Automatic 3D Measurement System with Laser Radar on a Boeing 787 Wing Skin

Abstract

Large-scale components in complicated three-dimensional shapes are used in aircrafts for aerodynamic performance and structural strength.. The laser radar (LR) 3-D measurement system from Metris, which has the ability to perform large-scale, noncontact, and high-accuracy measurement, is widely used in aircraft industries and other fields to measure large component parts with high accuracy. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) is responsible for the manufacture of the composite wing box of the Boeing 787. According to the Boeing Company, the 787 program has reached a critical sales mark (approximately 900 orders as of the end of April 2008), and the company has plans to raise the production rates. MHI and Hitachi Engineering & Services (HES) have developed a wing-skin automatic 3-D measurement system, aiming for improvement in productivity and savings in labor. This system, comprising two units of the LR system installed on the gantry of the abrasive water jet machine (AWJ) trimming device for the main wing, realizes high-accuracy and high-efficiency 3-D measurement of the skin shape. NOMENCLATURE • AWJ: Abrasive water jet machine • CAD: Computer-aided design • CFRP: Carbon fiber reinforced plastic • HES: Hitachi Engineering & Services • HMI: Human machine interface • LR: Laser radar by Metris • MHI: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries • SA: SpatialAnalyzer by New River Kinematics • TB: Tooling ball, a grade 25, 0.25-inch diameter steel ball • USMN: Unified Spatial Metrology Network