Flexform (Hydroforming) Principle Animation
Why watch: See the diaphragm press the blank over a male block — the tooling half you build and protect on hydroform trays.
Process tooling groups
Know the kit for each process. Ship-specific jigs and drill templates live in controlled tooling — these are the common families you will hear on the floor.
Each tooling group below has at least one embedded demo (youtube-nocookie). Clips show how the tooling is used in public shops and training — general industry process, not approved Boeing jig drawings or E-3/E-6 tooling packages.
Watch tooling in use
Jump to a tooling family and play the embedded demo. Public video ≠ your ship’s controlled fixture package.
Controlled tooling
Drill templates, assembly jigs, and ship-specific fixtures are controlled assets. Public videos show methods — not your E-3 or E-6 tooling package, and not approved Boeing jig drawings.
Hydroform
Male block, pins, blank outline, diaphragm
- Male block — hard tool half that defines the contour
- Pins — locate blank / block to the press tray
- Blank outline — developed trim shape before or after form
- Diaphragm — rubber / fluid-cell membrane that applies pressure
Hydroforming for the Airframe Industry
Why watch: Airframe hydroform overview — male tooling, diaphragm/fluid cell, and part families that use this kit.
Hydroform part demo — seat plate
Why watch: Watch a formed airframe detail come off the male block — blank location and contour fidelity in shop language.
Stretch
Stretch die, jaw inserts, side stops, bulldozer
- Stretch die — form block the skin is pulled over
- Jaw inserts — grip the blank edges without tearing
- Side stops — control width and edge walk
- Optional bulldozer — local push assist on stubborn radii
Stretch Forming Aircraft Skins
Why watch: Jaws pull sheet over a male die — exactly how stretch dies and jaw tooling earn their keep.
Brake
V-die, punch, backgauge
- V-die — bottom tool; opening sets radius/bend allowance
- Punch — top tool that forms the bend
- Backgauge — sets flange length / bend line location
Press Brake Bending Basics Explained
Why watch: Punch into V-die with backgauge set — the everyday brake tooling stack for flanges and channels.
Assembly
Clecos, drill cages, bushing plates, microstop
- Clecos — temporary fasteners to hold stack-ups
- Drill cages — guide multi-hole patterns
- Bushing plates — hardened bushings for hole location
- Microstop countersink — depth-controlled flush prep
- Dimple dies — form flush dimples in thin sheet for flush rivets
HOW IT WORKS: Aircraft Flush Riveting
Why watch: See temporary hold-down, flush prep, and driven rivets — the assembly tooling story on a skin stack.
Riveting 101 — Step-by-Step from an A&P Student
Why watch: Shop-floor riveting sequence with temporary fasteners and gun/bucking technique — how clecos earn their keep before permanent fasteners.
Aircraft Sheet Metal Riveting Explained
Why watch: End-to-end airframe riveting process — hole prep through driven rivet — so assembly tooling vocabulary sticks.
Adjusting a Microstop Countersink
Why watch: Microstop setup and depth control — the difference between a flush head and a cut-through skin.
Dimpling for Countersunk Rivets
Why watch: Dimple dies in use for flush rivets in thin sheet — when you form the flush seat instead of cutting it.
Cold work
Sleeve, mandrel, puller, nosecap, reamers
- Split sleeve — disposable lubricated sleeve in the hole
- Mandrel — tapered puller that expands the hole
- Hydraulic puller — power unit that draws the mandrel
- Nosecap — seats against the structure during pull
- Start / final reamers — size holes before and after cold work per process
FTI Cold Expansion — Part 1
Why watch: Sleeve, mandrel, and puller in the split-sleeve cold-expansion kit — tooling names you will hear on fatigue-critical holes.
FTI Cold Expansion — Part 2
Why watch: Finish the process demo — ream, pull, inspect mindset for cold-worked holes.
CNC
Vacuum table, tombstone, spar fixture datums
- Vacuum table — holds sheet / plate for routing and face work
- Tombstone — vertical fixture for multi-face machining
- Spar fixture datums — long-part locators tied to engineering datums
The Hidden Factory That Builds Airplane Wings
Why watch: Large airframe machining and fixture context — how spars and wing structure meet heavy CNC workholding.
Are tombstones the secret to faster setup times?
Why watch: Tombstone fixture basics — multi-face setups and why vertical fixtures show up on machining centers.
Sandwich / honeycomb shop
Core cutting, bonding, potting & inserts
Honeycomb sandwich work shows up on secondary structure, fairings, floors, and control surfaces across many transport-category and military airframes. On 707-family primary structure you still live mostly in riveted aluminum — but bonded sandwich panels are part of metallic/composite bonded shop work in sustainment and interiors. More materials detail lives on Materials → Sandwich / honeycomb.
- Core cutting / shaping — band saw, CNC knife/router, or waterjet per process; protect cell walls and ribbon direction
- Bonding — film adhesive or paste between face sheets and core; controlled heat/pressure/vacuum per process
- Potting — fill selected cells with potting compound for densification, edge closeout, or hard points
- Inserts — bonded or potted hard points for fasteners — do not treat honeycomb like solid plate
Honeycomb Potting — Automated Filling for Aircraft Interiors
Why watch: See cells filled for stability and hard points — the potting tooling idea behind inserts and edge densification.
Potted insert in honeycomb panel
Why watch: Insert potting in a sandwich panel — how fasteners get a solid path through honeycomb without crushing the core.
Hand tools
Everyday kit for hole prep, riveting, and fastener install.
| Tool | Shop note |
|---|---|
| Bits #40 / #30 / #21 | Common drill sizes for rivet and fastener holes — match the drawing |
| Cleco pliers | Install and remove temporary cleco fasteners |
| Gun / sets / bucking bars | Pneumatic rivet gun, rivet sets, and bucking bars for driven rivets |
| Hole finder | Transfer existing hole locations through new skin or patch |
| Dimple dies | Form flush dimples in thin sheet for flush rivets |
| Hi-Lok tools | Wrenches / collars for Hi-Lok family fasteners |
Cleco sheet metal fasteners and pliers
Why watch: Cleco pliers and temporary fasteners — how you hold a stack before the rivet gun comes out.
Hi-Lok installation
Why watch: Grip gauge, pin, collar, and break-off — the Hi-Lok hand-tool sequence on a trained stack-up.
← Machines Next: Learn / video library → Sandwich / honeycomb materials