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The purpose of this paper is to develop digital flexible pre-assembly tooling system for fuselage panels.

First, the paper analyzes the technological characteristics of fuselage panels and then determines the pre-assembly object. Second, the pre-assembly positioning method and assembly process are researched. Third, the panel components pre-assembly flexible tooling scheme is constructed. Finally, the pre-assembly flexible tooling system is designed and manufactured.

This study shows the novel solution results in significantly smaller tooling dimensions, while providing greater stability. Digital flexible assembly is an effective way to reduce floor space, reduce delivery and production lead times and improve quality.

The tooling designed in this case is actually used in industrial application. The flexible tooling can realize the pre-assembly for a number of fuselage panels, which is shown as an example in this paper.

The paper suggests the fuselage panel pre-assembly process based on the thought including pre-assembly, the automatic drilling and riveting and jointing, and constructs a flexible tooling system for aircraft fuselage panel component pre-assembly.

Regarding the assembly of the fuselage panel, this paper aims to illustrate a design of pre-assembly tooling of the fuselage panel for the automatic drilling riveting machine. This new prototype of pre-assembly tooling can be used for different types and sizes of fuselage panels. Also, apply to the automated drilling and riveting machine of the fuselage panels.

Based on the different structures of the fuselage panel, the position of the preassembly tooling components, location of the clamp and position of the fuselage panel are determined. After that, the overall structure of the preassembly tooling is designed, including the movable frame and the cardboard. The cardboard positioning module and the clamping module formulate a detailed design scheme of preassembly tooling for the fuselage panel. The structure of the pre-assembled tooling is optimized by static analysis. The result of the overall design is optimized by using MATLAB and CATIA-V5 software, and the results meet the condition of the design requirements.

The traditional assembly process of the fuselage is to install the fuselage panel on the preassembly tooling for positioning the hole and then install it on the automated drilling and riveting tooling for secondary tooling. Secondary tooling can consume assembly errors of the fuselage panel. The new prototype of flexible tooling design for the fuselage panel not only avoids the secondary tooling error of the fuselage panel but also meets the preassembly of different types of fuselage panels.

The further development of the flexible tooling design of the fuselage panel is to reduce the error of sliding tooling due to friction of the sliding components. Because if the assembly cycle is increased, the sliding parts will lose material due to corrosion. As a result, the repeated friction force is the root cause of the positioning error of sliding parts. Therefore, it is necessary to engage less corrosive material. Also, the lubricant may be used to reduce the corrosion in minimizing the positioning error of the sliding tool components. In addition, it is important to calculate the number of assembly cycles for efficient fuselage panel assembly.

According to the structure and assembly process characteristics of the fuselage panel, the fuselage panel preassembly tooling can optimize the assembly process of the fuselage panel and have certain practical application values.

High speed image processing is the basis of a unique 3‐D measurement system developed by British Aerospace and the City University Optical Metrology Centre. The system can produce 3‐D coordinates for over a hundred measured points up to every 1/25th of a second. As a result it can simultaneously measure locations of components during assembly or guide a robot end effector in drilling operations. This work has recently won the 1998 Metrology for World Class Manufacturing Award for Innovative Metrology and a DSP in Action Award for 1998.

The Volvo Bus Plant at Borås, Sweden, is one of the largest bus‐chassis assembly plants in the world. Some years ago a new organization model, FLiSa, was implemented as an attempt to construct well‐functioning teams consisting of multi‐functional individuals, eager to learn, be flexible and to take on more responsibilities. Moreover, the FLiSa‐model with its line‐organization, was expected to bring about higher levels of productivity and quality. However, by the end of 2003 it is evident that the FLiSa‐model is facing serious problems as regards expected results. What factors contributed to this outcome? In this paper the author argues that imbalances or different competitive socio‐technical aspects inherent in the FLiSa‐model have been decisive. Moreover, the author suggests that difficulties to find productive solutions to these imbalances have – as an unintended consequence – brought about what she defines as “the individualised team”.

This paper deals with the organizing of interactive product development. Developing products in interaction between firms may provide benefits in terms of specialization, increased innovation, and possibilities to perform development activities in parallel. However, the differentiation of product development among a number of firms also implies that various dependencies need to be dealt with across firm boundaries. How dependencies may be dealt with across firms is related to how product development is organized. The purpose of the paper is to explore dependencies and how interactive product development may be organized with regard to these dependencies.

The analytical framework is based on the industrial network approach, and deals with the development of products in terms of adaptation and combination of heterogeneous resources. There are dependencies between resources, that is, they are embedded, implying that no resource can be developed in isolation. The characteristics of and dependencies related to four main categories of resources (products, production facilities, business units and business relationships) provide a basis for analyzing the organizing of interactive product development.

Three in-depth case studies are used to explore the organizing of interactive product development with regard to dependencies. The first two cases are based on the development of the electrical system and the seats for Volvo’s large car platform (P2), performed in interaction with Delphi and Lear respectively. The third case is based on the interaction between Scania and Dayco/DFC Tech for the development of various pipes and hoses for a new truck model.

