Patent ID: 7621701

Claim:
An assembly for performing a manufacturing operation on a workpiece having a first surface and a second surface opposite from the first surface, comprising: at least one self-retaining shim adapted to be secured to the workpiece, the self-retaining shim comprising a shim portion having a first end portion and a second end portion, the shim portion being adapted to be engageable with the first surface of the workpiece, the shim portion being of about uniform overall thickness; and at least one elongated biasing member secured to the shim portion proximate the first end portion and extending toward the second end portion, the biasing member terminating in a solid cylindrical portion supported in non-contacting overlying adjacency to the shim portion, the biasing member being adapted to be positioned proximate the second surface and to capture the workpiece between the shim portion and the biasing member; and a template adapted to overlay the shim portion of the self-retaining shim, the template having a lower surface engageable with and having a contour substantially equivalent to an upper surface of the shim portion; uniform overall thickness of the shim portion being approximately equal to thickness of a skin panel that will subsequently be secured to the first surface of the workpiece.