An evaluation of the TI2 manufacturing system for the machining of airframe subassemblies

The commercial aircraft manufacturing industry is continually seeking new techniques for the automation of manufacturing and assembly tasks in the construction of aero-structures. The application of automation is limited by the size and compliance of the structures, the low manufacturing volumes and the inherent dimensional variability between assemblies. New automated systems based on the use of advanced control systems and non-contact metrology are now beginning to overcome some of these problems and the use of automation is becoming more viable. The TI2 system is one such system and this paper presents the results obtained from its application to the machining of a representative airframe subassembly. Real results are presented along with a discussion of some of the problems that may be encountered when using such a system.