TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
various other businesses where we are using this technology but aviation is notoriously safety conscious. We have therefore decided to partner with a supplier because we definitely require the expertise within the industry to be able to get through all the approvals.” In some of the ways that matter to design engineers, these new intelligent fasteners won’t differ much from today’s mechanical fasteners. Since they are mechanical fasteners, the joint strength considerations remain the same. But in other ways, the new fasteners really do change things. On the plus side, they promise to provide additional design freedom because tool access and assembly sequence often dictate the fastener locations as much as joint strength does. With this new-found freedom it will be easier to place a joint anywhere one requires. The intelligent fasteners, because of the built-in actuation, can also eliminate some of the tolerance or orientation issues associated with assembly tools. Cross threading could be a thing of the past. There shouldn’t be any packaging difficulties, despite the onboard electronics of the intelligent fasteners. They tap into a product’s existing wiring and electronics. Rudduck
believes that smart fasteners can attain much smaller sizes than conventional mechanical fasteners — in part because they overcome traditional spacing constraints and in part because smart materials will allow them to be smaller. Additionally, intelligent fasteners could also be the darlings of the aircraft recycling industry, since they can be released simultaneously and disassembly is simpler. With the new Intevia latching and rapid reconfiguration solutions, Dickory Rudduck’s invention could be the launch pad to a new generation of technology that will bring fundamental changes to the way aircraft are designed, serviced and adapted to meet market requirements. Even though this technology hasn’t yet proliferated the market, it has been rigorously tested and applied to applications in the aviation industry, concludes Rudduck: “At the moment these technologies are not up and running per se, but we have enough interest from various partners to say that it will be successful and we are in a position to decide on who we are going to run with.” With this in mind, it could be time for the conventional nuts and bolts to make way for their intelligent cousins. ■
In terms of time of maintenance procedures, the industry will just save masses of time because everything is automated. For example engineers will receive automatic logs when actions have been performed. — Dickory Rudduck, founder, Telezygology
1,800 The average number of SAE standards used in the development of a typical aircraft. From use...to development... to corporate support...successful aerospace companies and engineering professionals are involved with SAE technical standards.
The Standard for Innovation AS – AMS – ARP - AIR Documents
New and recent SAE International standards activities include: - Counterfeit Electronic Parts - Integrated Vehicle Health Management - Environment - Air Traffic Management (SESAR, NextGen) Free SAE Aerospace Standards Newsletter at www.sae.org/standards Keep appraised of SAE’s standards activities, cooperative efforts with other organizations, recently published documents, harmonization capabilities, and technical committees that through participation, enable you and your company to play a role in solving industry challenges.
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❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 109 ❙ 41