Real-time digital twins of tolerance stack-up and compliance for complex assemblies

This project will research approaches for the creation of an intelligent (continuously learning) digital twin of tolerance stack-up and level of confidence in achieving compliance for the assembly. The twin will fuse learning of the variability of parts (creating and updating statistical distributions of variability in real-time which is necessary for low-volume parts) with in-process measurement of stack-up to guide assembly operations (which parts on which assemblies) and where appropriate suggest (and design/configure) interventions such shims. The research project will be undertaken with GKN aerospace and contribute to their R&T programme in support of the Wing of Tomorrow (WoT) programme. The current WoT facilities at the Filton site will be used as the basis for development and validation of the approach. The programme will involve manufacturing process characterisation and modelling, statistical modelling of part variation, simulation of assembly processes and generative design.