Patent ID: 8365376

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a rail system configured to attach to a surface on a structure; a multi-axis carriage coupled to the rail system, wherein the multi-axis carriage is configured to move along the rail system and configured to move a riveting tool in axes relative to the surface; a tool module configured to be removably coupled to the multi-axis carriage, wherein the tool module comprises a frame and is configured to receive the riveting tool; a controller configured to control movement of the riveting tool to a number of preselected locations on the surface of the structure and configured to cause the riveting tool to install a number of rivets in the number of preselected locations in response to a signal; and a backing unit, configured to communicate with the controller, comprising a signal generator configured to generate at least one of: the signal, and a second signal to cause the multi-axis carriage to move to a next location in the number of preselected locations.