In collaboration with Airbus-UK, the dimensional growth of aircraft panels while being riveted with stiffeners is investigated. Small panels are used in this investigation. The stiffeners have been fastened to the panels with rivets and it has been observed that during this operation the panels expand in the longitudinal and transverse directions. It has been observed that the growth is variable and the challenge is to control the riveting process to minimize this variability. In this investigation, the assembly of the small panels and longitudinal stiffeners has been simulated using static stress and nonlinear explicit finite element models. The models have been validated against a limited set of experimental measurements; it was found that more accurate predictions of the riveting process are achieved using explicit finite element models. Yet, the static stress finite element model is more time efficient, and more practical to simulate hundreds of rivets and the stochastic nature of the process. Furthermore, through a series of numerical simulations and probabilistic analyses, the manufacturing process control parameters that influence panel growth have been identified. Alternative fastening approaches were examined and it was found that dimensional growth can be controlled by changing the design of the dies used for forming the rivets.
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February 2015
Research-Article
Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Aircraft Panel Deformations During Riveting Process
Gasser F. Abdelal,
Gasser F. Abdelal
School of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering,
e-mail: g.abdelal@qub.ac.uk
and Aerospace Engineering,
Queen's University Belfast
,Belfast BT7 1NN
, UK
e-mail: g.abdelal@qub.ac.uk
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Georgia Georgiou,
Georgia Georgiou
Virtual Engineering Centre,
e-mail: G.Georgiou@liverpool.ac.uk
University of Liverpool
,Warrington WA4 4AD
, UK
e-mail: G.Georgiou@liverpool.ac.uk
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Jonathan Cooper,
Jonathan Cooper
Airbus Sir George White Chair
in Aerospace Engineering,
e-mail: j.e.cooper@bristol.ac.uk
in Aerospace Engineering,
University of Bristol
,Bristol BS8 1TR
, UK
e-mail: j.e.cooper@bristol.ac.uk
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Antony Robotham,
Antony Robotham
Senior Lecturer School of Engineering,
e-mail: tony.robotham@aut.ac.nz
Auckland University of Technology
,Auckland 1010
, New Zealand
e-mail: tony.robotham@aut.ac.nz
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Peter Lunt
Peter Lunt
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Gasser F. Abdelal
School of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering,
e-mail: g.abdelal@qub.ac.uk
and Aerospace Engineering,
Queen's University Belfast
,Belfast BT7 1NN
, UK
e-mail: g.abdelal@qub.ac.uk
Georgia Georgiou
Virtual Engineering Centre,
e-mail: G.Georgiou@liverpool.ac.uk
University of Liverpool
,Warrington WA4 4AD
, UK
e-mail: G.Georgiou@liverpool.ac.uk
Jonathan Cooper
Airbus Sir George White Chair
in Aerospace Engineering,
e-mail: j.e.cooper@bristol.ac.uk
in Aerospace Engineering,
University of Bristol
,Bristol BS8 1TR
, UK
e-mail: j.e.cooper@bristol.ac.uk
Antony Robotham
Senior Lecturer School of Engineering,
e-mail: tony.robotham@aut.ac.nz
Auckland University of Technology
,Auckland 1010
, New Zealand
e-mail: tony.robotham@aut.ac.nz
Andrew Levers
Peter Lunt
Contributed by the Manufacturing Engineering Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING. Manuscript received December 2, 2013; final manuscript received October 22, 2014; published online November 26, 2014. Assoc. Editor: Gracious Ngaile.
J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. Feb 2015, 137(1): 011009 (11 pages)
Published Online: February 1, 2015
Article history
Received:
December 2, 2013
Revision Received:
October 22, 2014
Online:
November 26, 2014
Citation
Abdelal, G. F., Georgiou, G., Cooper, J., Robotham, A., Levers, A., and Lunt, P. (February 1, 2015). "Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Aircraft Panel Deformations During Riveting Process." ASME. J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. February 2015; 137(1): 011009. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4028923
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