| Summary: | As industries advance into the manufacturing future companies are seeking more and more to bring inspection capabilities as close as possible to machining centers. Technological advancement has now made On Machine Measurement (OMM) and adaptive machining technology a reality for manufacturers. OMM technologies have many potential benefits to be had which begs the question: what parts and machines are suitable for these new technologies? Bell (among others) is seeking an answer to this question and wanted to build a framework for considering OMM / adaptive machining deployments withing their manufacturing centers. Bell facilities provide a perfect opportunity for the testing and deployment of advanced manufacturing capabilities given the high precision demanded of aircraft parts, their in house manufacturing capabilities, and the Bell commitment to pushing the boundaries of the possible.
The Playbook was developed for Bell to provide a method for identification and deployment of OMM and adaptive machining projects. The Playbook utilizes data, Subject Matter Expert (SME) knowledge, and lessons learned combined with a structured approach to breakdown the key elements for successful part and machine selection for OMM and adaptive machining technologies. These parts and machines can then be analyzed using the Playbook to identify work to be performed for project implementation.
The Playbook was deployed on a test part family for testing and development purposes. The test part family provided feedback for further Playbook development and also confirmation of the direction in which the playbook is heading. While the current state of OMM and adaptive machining is still novel in the high tolerance manufacturing environment, the Playbook has assisted Bell in considering the future of these technologies within their manufacturing facilities.
Continuation of research in the field of OMM and adaptive machining technologies allows for the further integration of measurement and inspection into the manufacturing process. The fusion of fabrication and inspection further improves manufacturing system control and reduces the time and money required to fabricate complex parts.
|
|---|