Advanced Manufacturing Systems
PAR Systems designs, implements, and maintains advanced manufacturing systems built to produce critical components in challenging manufacturing environments.
Our automated cutting and trimming systems, robotic and configurable fixtures, high-precision friction stir welding solutions, and expert consulting and service provide solutions for the most challenging applications–from design, to implementation, production, and maintenance.
PAR’s advanced manufacturing can account for assembly variation.
Sensors can detect contour deviation & make adjustments automatically.
Using advanced technology, we can account for feature uncertainty.
Our Systems
Cutting & trimming.
Customized to improve quality & productivity.
PAR’s automated cutting and trimming systems provide customized, high-tech solutions to maximize productivity, whether cutting composite parts, metallic components, or other materials. Our expertise with advanced waterjet cutting, spindle trimming, and ultrasonic cutting paired with our design expertise in system engineering, deliver a fully automated system that provides significant quality and productivity advantages.
Robotic & configurable fixtures.
Proven techniques for tackling manufacturing challenges.
Configurable fixtures can eliminate dedicated tooling and the associated design, production, maintenance storage, and handling costs. From mapping as-built conditions and morphing tool paths to match to utilizing integrated process heads, PAR has developed various Adaptive manufacturing strategies that utilize patented techniques to enable the production of critical components and assemblies with exacting tolerances. Our solutions result in impactful ROI and gains in efficiency and productivity.
Friction Stir Welding
The superior welding solution.
Take advantage of the many benefits of the friction stir welding process with PAR’s machines and advanced control system. Our expertise and innovative methodology make deployment simple, even for large, complex applications.
PAR has highly-instrumented, high-fidelity solutions and a flexible control system tailored for process control and monitoring in a variety of motion systems. The combination makes PAR’s I-STIR™ technology the most advanced friction stir welding solution on the market.
Drilling and Defastening
Precision and automation for critical requirements.
Precision drilling is a critical requirement for assembly operations. Whether drilling determinant assembly holes or precision fastener holes in composite skins or multiple material assemblies, PAR provides precision drilling expertise. Our defastening systems automatically locate and remove fasteners. This same automated defastening system can then produce fastener holes in the replacement skin that correspond with the existing substructure.
Service and Support
A global network of support and expertise.
Our global consulting team can work directly with you to resolve the most complex challenges with advanced manufacturing. In addition, our experience across processing, handling, assembly, and testing makes us experts in maintaining your equipment–whether we helped you design it or not. We can help with spare parts needs, equipment upgrades, install and training services, and much more to make your systems run right, from start to finish.
An Adaptive Manufacturing System Case Study
PAR designed a robotic fixture for an aircraft manufacturer. The robotic fixture, a precision motion machine and an integrated process head, work together to manage a 800+ part family of aircraft components in a single fixture. The fixture remains in a machine footprint, providing a cost-effective, high-productivity solution that integrates inspection and verification to ensure high-quality parts.
Integrated Capabilities with Spindle Milling and Trimming
Our custom-built milling and trimming machines are designed to meet customer application requirements. They feature capabilities such as automatic tool change capabilities, probe systems for part location and machine calibration, integrated vacuum dust collection systems, and inspection capabilities. PAR’s milling and trimming systems perform cutting operations precisely, giving you higher quality cuts and safer operations.
Big Improvements with FSW for Commercial Aircraft
PAR Systems partnered with an aircraft manufacturer to design and build a custom friction stir welding gantry system capable of welding an entire aircraft frame in only 8 hours. Assembly times were 10x faster with friction stir welding than with manual riveting, and combined with the computerized control of the process, the commercial manufacturer saved over 16,000 hours of labor.
The PAR Advantage
Save time and money
- Significantly improve cycle time, reduce costs, and improve productivity
- Eliminate the need for different tooling for each part or assembly and accommodates families of parts
- Eliminate costs of dedicated tools associated with: Design/Build, Qualification, Handling, Storage, and Maintenance
- Save time associated with introduction and removal of dedicated tools
- Eliminates skin damage from disengagement during fastener removal
Make processes more efficient
- With multi-part loading, different parts can be cut more efficiently by combining common processes
- Integrated process head allows multiple process tools to be integrated into a single end effector or machine
Create for a safer work environment
- Automated fastening eliminates operator fatigue and repetitive use injuries
- Eliminate risks to personnel from handling heavy and awkward tools
- Eliminate dust from cutting and trimming environments