Method and an apparatus for machining a part for an assembly

A method for assembling a fitting, a stringer, and a structure associated with a body of an aircraft, the method comprising:

• imaging a surface of the stringer using a first laser imaging system to generate first point cloud data;
• imaging a set of existing holes in the structure using a second laser imaging system to generate second point cloud data;
• generating a surface model of the surface of the stringer using the first point cloud data;
• computing first offset data based on a nominal model of the fitting that is nominally positioned relative to the surface model within a three-dimensional virtual environment;
• computing second offset data for the set of existing holes in the structure associated with the body;
• generating overall offset data using the first offset data and the second offset data;
• and
• drilling a set of holes in the fitting based on the overall offset data.

An apparatus for machining a structure for an assembly, the apparatus comprising:

• a part modeler implemented in a computer system that is in communication with a first sensor system and a second sensor system,
• wherein the part modeler acquires first sensor data for a surface of a first part from the first sensor system and second sensor data for a set of existing holes in a second part from the second sensor system;
• and
• wherein the part modeler generates a surface model of the surface of the first part using the first sensor data;
• and
• an offset data generator implemented in the computer system, wherein the offset data generator computes first offset data based on a nominal model of a third part that is nominally positioned relative to the surface model of the surface of the first part within a three-dimensional virtual environment, computes second offset data for the set of existing holes in the second part, and generates overall offset data using the first offset data and the second offset data, wherein the overall offset data is used to drill a set of holes in the third part for use in fastening the third part to the second part.