This is the case with the tail, cabin, wings and the body itself, where passengers reside. They all arrive practically ready at the Boeing factory in the United States of America and are combined together to form the fuselage.
This joint is manufactured using special methods, and tens of thousands of rivets are used to attach one part to another, ensuring that the entire aircraft functions as one piece. After this connection, the laying of the aircraft is completed, after which the interior is assembled, the equipment is placed, the structures are completed, the electrical part is connected, and painting is done, among other operations.
What does Boeing say?
Boeing stated that the change is accompanied by several studies, and that all data related to the new procedures are available to the Federal Aviation Administration, a body equivalent to Anac (National Civil Aviation Agency) in the country. According to the company, the change was not a simple manufacturing process, but rather a necessary engineering change to control assembly tolerances and improve results. All of these measures are analyzed by internal committees, in addition to the results of the changes being analyzed by tests on real components.
In the case of 787s in particular, the company reported that there may be a gap of about 1 mm between them. If present, specific shims are placed to ensure that the pieces fit together perfectly and that the structure does not suffer from undue stress. The method of doing this was one of the points attacked by the company's former engineer.
Even after manufacturing, tests are carried out on the finished aircraft to ensure that there is no malfunction in this regard. Furthermore, the company tests the materials to push them to the limit to anticipate any future problems.