The analysis is focused on what different dependencies the firms considered and dealt with, and how product development was organized with regard to these dependencies. It is concluded that there is a complex and dynamic pattern of dependencies that reaches far beyond the developed product as well as beyond individual business units. To deal with these dependencies, development may be organized in teams where several business units are represented. This enables interaction between different business units’ resource collections, which is important for resource adaptation as well as for innovation. The delimiting and relating functions of the team boundary are elaborated upon and it is argued that also teams may be regarded as actors. It is also concluded that a modular product structure may entail a modular organization with regard to the teams, though, interaction between business units and teams is needed. A strong connection between the technical structure and the organizational structure is identified and it is concluded that policies regarding the technical structure (e.g. concerning “carry-over”) cannot be separated from the management of the organizational structure (e.g. the supplier structure). The organizing of product development is in itself a complex and dynamic task that needs to be subject to interaction between business units.

The purpose of this paper is to present experience from a real‐world demonstration of autonomous industrial mobile manipulation (AIMM) based on the mobile manipulator “Little Helper” performing multiple part feeding at the pump manufacturer Grundfos A/S.

The necessary AIMM technologies exist at a mature level – the reason that no mobile manipulators have yet been implemented in industrial environments, is that research in the right applications have not been carried out. The paper proposes a pragmatic approach consisting of: a commercial‐off‐the‐shelf (COTS) mobile manipulator system design (“Little Helper”), a suitable and comprehensive industrial application (multiple part feeding), and a general implementation concept for industrial environments (the “Bartender Concept”).

Results from the three days of real‐world demonstration show that “Little Helper” is capable of successfully servicing four part feeders in three production cells using command signals from an Open Process Control (OPC) server. Furthermore, the paper presents future research and development suggestions for AIMM, which contributes to near‐term industrial maturation and implementation.

The paper presents a full‐scale demonstration of a state‐of‐the‐art COTS autonomous mobile manipulator system with particular focus on industrial utilization and application.

This paper presents Quick Changeover Design (QCD), which is a structured methodological approach for Original Equipment Manufacturers to drive and support the design of machines in terms of rapid changeover capability.

To improve the performance in terms of set up time, QCD addresses machine design from a single-minute digit exchange of die (SMED). Although conceived to aid the design of completely new machines, QCD can be adapted to support for simple design upgrades on pre-existing machines. The QCD is structured in three consecutive steps, each supported by specific tools and analysis forms to facilitate and better structure the designers' activities.

QCD helps equipment manufacturers to understand the current and future needs of the manufacturers' customers to: (1) anticipate the requirements for new and different set-up process; (2) prioritize the possible technical solutions; (3) build machines and equipment that are easy and fast to set-up under variable contexts. When applied to a production system consisting of machines subject to frequent or time-consuming set-up processes, QCD enhances both responsiveness to external market demands and internal control of factory operations.

The QCD approach is a support system for the development of completely new machines and is also particularly effective in upgrading existing ones. QCD's practical application is demonstrated using a case study concerning a vertical spindle machine.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how communication practices influence individuals’ team assembly and performance in open innovation contests.

This study analyzed behavioral trace data of 4,651 teams and 19,317 participants from a leading open innovation platform, Kaggle. The analyses applied weighted least squares regression and weighted mediation analysis.

Sharing online profiles positively relates to a person’s performance and likelihood of becoming a leader in open innovation teams. Team assembly effectiveness (one’s ability to team up with high-performing teammates) mediates the relationship between online profile sharing and performance. Moreover, sharing personal websites has a stronger positive effect on performance and likelihood of becoming a team leader, compared to sharing links to professional social networking sites (e.g. LinkedIn).

As team collaboration becomes increasingly common in open innovation, participants’ sharing of their online profiles becomes an important variable predicting their success. This study extends prior research on virtual team collaboration by highlighting the role of communication practices that occur in the team pre-assembly stage, as an antecedent of team assembly. It also addresses a long-standing debate about the credibility of information online by showing that a narrative-based online profile format (e.g. a personal website) can be more powerful than a standardized format (e.g. LinkedIn).

Open innovation organizers should encourage online profile sharing among participants to facilitate effective team assembly in order to improve innovation outcomes.

The current study highlights the importance of team assembly in open innovation, especially the role of sharing online profiles in this process. It connects two areas of research that are previously distant, one on team assembly and one on online profile sharing. It also adds new empirical evidence to the discussion about online information credibility.

This paper presents the results from interviews of 59 senior personnel from major construction clients. There are two main themes: client drivers for construction projects and their implications for standardization of processes and components. The client sample is described and reasons for procuring construction projects are established along with the extent of their involvement in the construction process and hence their ability to influence the outcomes. Their views on value for money, preconceptions of standardization and their opinion on its future potential are explored. Many clients recognize the need to involve constructors and manufacturers early, although fewer actually achieve this. Misconceptions about standardization exist, but many clients are recognizing the benefits possible from standardization. However, very few actually measure benefits and so are unable to truly evaluate success. There is a future for increased standardization, but only if the industry recognizes the unique aspects of each client and responds positively to meet those needs.