Optimization of fastener pattern in airframe assembly
ISSN: 0144-5154
Article publication date: 24 June 2020
Issue publication date: 15 September 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The authors consider the problem of optimizing temporary fastener patterns in aircraft assembly. Minimizing the number of fasteners while maintaining final product quality is one of the key enablers for intensifying production in the aerospace industry. The purpose of this study is to formulate the fastener pattern optimization problem and compare different solving approaches on both test benchmarks and rear wing-to-fuselage assembly of an Airbus A350-900.
Design/methodology/approach
The first considered algorithm is based on a local exhaustive search. It is proved to be efficient and reliable but requires much computational effort. Secondly, the Mesh Adaptive Direct Search (MADS) implemented in NOMAD software (Nonlinear Optimization by Mesh Adaptive Direct Search) is used to apply the powerful mathematical machinery of surrogate modeling and associated optimization strategy. In addition, another popular optimization algorithm called simulated annealing (SA) was implemented. Since a single fastener pattern must be used for the entire aircraft series, cross-validation of obtained results was applied. The available measured initial gaps from 340 different aircraft of the A350-900 series were used.
Findings
The results indicated that SA cannot be applicable as its random character does not provide repeatable results and requires tens of runs for any optimization analysis. Both local variations (LV) method and MADS have proved to be appropriate as they improved the existing fastener pattern for all available gaps. The modification of the MADS' search step was performed to exploit all the information the authors have about the problem.
Originality/value
The paper presents deterministic and probabilistic optimization problem formulations and considers three different approaches for their solution. The existing fastener pattern was improved.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The results of the work are obtained using computational resources of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University Supercomputing Center (www.spbstu.ru).This research work was supported by the Academic Excellence Project 5-100 proposed by Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.
Citation
Lupuleac, S., Pogarskaia, T., Churilova, M., Kokkolaras, M. and Bonhomme, E. (2020), "Optimization of fastener pattern in airframe assembly", Assembly Automation, Vol. 40 No. 5, pp. 723-733. https://doi.org/10.1108/AA-03-2019-0040
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited