Research on Process Planning Method of Aerospace Engine Bolt Tightening Based on Digital Twin

Abstract

Aerospace engine is the source of power for the development of national defense and aerospace. Engine bolt tightening is an important part of the aerospace engine production process. At present, most of the bolt tightening methods of aerospace engines are manual tightening or traditional rigid tightening, which lead to the problem of low efficiency and large engine deformation. This paper proposes a process planning method for bolt tightening of aerospace engine based on digital twin, including flexible tightening mechanism design, tightening sequence optimization, the establishment of the digital twin system of the tightening mechanism, etc. The flexible tightening mechanism is suitable for different types of aerospace engines. Based on bolt tightening sequence optimization, the deformation and stress of the cabin section during the tightening process are reduced. The bolt tightening work is completed in the digital twin system, the real-time communication of physical and digital space synchronizes the operations of them. After tightening, the residual pre-tightening force of bolts are detected based on the ultrasonic method. The results show that the proposed method can solve the problems of low efficiency of aerospace engine bolt tightening and the problem of the cabin’s large deformation. Furthermore, it provides technical reference and theoretical basis for the bolt tightening technology of aerospace engine.