METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SHIMS FOR USE IN AN AIRCRAFT AIRFRAME
FIG5 is a schematic illustration (not to scale) showing machining apparatus for machining a component of the airframe
FIG5 is a schematic illustration (not to scale) illustrating an example conventional process of producing a frame 202 that may be performed at step s8. In this embodiment, a workpiece (which is to be machined to form the frame 202 and is therefore indicated in FIG5 by the reference numeral 202) is fixed to a frame machining fixture 500. The frame machining fixture 500 comprises a substantially rigid base portion 502 and a plurality of locator pins 504.
schematic
202
parts part
502
base portion
400
portion
506
CNC milling machine
204
shear webs shear web
508
controller
402
gaps
500
machining fixture
504
locator pins locator pin
510
fixture attachment feature fixture attachment features
['1. A method of producing a shim for use in an aircraft airframe, the method comprising: providing a plurality of component parts of the aircraft airframe; measuring a surface of each of the component parts; for each component part, creating a digital model of that component part using the measurements of the surface of that component part; digitally assembling together the digital models of the component parts thereby to produce a digital model of at least part of the aircraft airframe; using the digital model of at least part of the aircraft airframe, creating a digital model of a shim, the digital model of the shim filling a gap between at least two digital models of component parts in the digital model of at least part of the aircraft airframe; and producing a physical shim using the digital model of the shim.']