Patent ID: 11970289
Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS PLC
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G | IPC B  G

Claim 13:
14. A system for forming a shim on an aircraft airframe, the system comprising:
measurement apparatus configured to:
measure a surface of at least part of the aircraft airframe; and
measure a surface of an aircraft skin for attaching to the at least part of the aircraft airframe;

one or more processors configured to:
create a digital model of the at least part of the aircraft airframe using the measurements of the surface of the at least part of the aircraft airframe;
create a digital model of the aircraft skin using the measurements of the surface of the aircraft skin;
digitally assemble the digital model of the at least part of the aircraft airframe with the digital model of the aircraft skin; and
using the digitally assembled digital model of the at least part of the aircraft airframe and the digital model of the aircraft skin, create a digital model of a shim, the digital model of the shim filling a gap between the digitally assembled digital model of the at least part of the aircraft airframe and the digital model of the aircraft skin; and

Additive Manufacturing, AM, apparatus configured to form the shim directly onto the surface of the at least part of the aircraft airframe using the digital model of the shim.