Patent attributes
A method of manufacturing aircraft parts includes creating corresponding 3D geometry models representing surface features and holes of the aircraft parts sized to nominal dimensions. The method includes sending the 3D geometry models to respective manufacturing facilities for each to generate a NC machining program directly from a 3D geometry model, with instructions for a single NC machining apparatus to machine an aircraft part, and including instructions to machine the surface features and/or holes to the modeled dimensions. And for each of the respective manufacturing facilities to machine the aircraft part utilizing the NC machining program. For this, the NC machining apparatus utilizes tool(s) set at substantially the modeled dimensions, instead of at a high or low side of related tolerance range(s) to allow for tight geometric dimensioning and tolerancing requirements. This method enables the full process capability of the CNC machines while utilizing inspection tolerances that are measurable.
