Abstract
Abstract
The next generation of both military and civil aircraft are now being designed and developed. Research undertaken by the authors has highlighted particular product and process characteristics that are becoming more critical in the design and manufacturing processes of modern and future aircraft structures. A particular requirement is for reduced assembly variation. This requirement emerges, for example, from design strategies seeking to maximize the structural use of carbon fibre composite materials, from the increasing requirements for low observability in military aircraft and from the need for flight cruise efficiency in civil aircraft. Large companies such as Boeing, McDonnell Douglas and BAE Systems and Industrie have all performed studies in dimensional control. One theme, that emerges is that dimensional control must be exercised with design and manufacturing departments working in close partnership. This is particularly true when considering the introduction of advanced material technologies such as carbon fibre composites and in the application of automation to major aircraft subassemblies. Such challenges are found to occur across both military and civil sectors. This communication highlights some such challenges and identifies a seven-point response for the basic technological infrastructure to support the deployment of an effective dimensional control methodology as an integrated part of the next-generation aircraft product development process. Further work is in progress on detailing and demonstrating such a methodology.