Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Firebird optionally-manned autonomous aircraft flew almost 9,000 miles around the U.S. The multi-sensor Firebird demonstrated its ability to be flown manned, then converted to autonomous surveillance operations (as shown) in less than two hours. Firebird, a medium altitude long endurance unmanned aircraft system (UAS), allows customers to install new payloads in one day, and swap payloads in 30 minutes.
GKN Aerospace
GA-ASI, GKN Aerospace expand partnership
GKN Aerospace will manufacture advanced composite V-tails for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI)’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) from its facility in Cowes, United Kingdom. The agreement expands a 10-year strategic relationship between GKN Aerospace and GA-ASI, whose SkyGuardian is the basis of the U.K. Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Protector and has been selected by Belgium’s and Australia’s defense forces.
GKN Aerospace’s full-rate production of V-tails will support global MQ-9B aircraft production.
Uavionix
FAA certifies drone transponder
The uAvionix ping200X Mode S ADS-B OUT transponder for unmanned aerial systems (UAS), has received technical standard order (TSO) certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Weighing 50g, ping200X delivers 200W of transmit power while drawing an average of 1.5W from the aircraft’s power supply.
ADS-B technology is key to integrating UAS into mixed-use airspace. Paired with uAvionix’s truFYX SBAS GPS, ping200X delivers safe separation information to Air Traffic Control (ATC), Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS), and Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems.
Elevating collision avoidance with automation
Features - Design & Automation
Automated measurement technologies address unique challenges of the size and scale of aircraft, bringing a new level of protection and efficiency.
One common thread runs through every corner of the aerospace industry – precision is paramount. From initial manufacture to operation, there’s no room for error in creating and leveraging aerospace technologies.
The goal of any aerospace manufacturing operation is to increase shop-floor efficiency and safety while adhering to this elevated level of quality and precision. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools help achieve that vision, but vetting, applying, and using automation solutions can be a challenging prospect.
Automated measurement technologies and consistent end-to-end manufacturing are critical for success and prevention of expensive accidents. Every tool must meet stringent standards for quality, repeatability, safety and, most importantly, mission-critical results.
Fortunately, solutions are being innovated that meet those expectations.
Overcoming unique challenges
Aircraft and other aerospace equipment are marvels of engineering, and automation helps produce these assets efficiently. However, where there are can’t-fail components, there are can’t-fail operations.
Aerospace automation needs to address unique challenges associated with size and scale of aircraft; make investment worthwhile for complex, low-volume processes; and work effectively with materials and equipment often unique to the industry.
However, when accomplished, automation can bring aerospace measurable benefits in efficiency, safety, quality control, and brand elevation and protection.
Let’s explore a key example.
Painting aircraft is typically conducted by skilled artisans who must work efficiently without sacrificing quality. This means moving up and down the aircraft quickly and getting very close to it – but never colliding as such a mistake has extremely costly implications. Therefore, a collision avoidance system is necessary – but traditional options present limitations, such as coarse 3D visualization that restricts platform movement and downtime to update the system when new airplane models enter production.
Although the collision avoidance system might have prevented some disastrous mistakes, it was also causing significant waste of time and efficiency lost while in use.
Collision avoidance solutions in other use cases also exhibit limitations.
When professionals are teaching a robot a path during a guided production mode, they may fail to realize they’re about to make one tiny misstep that sends the machine crashing into the part. When automation solutions are first installed, it may be difficult to realize they’ll eventually crash into one another based on that installation – until it’s too late.
Accidents are going to happen. Aerospace manufacturing operations need to ensure they don’t waste dollars.
Photos courtesy of Concept Systems
Elevating collision avoidance
OnGuard Collision Avoidance is a better way to protect critical assets and ensure mistakes, while inevitable, aren’t costly ones.
As a collision avoidance software, it allows a machine to be operated without fear of a collision between the machine and the asset it’s working on or other machines, because the solution leverages a variety of existing, proven technologies to build an efficient and reliable automated collision-avoidance system.
