F-35: a cobot cuts a bolting job from hours to a few minutes, according to Northrop Grumman

The cobot fits the bolts that secure the front housing of the CNI (communication, navigation, identification) module. According to Lavell Catlin, the manufacturing lead on this line, an operation that used to take hours now takes only a few minutes.

The module is an avionics unit that handles the aircraft's radios, navigation systems and tracking. Assemblers fit it using automated production tools.

The company is also extending AI quality control. These tools examine finished modules in detail and flag possible defects before they leave the plant.

At the same site, Northrop Grumman's integrated assembly line produces the F-35's centre fuselage section at a rate of one unit every 30 hours.