For the Falcon 5X, Dassault has taken a fresh look at manufacturing, especially for the wings. The PLM v6 version of the Dassault Systèmes Catia design tool has allowed further progress.

At the Bordeaux Martignas factory, which specializes in wings, the area dedicated to the Falcon 5X will stay relatively small. Because the wing’s structure is split into inboard and outboard wingbox subassemblies, as opposed to front and rear, it allows for implementation of a new production scheme. The subassemblies, made of spars and stringers, are assembled in a horizontal jig, then the wing panels are added on a vertical jig. The workers’ jobs are thus made easier and faster, a Dassault production specialist said during AIN’s visit to the factory. This new process halves the number of vertical jigs needed for wing assembly.

For the Falcon 7X, all the aforementioned operations are performed on a vertical jig. The problem is not just the efficiency of the wing-manufacturing process, but the very high price of a vertical jig–close to $1 million. For the Falcon 5X, the space taken up by the vertical jig is also significantly lower compared to the horizontal jig.

Dassault production workers used to use aluminum powder to fill gaps between the stringers and the panels, otherwise friction would damage the parts. These gaps were in the 0.1 to 0.4 millimeter range. Thanks to PLM v6, aluminum powder is no longer needed as the stringers and panels fit perfectly. “We checked this on three Falcon 5X wing shipsets and this was a nice surprise,” the production specialist said.

Compared to the Falcon 7X, the robotization at Martignas has taken another step. Drilling no longer requires agridtemplate,thanks to an enhanced effector that includes an antisliding function and a relocation device. Falcon 7X robots still use a template. At Dassault’s Seclin factory, which specializes in aluminum panels, machining and thermoforming is also heavily robotized. The learning curve for precision has accelerated for the Falcon 5X.

At the Little Rock, Ark. completion facility, the new dedicated Falcon 5X building will feature a cabin mockup where cabinets will be checked before installation. These inspections will be both for checking interfaces and aesthetics.