a job that nobody likes and nobody wants to do,” Petersen said. So a joint team from Fabrication Auburn Tooling Services and Boeing Research & Technology devised a solution that uses laser ablation. A laser at the end of a robotic arm strips the dried lubricant from the die in about seven minutes. It doesn’t do the entire job, but the additional manual work takes only 20 to 30 minutes. “For the big dies, this is perfect. They’re so heavy and dangerous to move around while cleaning, as well as being so time-consuming,” said Ray Messer, a Fabrication tool- and die-maker. Boeing Fabrication’s advanced manufacturing push extends to its international sites as well. Boeing Aerostructures Australia pioneered robotic drilling and trimming of composite parts more than 15 years ago, and the 737 aileron and 787 movable trailing edge assembly lines today employ robots for hole-drilling and inspection. In all, the Melbourne, Australia, factory uses 14 automated assembly machines on its assembly lines, with four more to be added in the coming months to support 787 rate increases and improve accuracy and ergonomics. Boeing Research & Technology–Australia also is working to introduce “light” robotic technologies that would allow the robot and operator to work side by side on tasks where safety is an issue. “We’ve looked for opportunities to implement automated tooling with the aim of reducing the potential of manual lifting injuries in our operations,” said Peter Gleeson, Production Support Engineering manager for Boeing Aerostructures Australia. “The new robots remove the need for operators to manually lift heavy bars when changing out the components.” In addition to changing the way Photos: (Below) Price Alley, New Assembly mechanic in the Composites Manufacturing Center in Frederickson, Wash. (Right) Jason Murray, left, Fabrication mechanic, and Richard Kohn, Right Size Equipment mechanic, evaluate test results of a robot on the Interior Responsibility Center’s new 737 stow bin “model line.” 22 Boeing Front iers
Frontiers October 2015 Issue
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