Project Overview
Under the international manufacturing umbrella of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet program, we engineered and deployed a high-resolution automated machine vision inspection station to inspect critical aerospace structural fasteners at a facility manufacturing wing components.
The system was mandated to execute 100% inspection of all aerospace nuts, titanium bolts, and rivets on the wing structures, verifying not only their presence but also their exact spatial alignment and seated orientation.
In aerospace manufacturing, the fallout from even a single minor assembly defect can be catastrophic. A mispositioned fastener escaping undetected to the final aircraft assembly line could jeopardize critical flight structures and disrupt delivery schedules. The definitive objective was to guarantee 100% defect-free parts before leaving the manufacturing cell.
Aerospace Standards & Cost of a Single Defect
In a mission-critical defense platform like the F-35, wing structures incorporate numerous specialized fasteners. Quality assurance mandates:
- Verification of the correct fastener SKU,
- Zero missing fasteners,
- Precise geometric coordinate placement,
- Correct seating and alignment depth.
With individual aerospace fasteners valued between $100 and $1,000 each, preventing downstream teardowns, logistics penalties, and airframe remanufacturing represents millions of dollars in risk mitigation.
The ANAVIS Solution: 100% Vision Verification & Positional Validation
We developed a high-resolution multi-angle vision inspection system tailored to aerospace-grade composite and titanium assemblies.
The vision system scans designated critical wing zones, validating fastener presence, position, and orientation against nominal CAD specifications in real time. Rather than relying on statistical lot sampling, the system operates on strict 100% inspection principles:
- Nut: Present? Correct spatial location?
- Bolt: Present? Correct seating depth?
- Rivet: Present? Flawless head integrity?
Each question is answered definitively and recorded for every serialized wing panel.
How the System Works
- 01 Wing Panel Staging: The composite wing structure is mounted in the optical inspection cradle.
- 02 High-Resolution Optical Scanning: Industrial cameras scan fastener arrays under structured lighting.
- 03 CAD Reference Matching: Machine vision algorithms cross-examine real-time images against strict aerospace tolerances.
- 04 Fastener State Verification: Nut, bolt, and rivet positions and seatings are validated.
- 05 100% Quality Certification: Any missing or misaligned fastener halts line release.
- 06 7 Years Continuous Service: The system has operated in production with zero downtime for over 7 consecutive years.
