Aircraft & Aerospace Structures
 |
The supply of non-contact gap and hole mapping sensors to Major Commercial and Military Aircraft Manufacturers such as Boeing, AIRBUS, Lockheed Martin, Textron, Northrop, Boeing/Bell Helicopter, BAE, CASA San Pablo, and MHI etc. is a major market for Capacitec.
Aircraft Shimming Operations
This started in the mid 1990’s with the qualification of the Gapman® portable “electronic feeler gage” that replaced feeler gauges in aircraft assembly shimming operations. The Gapman® features a dual capacitive sensor for position-compensated measurement and easy insertion into very narrow gaps down to 0.004" (100 microns) in a wide range of aerospace applications.
Key Gapman® Features
- Measures gaps between all metal and carbon composite (CFRP) surfaces
- Microcontroller based and application software driven,
- Records and stores up to 1,000 data points for easy transfer to SPC and other quality systems via RS232
- Typical accuracy is +/- 0.0005 (12.7 microns) or better over a 0.100" (2.5mm) range and resolution of 0.0001 (2.54 microns)
- Battery operated and lightweight (approx. 1lb/454 grams)
The most popular aerospace-related application for the Gapman® is commercial and military aircraft assembly and in particular its use in the shimming process. It has been documented that use of the Gapman® within these application environments has reduced required shimming time by five times over the previously implemented feeler gauge methods. As a result, hundreds of robust Gapman® units have been in use for more than a decade during three-shift operations within this tough shop floor environment.
Aerospace Application Presentation
Launch Vehicle Structures
The Capacitec CMS/CHP Hole Mapping System is also used on the Delta IV launcher system to measure hundreds of critical fastener holes between the outer skins and structural frame of the launcher. The system was introduced to replace a mechanical split ball system with the advantages found below
 |
| Bore diameter measurement |
Key Capacitive Hole Probe Features:
• Customer qualification testing shows the CMS-3 was found to be 3x faster than the existing mechanical contact system while minimizing operator induced errors
• High-speed, high-precision measurement of straight, tapered or countersink fastener holes
• Min, Max and Average hole diameter are displayed with the option of having Pass/Fail limits.
• The CMS-3 seamlessly intergrates with standard data collectors for in-process trend analysis.
• Rigid probe design provides a unique centerline datum reference