OnGuard marries software developed at the University of North Carolina called the Proximity Query Package with Open Graphics Library and clients’ design software, building precise visual representations of situations at any given moment and engaging in complex decision-making to avoid collisions.
For aircraft painting, the solution empowered one organization to cut the time needed to accommodate a new plane design by 50% and to view aircraft on a computer screen in real time. It also allowed the painters to move their platforms more freely.
In all applications, OnGuard uses real-time monitoring of machine positions, using that information to issue immediate stop commands should a collision occur.
A simulation mode also allows operations to simulate jobs exactly as they’ll occur in the real manufacturing environment, cutting off potential collisions before they happen and addressing challenges before the machine runs.
With innovative design and powerful use of robotic vision, AI, simulation capabilities, 3D modeling, and advanced warning and controls, OnGuard Collision Avoidance prevents aerospace manufacturers’ most costly mistakes before they happen.
About the author: Moriah Biederman is an automation software engineer at Concept Systems, a certified member of the Control Systems Integrators Association (CSIA). She can be reached at mbiederman@conceptsystemsinc.com.
Lightweight robotic tool changer
The durable, lightweight QC-7 robotic tool changer offers various configuration choices with ATI’s pass-through utility modules and tool stand systems. An optional ML12 electrical module attaches easily to the tool changer, which also includes five pass-through air ports and lock/unlock air fittings.
Featuring a low stack height, the tool changer mounts directly to ISO 9409-1-31.5-4-M5 robot wrists.
Integrated with lock/unlock sensors that don’t require an additional interface, the system’s no-touch locking technology and fail-safe locking mechanism secure connection between the master and tool. The device can handle payloads up to 35 lb (16kg) and is compatible with an array of industrial and collaborative robot models.
ION/CME N-series digital drives provide high-performance motion control, network connectivity, and amplification. The compact, PCB-mountable motion controllers feature a patented, ultra-rugged PCB-mountable package with three power output levels: 75W, 300W, and 1,000W.
Each drive supports brushless DC, DC brush, and step motors. ION/CME N-series digital drives provide profile generation, servo compensation, stall detection, field-oriented control (FOC), electronic camming, and many other motion control functions. They also include support for Ethernet, CAN, serial, and SPI communications.
In October 2020, Boeing Co. officials announced the company was restarting its 737 MAX jetliner program. That was good news for brothers Josh and Andrew Baskins, co-founders of Baskins Machined Products LLC (BMP) of Collinsville, Oklahoma, which began tooling up for the aircraft in 2017. Starting with a single special-order MA-600 II horizontal machining center (HMC) from Okuma, this nine-year-old, 20-person job shop soon had a dozen such machines sitting on its production floor, all optimized for one thing: cutting titanium.
Maxing out
“We were a 737 MAX production shop,” says Andrew Baskins. “In all, we had 14 machines dedicated to that particular program, most with high-torque, 6,000rpm, HSK 100 spindles and a 5-axis rotary attachment on one side of the table. They were custom-built for milling large titanium components like those used on the MAX and other aircraft. So, between COVID-19’s effect on the travel industry and Boeing’s decision to ground the planes, it basically decimated us.”
Still, if you can mill titanium, you can mill other tough metals, so the Baskins picked up the pieces, keeping the machines as busy as possible. Given the MA-600’s large machining envelope (39.37" x 35.43" x 39.37") and relatively sedate spindle speeds, however, it hasn’t always been an easy task, which is why the MAX restart is such welcome news.
“It’s been a rough year, that’s for sure, but we’re one of many shops in the same situation,” Baskins says. “The difference is, we have the ability to pull out of it. We’ve picked up a lot of military work and are doing some pretty amazing parts, so even though we’ve missed the MAX and are looking forward to ramping up again, we’ve also managed to stay fairly busy.”
Aside from its investment in equipment for the 737 MAX program and titanium machining, Baskins is also well-equipped for aluminum machining.
