The Event consisted of a Demo day with the 32 Locomachs partners on the 15th and a public day on the 16th showcasing the work package results.

The objectives of LOCOMACHS are to focus on significantly reducing or totally eliminating the most time consuming and hence expensive non-added value manufacturing operations, i.e. temporary assembly to check gaps, shimming, dismantling and tool handling.

The project aims to improve the design conditions which today strongly dictate the way part manufacturing and assembly is performed. Important step changes can be made by dramatically improving the use of tolerance and geometrical variation management.

The following scientific and technical objectives were defined for the project:

  • Define and validate a set of design and manufacturing rules for more complex structural parts.
  • Fully integrate geometrical tolerance and variation management in a representative airframe assembled wingbox structure.
  • Reduce by 50% the recurring costs of non-added value shimming operations in structural joints
  • Reduce by 30% the recurring costs of non-added value dismantling operations
  • Increase the level of automation related to part joining operations
  • Reduce the NDI/NDT lead time by 30% during manufacturing and assembly of composite structural parts using innovative NDI/NDT technologies.

During the event Peter Helgosson from Prodtex was asked to present the two work packages which prodtex have been heavily involved with.  The first is to help with the design and build of the fixture for the Lean Assembly Wing Box demonstrator (LAWiB) and the second utilises Prodtex’s 3D modelling and assembly line expertise to create a virtual full scale assembly line to build wings in a leaner, quicker and more cost effective manner.

Alongside the presentations there were numerous practical demonstrations which demonstrated the use of Prodtex’s reconfigurable tooling (Boxjoint, TFS Units, Hexapods) in a practical manufacturing environment. As well as this Prodtex had a stand at the event which provided further information.

Read the case study here.

Future Lean Wing Factory Simulation in 3DEXPERIENCE – LOCOMACHS