Virtual Reality based system for accessibility and ergonomic analyses of floor assembly jigs

Floor assembly jigs (FAJs) are used to create large subassemblies in the aircraft industry. The design involves tool frame generation and locator and clamp placement to ensure that the assembly components are held properly with respect to each other to meet the required tolerances. The tool designer also has to analyze the design to ensure that the assembly process does not pose interference and accessibility problems. The current approach is dependent on the experience of the tool designer and the limited visualization possible on commercial CAD systems. This leads to extensive redesign when loading/unloading, accessibility, and ergonomic related problems are detected on the physical prototype. In this research, an integrated CAD-based assembly tool design and analysis environment is being developed. A CAD model of the tool design is imported into a Virtual Reality (VR) based visualization system for loading/unloading, accessibility, and ergonomic analyses. The VR system allows combined evaluation of alternate tool designs and assembly sequences. In this paper, an overview of the design and analysis environment is presented.