A chave para uma montagem suave de aeronaves

Como as unidades de esferas do Omnitrack são usadas na montagem de aeronaves?

A Omnitrack inventou a linha de unidades de transferência de esferas para serviços pesados em 1954. O projeto patenteado de "trilha sem fim" permite que cargas pesadas sejam transportadas de forma suave e precisa em qualquer ângulo. O setor aeronáutico tem confiado nas unidades de tranferência de esferas da Omnitrack desde então, permitindo a montagem suave de aeronaves.

Ball units are used in the manufacturing processes and testing procedures of aircraft assembly — covering landing gears, fuselage, wing installation and many others. From their involvement in the production of the Comet in 1958 to the Eurofighter Typhoon in 1990 and — most recently — the Airbus Group and Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2017, Omnitrack has been the first choice for ball units due to their consistently high performance.

Omnitrack Aircraft Industry Case Studies

Omnitrack 9241 ball transfer units featured in the production of the Eurofighter Typhoon in 1990. Eurofighter is the world’s most advanced swing-role combat aircraft offering agile performance, interoperability and unrivalled flexibility. Omnitrack ball units are an integral element of the aircraft’s design. 

Em 2009, as unidades esféricas Omitrack 9445 e 0454 foram usadas no projeto de pesquisa de partículas do colisor "Hadron" do CERN. No CERN, a Organização Europeia para Pesquisa Nuclear, o maior e mais complexo equipamento científico do mundo é usado para investigar a estrutura fundamental do universo. O CERN escolheu as unidades de esferas da Omnitrack por sua capacidade de desempenho nos mais altos padrões sob altas temperaturas. 

Most recently, our 9840 units were used in the extensive testing of the landing gears in the new 787 Dreamliner. The designers needed to create a testing rig that could withstand the impact of 98 tons for over 100,000 cycles that they could reposition between tests. Unlike static tests — which push the aeroplane to extreme loads — the rig system allows for fatigue testing, which demonstrates the integrity of the landing gear in resisting the daily stresses.  One can just imagine the challenging conditions our ball units face and overcome!

Managing Director  of Omnitrack, John Cabrini-Dale said,

“I feel extremely proud that our units are a key part of the aircraft industry’s technological advancements and that we will always rise to the next challenge this industry presents, pushing our engineering forward.”

Por que as unidades de transferência de esferas da Omnitrack são a primeira opção para a montagem suave de aeronaves?

We asked John Cabrini-Dale why Omnitrack units play such a vital role in today’s aircraft assembly. He outlined four key reasons why the industry specifies Omnitrack units:

“First, is the highest load capacity possible – the largest of our units being able to support and move 4550 Kg [10,000 lbs] each.

Second, is the ability to use our units at any angle of orientation without any loss in load-bearing capacity or quality of movement, thanks to our patented “endless track” internal system.

The third is the “frictionless” movement our units can provide allowing heavy loads to be manoeuvred with supreme accuracy and minimal force.

A quarta é a alta resistência a impactos de cargas e a temperaturas extremas, permitindo que as unidades sejam usadas em condições difíceis, em que as unidades esféricas tradicionais de "copo hemisférico" sofreriam.

No caso do projeto da Airbus, as unidades esféricas 9352 da Omnitrack são usadas no posicionamento final e delicado dos pinos e encaixes terminais da asa, à medida que são inseridos em grandes peças fundidas presas a estruturas na fuselagem. Isso permite que as asas sejam fixadas à subseção por milhares de parafusos que, graças ao movimento preciso de nossas unidades esféricas, podem ser alinhados perfeitamente, o que é vital para a montagem rápida e, portanto, econômica da aeronave."

The Key to Smooth Aircraft Assembly

Omnitrack will remain at the forefront of the omnidirectional movement industry as we continuously strive to find new solutions for our clients. Our products have evolved over 100 years and we are always excited to work on custom designs to meet specific needs. We are proud of our reputation in the aircraft industry. Omnitrack ball units are the first choice for smooth aircraft assembly processes due to their high load capacity, “frictionless” movement, high resistance to shock loads and high temperatures, and the ability to use our units at any angle of orientation without any loss in load-bearing capacity or quality of movement. 

Estamos ansiosos pelo nosso próximo produto de montagem de aeronaves e pelos desafios que ele irá apresentar! 

Se você tiver um requisito de montagem e precisar de ajuda para especificar a melhor solução de movimentação, envie uma mensagem instantânea para nossa equipe no Live Chat e solicite uma ligação para discutir suas necessidades.