Non-Contact Metrology for Aerospace Tooling Applications

Abstract

The variety of aircraft programs at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics all share similar requirements regarding tooling used for manufacturing. Current inspection methods for these tools are often cumbersome and in some cases can be costly. 3D scanning techniques pose an alternative to these current methods and can potentially provide cost savings and increased efficiency with tooling inspections. Structured light, portable CMM, and laser scanning solutions were all technologies that were considered in the trade space for conducting digital tooling inspections. A brief study into metrology inspection analysis packages was also conducted for this application. This presentation will review the capability study conducted by the Manufacturing Technology organization at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics that investigated the feasibility of conducting digital tooling inspections for both metal and fiberglass tools.