A functional unit, in particular for a tool, a tool accessory and/or a lighting apparatus, that includes a housing, a suction region, which is arranged on the housing and with which the fastening apparatus can be fastened releasably to a substrate, and an electrically operated negative-pressure unit, which is arranged in the housing and to provide a negative pressure in the suction region. The fastening apparatus also includes at least one fastening interface for fastening the functional unit. Alternatively, or additionally, the fastening apparatus includes the functional unit. The functional unit includes a guide device, in particular a guide rail, a router guide, a routing template, a rolling guide rail, a drilling apparatus, a lamp and/or a grazing light.

The invention discloses a system for hole making for an aircraft skin by normal positioning and locking. The hole-making system includes a posture adjustment part, a normal positioning and locking part and a hole-making execution part. This system solves the problems that the device in the prior art has high complexity and cumbersome positioning and does not adapt to complex curved surfaces, thereby failing to satisfy the needs of efficient hole making in different space states. In the present invention, the expansion of an outer expansion sleeve in a bottom sleeve locks a normal direction for hole making, thereby ensuring the positioning accuracy of the normal direction. An axial position is locked by the mutual cooperation of an axial positioning groove of the bottom sleeve and an axial positioning rib of the outer expansion sleeve. A hole-making auxiliary cylinder contracts to counteract part of an axial force for hole making.

The invention relates to a portable digitally controlled device for machining a workpiece (10) comprising a machining module (200) which comprises: at least one machining head bearing a machining tool; means for moving the machining head along at least two axes perpendicular to each other; a digital control unit configured to be able to control the means for moving the machining head, characterized in that the machining device further comprises a module (100) for clamping the machining module to the workpiece, the clamping module (100) comprising: means for removably attaching (106, 108; 130) the clamping module (100) to the workpiece (10); means for removably mounting (142, 144) the machining module (200) to the clamping module (100).

A position correcting system, method and tool for guiding a tool during its use based on its location relative to the material being worked on. Provided is a system and tool which uses its auto correcting technology to precisely rout or cut material. The invention provides a camera which is used to track the visual features of the surface of the material being cut to build a map and locate an image on that map used to reference the location of the tool for auto-correction of the cutting path.

An assembly system for an automated internal assembly on a curved assembly surface of an aircraft fuselage includes two assembly rails shaped in accordance with a curvature of the assembly surface such that they follow a longitudinal direction or a peripheral direction of the aircraft fuselage, so that the assembly rails are fastenable in the aircraft fuselage, along the longitudinal direction or along the peripheral direction of the aircraft fuselage, parallel to one another and parallel to the assembly surface of the aircraft fuselage; an assembly slide configured to slide along the assembly rails; and a tool supported by the assembly slide and configured to perform an assembly step; wherein the assembly slide has an assembly axis, along which the tool is movable relative to the assembly slide; and wherein the assembly axis is configured such that it follows the curvature of the assembly surface of the aircraft fuselage.

A position correcting system, method and tool for guiding a tool during its use based on its location relative to the material being worked on. Provided is a system and tool which uses its auto correcting technology to precisely rout or cut material. The invention provides a camera which is used to track the visual features of the surface of the material being cut to build a map and locate an image on that map used to reference the location of the tool for auto-correction of the cutting path.

During an assembly process for an aircraft, segments of the fuselage are fabricated separately prior to joining the segments together to form the complete fuselage. In order to ensure that abutting ends of the segments mate together correctly, a machining process is performed along the edges of the segments at their ends. A trim-tool assembly includes an indexing cart mounted to a track secured to a surface of the workpiece, where a setting on the indexing cart varies a distance between a centerline of the track and an edge of a workpiece. The trim-tool assembly further includes a tool cart mounted to the track and translatable along the track. The tool cart includes a process tool that performs a machining process on the workpiece at a fixed distance from the centerline of the track.

A device for cutting a length of pipe includes a clamp portion for clamping around a length of pipe and a bow moveable with respect to the clamp portion that retains a loop of diamond embedded wire. The device further includes a feed for driving the bow with respect to the clamp portion and a detector for detecting bending of the wire and a control responsive to the detector for controlling feed rates. The device is made of modular parts and has synchronizing arms for clamping around a length of pipe. In one embodiment, the wheels are retained in enclosures with slots through which the cutting wire passes.

A magnetic base for supporting a tool having a work piece engagement component relative to a ferromagnetic body, comprising: at least two magnet units having a working face, each unit adapted to be magnetically attached to the ferromagnetic body; and a support structure coupled to the at least two magnet units and including a mounting structure adapted to secure the tool to the support structure, the support structure having a window in or a cut-out extending into an about centric location of the support structure such that the work piece engagement component of the tool may extend from a first side of the support structure to engage the ferromagnetic body located proximate a second side of the support structure, the second side being opposite the first side, the at least two magnet units being positionable so that they can fit onto a flat surface or a curved surface.

According to one implementation, a drilling machine includes at least one drilling structure, a travelling machine, a reader and a controlling device such as a controlling circuit. The at least one drilling structure drills an object to be drilled. The travelling machine positions the at least one drilling structure in a travelling direction of the travelling machine by travelling in a direction different from a drilling direction. The reader reads information recorded on at least one integrated circuit tag attached to at least one drilling plate attached to the object to be drilled. The controlling device controls the travelling machine based on the information read by the reader.