MODEL-BASED DEFINITION FOR MACHINING AIRCRAFT PARTS

摘要

A method of manufacturing an aircraft part for an assembly includes creating a 3D geometry model for an aircraft part having surface features and holes represented by the 3D geometry model and sized to nominal dimensions. The method includes generating a NC machining program directly from the 3D geometry model, with instructions for a single NC machining apparatus to machine the aircraft part, and including instructions to machine the holes to nominal. And the method includes machining the aircraft part utilizing the NC machining program. For this, the NC machining apparatus utilizes a hole-forming tool set at substantially the nominal, instead of at a high or low side of a related hole-diameter tolerance range to allow for tight geometric dimensioning and tolerancing requirements, whereby the holes are machined to substantially the nominal. This method enables the full process capability of the CNC machines while utilizing inspection tolerances that are measureable.

主权项

1. A method of manufacturing an aircraft part for an assembly, the method comprising:
creating a three-dimensional geometry model for an aircraft part having surface features and holes represented thereby, the surface features and holes in the three-dimensional geometry model being sized to respectively a nominal surface feature dimension and a nominal hole diameter, and having respectively a surface-feature tolerance range and a hole-diameter tolerance range related thereto; generating a numerically-controlled machining program directly from the three-dimensional geometry model, the numerically-controlled machining program having instructions for a single numerically-controlled machining apparatus to machine the aircraft part including its surface features and holes, including instructions to machine the holes to the nominal hole diameter; and machining the aircraft part including its surface features and holes in a single machining setup on a single numerically-controlled machining apparatus utilizing the numerically-controlled machining program, wherein the numerically-controlled machining apparatus utilizes a hole-forming tool for machining the holes, the hole-forming tool being set at substantially the nominal hole diameter, instead of at a high side or a low side of the hole-diameter tolerance range to allow for tight geometric dimensioning and tolerancing requirements, whereby the holes are machined to substantially the nominal hole diameter.