Electroimpact has been working in close cooperation with Airbus in the UK on A380
wing manufacturing. We are the prime contractor for two major projects.
For the panel assembly (Stage 0) we have supplied four lines of automation friendly
fixtures for buildup of the upper and lower wing panels. Two lines are for upper panel
and two lines are for lower panel. Each line is 165 meters long and services three
in-line fixtures. Each line has been supplied with two E4380 riveting-bolting machine
that run across the panel build fixtures and installs permanent fasteners. The panels
are built without the need to install and remove tack fasteners.
The machines install both rivets and lock bolts up to ½" diameter with automatic
cold working. Fastener feed systems are provided for rivets, lock bolts and collars.
Electroimpact has also supplied three wing major tools
(Stage 1), each of which holds
both a port and a starboard wing. Wing majors accept the wing panels from Stage 0 as well
as the spars and ribs. Five levels of staging provide worker access to the wing panel surface.
An innovation is the use of automatic drilling machines for skin to spar and skin to rib foot
drilling as well as for drilling off the splices. The completed wings are removed via the
overhead crane.