Beyond titanium
BMP isn’t limited to machining titanium and hard metals. The shop is also well-equipped for aluminum machining, boasting a handful of 3-axis and 5-axis vertical machining centers (VMCs) with 12,000rpm spindles and higher, as well as a pair of live-tooling CNC lathes. Add to that a team of experienced programmers and manufacturing engineers, and there’s little they can’t produce.
Yet, even the best programmer has a bad day now and then, so the Baskins decided to make another purchase while investing millions of dollars in HMCs: Vericut toolpath simulation and optimization software from Irvine, California-based CGTech Inc.
“Originally, it was just me doing all the programming and prove-outs,” Baskins says. “I would use the simulation that’s built into our CAM software, and then step through all my programs at the machine very cautiously. And while that worked for a time, it became a bigger risk as we started adding more people and equipment. It’s just too easy for someone to make a simple mistake that’ll end up costing way more than Vericut, so we felt that we were at a turning point, that there were too many opportunities for something really tragic to happen. That’s why we bought Vericut.”
Empowering people
Baskins still programs, but he’s now accompanied by five members of the BMP engineering team, each responsible for taking first-time jobs from start to completion. “Whoever is assigned a new part will develop the process plan, program the part, design and build the tooling, set up the machine, and run the first job,” he explains. “It’s one person managing everything from beginning to end, and once the process is deemed good, we send it over to production.”
One team member includes Product Development Manager Don Javier, who’s quite pleased with BMP’s way of doing things. “I worked as the programming manager at another shop and all I did was program parts and manage the department,” he says. “Working here provides instant feedback on the processes that you create and the tooling you select. It’s a lot more hands-on, something all of us enjoy.”
Javier used Vericut at his last job, so he was well-prepared to help Baskins and his coworkers implement the toolpath simulation software when he came aboard. Six machines on his first day eventually turned into 23, all of which he modeled in Vericut.
Photo credit: Baskins Machined Products
Hindsight is 20/20
“Vericut’s especially helpful with fixture design and during the setup and programming processes,” Javier says. “A lot of times, you’ll start out one way and see that there’s tooling interference, for example, or a machine over-travel, and you can fix the problem before it affects the machine. It helps you make better decisions upfront. And while I used to keep track of how much time we saved when we first got Vericut, it’s become such an integral part of what we do here that we no longer bother keeping track. We know Vericut’s value, even though I can’t quantify it for you.”
Baskins agrees. He notes that all six of BMP’s programmers use Vericut, 100% of the time. In hindsight, his only regret is that they didn’t buy it sooner. “I consider myself an excellent programmer and am extremely careful to never release anything to the floor that’s going to crash a machine, but everyone makes mistakes,” he says. “So even though we didn’t have the money to do everything we wanted early on, Vericut was always on the top of our wish list. Fortunately, we never got bit by not having it, but it could easily have gone the other way.”
Aerospace Manufacturing and Design welcomes all aircraft enthusiasts to join the fun and NAME THAT PLANE! Each issue, a new aircraft will be featured. Given a photo and a clue box, readers are encouraged to guess what plane is being described and submit their answers to www.AerospaceManufacturingAndDesign.com/Form/NameThatPlane.
Capacity: 21 to 32 passengers or 6,000 lb (2,700kg) cargo
Specifications
Wingspan: 95ft 2" (29.0m)
Length: 64ft 8" (19.7m)
Height: 16ft 11" (5.16m)
Max. speed: 230mph (370 km/h)
Engines: Wright R-1820 Cyclone or Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp
March 2021 winner:
Joshua Crooks, Quality Manager, REB Technologies Inc. (REBTECH), Bedford, Texas
How long have you been in the aerospace business? 10 years
How did you become interested in aircraft? I’ve always liked learning about historical events and items used during World War II. Learning more about the aerospace industry only increased when I took a job at REB Technologies.
What is your favorite aircraft and why? P-51 Mustang. My grandfather flew those in World War II.
Runners-up:
Graham Parish Engineer Flying S Inc. Palestine, Illinois
Joe Cimenski Sr. Design Engineering Mgr. Lockheed Martin Littleton, Colorado
