FTI has taken its proven ForceMate bushing installation process one step further to create a quick-and-easy method for repairing damaged countersunk holes in access panels and other thin-skinned surfaces. The new process, ForceMate 2 Panel Repair, brings fastener holes that have been ovalized, oversized, shifted off-center, or otherwise damaged, back to nominal size.
Legacy hole repair methods used in the aircraft industry include shrink-fit bushings, large dimpled washers, riveted custom doublers, or bonded patches. These types of repairs have many shortcomings which include higher manpower requirements, longer repair times, unnecessary weight added to the aircraft, unreliable repair consistency, and difficult field repairability. By comparison, ForceMate 2 Panel Repair offers a simple, lightweight, consistent repair in one-quarter to one-half the time of the other methods.
• Reduce repair time by 50% from other repair methods
• Compatible with most countersunk panel fastener systems
• Suitable for use in aluminum, titanium, and titanium honeycomb panels
• Does not add weight or change panel stiffness
• Simple and easy operation
• Consistent and repeatable repair solution
The ForceMate 2 Panel Repair System offers continued hole protection where repeated installation and removal of fasteners can contribute to wear of the fastener holes. The ForceMate 2 bushings increase the bearing area in the hole to reduce the repeated stresses that ovalize the hole and cause damage.
The ForceMate 2 system installs two nested bushings into a hole in one operation using FTI’s cold expansion tooling. Both bushings are fitted onto the end of an expansion mandrel which is then positioned into the cleaned-up hole. The mandrel is then drawn through the bushings expanding the outer bushing radially and then locking the inner bushing into place by using the outer bushing’s elastic springback after expansion.
ForceMate 2 Panel Repair is designed for fastener hole repairs ranging from 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch in diameter and is compatible with most countersunk panel fastener systems (including Milson and Tridair) and some Hi-Torque fasteners. The repair system has proven effective in aluminum, titanium, and titanium honeycomb panels.
ForceMate 2 Panel Repair uses all the same PowerPak and puller units
as other cold expansion processes. The durable tooling,
such as nosecap and mandrel are specially designed for
ForceMate 2 Panel Repair installations. A split sleeve is not required
for the process, as the inside of the outer bushing
is pre-lubricated to ensure even radial expansion and
to reduce the amount of pull force required.
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