Auto-LFZ - Development of an automated system for total surface tooling
Overview
Background & policy context:
The inspection and treatment of complex or large structures of transport vehicles and infrastructures is time and cost consuming. High precision robotic technologies are expected to reduce costs and speed up processes for enhanced safety or quality of service. Although developed in the context of the aviation industry, the technologies developed in the present project may be applied to other structures like wind turbines, tubes or bridges too.
Objectives:
It is the aim of the Auto-LFZ project to improve the use of robots/machines in surface-processing for aircraft. The project thus contributes to automation and efficiency in the aviation industry by developing an automated surface tooling system. The system will include inspection of a range of surfaces for failures and damage and treatment e.g. by cleaning or paint removal.
The system should be applicable to all the different parts of an airplane, which means working from above, underneath and on vertical surfaces. Besides aircraft, applications are envisaged for electricity pylons, water pipes, wind turbines, bridges, etc.
Methodology:
In the first step, the current status of knowledge and technology was reviewed. Based on existing results from the GROBAL project, several new concepts were developed, compared to each other and selected.
The second step was the development and construction of an automated system. In a further step, a machine for demonstration was build.
Share this page