-president of manufacturing on the C-Series, said: “The use of advanced robotic technology is emblematic of the clean-sheet approach we’ve taken to building the C-Series aircraft.”
Bombardier said that the company’s engineers were confident that the robots would be able to achieve predictable repeatability, leading to improved build quality.
Each robot will be able to drill a small hole and precisely rivet or hammer a fastener to the aluminium-lithium fuselage in as little as 32 seconds. For the composite fuselage sections, the process takes 53 seconds to drill, add a sealant and then a fastener. Four robots, working with one operator each, can join the fuselage sections for a C-Series aircraft in 17 hours. Vision-control systems will ensure that each hole is drilled to within 0.254mm.
Two of the robots have already been delivered to the Saint-Laurent manufacturing centre in Montreal, where Bombardier will assemble the carbon-fibre aft fuselage and cockpit for the C-Series aircraft. These robots will fuse together the cockpit with a front section of the fuselage, and also assemble the aft fuselage. The wings will be made at Bombardier’s factory in Belfast.
Four more robots will be installed at Mirabel, north of Montreal. They will rivet the front section, including the cockpit and the front fuselage, with the mid, rear and aft sections of the fuselage. Working in tandem, one on each side of the fuselage, the four robots will install the rivets to join the fuselage sections. The 10.8-tonne weight of the robots is necessary to ensure stability during drilling and riveting. Most of the weight is located in the wheeled base platform, which allows the robots to travel the length of the fuselage during production.
The C-Series aircraft is scheduled to enter service in 2013.