Airbus Military A400M Horizontal Tail Plane (HTP) Integration
EADS-CASA Tablada Seville, Spain

As prime contractor/integrator to CASA, AIT provided turnkey final assembly tooling for the A400M. The tooling consists of two major stations, an automated computer-controlled integration tool using a laser for alignment and best-fit technologies, and a second automated station for final assembly, equipment, and elevator alignment.

Included in this project were multilevel automated work platforms for join drilling access, transportation carts, and storage devices, power feed drill templates, and various assembly tooling. The integration tool is equipped to line bore and insert final pivot bushings into the joined HTP.

System Features

• AIT prime contractor to CASA
• Automated HTP join tool (station I)
  
  • 6 positioners for Torsion boxes integration
  • Integrated Laser Tracker with one automated align feature
  • Specialized control and graphical user interface (GUI) software with best-fit joining
  • Pivot fitting boring and bush insert
  • Automated work platforms
  • THSA assembly tooling
  • Pivot fitting assembly tooling
  • Complete set of power feed drill templates
  
  
• Automated HTP final assembly and equipment tool (station II)
  
• 6 positioners for HTP positioning
• Automated tool configuration from join station
• Automated work platforms
• Elevator align tooling
• Transportation carts
• Handling slings