aerospace
BAE Systems’ Samlesbury site
claims a world lead for its facility
undertaking automatic
machining and inspection of
carbon fibre panels for the F-35
Working in a vacuum
WHAT is believed to be the world’s first FMS for
automated production of components in carbon fibre sheet
went live at BAE Systems Samlesbury in May. It produces
120 different skins that form the aft fuselage and
empennage (vertical and horizontal tails) of three variants
of the F-35 Lightning II. The FMS is based on a DST 5-axis,
high-speed machining centre that machines and drills the
moulded composite panels; and a Metris LK rail-type
CMM to inspect them. Linking the two machines and
orchestrating the entire FMS is a Fastems computercontrolled
system that moves more than 20 machine and
storage pallets around the cell, stores them when not in use
and manages manufacturing to the production schedule.
The size of the pallets - 3.3 by 2.3m and weighing up to
8.2 tonnes when loaded, makes this an unusual
manufacturing facility. What makes it remarkable (perhaps
unique?) is the vacuum management equipment built into
the pallets and into every station they visit. A flexible,
carbon fibre panel can therefore be clamped onto the
matching 3D profile of its bespoke, pallet-mounted fixture
and held continuously under vacuum during the entire
process - eliminating unnecessary process variables.
Comments BAE Systems project manager Derek
Holden: ‘Our relationship with the equipment suppliers,
including the manufacturer of the temperature-controlled
booth that contains the FMS, was crucial. All acted as part
of a team together with our design and production
engineers, and each was individually responsible for
meeting their targets.’ Fastems exemplifies this approach:
‘A world leader in FMS logistics but this installation
pushed even them to the limits of their technology.
‘The very high accuracy components delivered by the
facility enable the aft and empennage assemblies to achieve
the exacting design requirements of the F-35 Lightning II,
notably interchangeability to ensure the smooth interface
between mating units during final assembly of the aircraft.
In addition, panel replacements in the field will fit first
time, avoiding rework and aircraft downtime in service.’
Two other Fastems FMS are in operation at Samlesbury
serving Mitsui Seiki and Makino machining centres and
producing aluminium and titanium structural parts for
the Lightning as well as for Eurofighter Typhoon and
Airbus. Phase 1 of the latest project, handed over in May
2005, entailed building a 45 by 18 by 9m high room,
temperature controlled to 20 ±1˚C, and installing the DST
and Metris machines. DST supplied a machine bed system
for transferring fixtured panels under constant vacuum
into the machine tool, and an identical system for transfer
‘Our relationship
with the
equipment
suppliers,
including the
manufacturer of
the temperaturecontrolled
booth
that contains the
FMS, was crucial
to the success of
the project. All
acted as part of a
team together
with our design
and production
engineers, and
each was
individually
responsible for,
and committed,
to meeting their
targets.’
BAE Systems project
manager Derek Holden
42 MWP november 2007
into the CMM to a high level of repeatable accuracy. At the
time, foundations were prepared ready to support the
Fastems store in phase 2, which commenced the following
year and took 12 months to complete.
As panel volume increased, BAE Systems recognised the
limitations of the phase 1 loading methodology and its
implications for machine utilisation. Mitigating the effects
of fixture/pallet set-up, prompted early introduction of the
phase 2 Fastems system. Consequently, spindle utilisation
has been raised from 60% to around 90%, increasing output
from the machine by up to 50% compared with when
pallets were being transferred manually.
As the project progresses to low-rate initial production
and to full production, machining centres and measuring
machines will be added to the FMS. It was designed to be
expandable; extra machines and loading stations can be
added at either end, which would also increase the number
of pallet stations by virtue of the increased store length.
Additionally, store capacity could be further increased by
100%, without altering its length, by adding a second,
three-tier rack of pallet stations behind the existing rack.
The rail-guided, 3-axis CNC stacker crane that runs the
length of the store can handle pallets on either side.
The Fastems store currently has 30 pallet positions, two
700mm high, twelve 1,100mm high and sixteen 1,500mm
high to accommodate pallet loads of different height. As
well as the two loading stations, there is a third interface to
the store that enables a machined component to exit briefly
so that an operator can wipe it clean and vacuum off excess
carbon fibre swarf prior to inspection on the CMM.
Controlling production is Fastems’ Windows-based
MMS (manufacturing management system) software. Its
core tasks are controlling the stacker crane and scheduling
automatic pallet transfers between the storage positions,
loading stations, cleaning station and machines. Job
scheduling is based on ‘first-in/first-out’, which can be
over-ridden by the operator. When a pallet is sent from a
loading station into the system, a route is assigned to it and
the system automatically controls the defined sequence of
steps and ensures that the correct NC program is
downloaded when the pallet reaches the DST or Metris
machine. The main window in the control displays a
mimic of the system and uses colours and icons to advise
the real-time status of all the FMS elements. The status of
the pallet within the system can be checked at any time.
The MMS log lists all events, warnings and alarms and
there is a modem connection for remote diagnostics from
Finland via a secure switch. www.fastems.com
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