Abstract:
The Laser Beam Welding (LBW) process offers the possibility of manufacturing
joints from most light metals and their combinations, as well as simplifying and
integrating the fuselage structure to reduce weight and cost, which are the main
concerns of the modern aircraft industry. However, there has been little
published knowledge detailed on the LBW process in the aircraft industry yet,
which has limited its dissemination. Hence, there is a need to capture
knowledge about the LBW process in the aircraft industry for its wider and more
effective usage.
This research aims to develop a knowledge model of the LBW process in the
aircraft industry to improve structure design and process planning. The main
objectives are to: (i) identify the methods and tools for knowledge capture and
representation; (ii) identify the considerations of structure design and process
planning for LBW; (iii) capture the knowledge about structure design and
process planning in the form of rules and recommendations, and represent
them with Unified Modelling Language (UML); (iv) apply the captured
knowledge to a fuselage panel of a commercial aircraft; (v) validate the
developed model through case study and expert judgement. These objectives
were achieved through the adoption of a four-phase research methodology:
understanding the context, data collection and analysis, knowledge model
development and validation.
The captured knowledge in the form of rules and recommendations has
developed an understanding of the LBW process in the aircraft industry and
improved the structure design and process planning. The handbook developed
based on skin-stringer connection guides designers and engineers directly to
developing Laser Beam Welded fuselage panels. This research project has
contributed to a wider and more effective use of LBW in the aircraft industry.
The procedure of knowledge modelling which includes knowledge identification,
capturing and representation, as well as the methods and tools adopted for
these stages can be applied to other process knowledge modelling.
