Continued...
All tooling is stationed along the opposite side of the facility to the panels and transferred across by an 'intelligent tool transfer gantry'.
The gantry, which is 80% automated, remembers where each tool is stored. The required tool is collected, transferred across onto the tool set-up stand, locked in place and whole assembly bagged up ready for transfer to the autoclave with the minimum of input required from an operator.
The gantry also incorporates safety features including radio communication with the autoclave in order to prevent situations such as the autoclave door being opened during a process or to prevent more than one panel or tool being put onto the same station.
Each panel requires checking for both form and edge profile, before and after forming. This is in addition to a bag weight check for location and weight required to bring the panel into true. This task on the A320 airbus - with a wing only half the size of the A380 - currently takes one whole day per wing skin. The innovations introduced by Bennetts in this part of the process have reduced checking on the A380 to a one hour task.
Vacuum lifting beam
Removing protective material from completed A380 wing skin section
