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About

Henrik Kihlman is a prominent researcher in the field of aerospace manufacturing automation, with a particular focus on industrial robotics, drilling technologies, and flexible assembly systems. His work has significantly advanced the application of standard industrial robots in high-precision aerospace manufacturing environments, addressing longstanding challenges around cost, accuracy, and adaptability. Kihlman's most influential contribution — "Cost-efficient drilling using industrial robots with high-bandwidth force feedback" (2009, 153 citations) — demonstrated how force-feedback control could dramatically improve robotic drilling precision, making automation economically viable for aerospace applications. This work forms the cornerstone of his research legacy. Complementing this, his investigations into orbital drilling and robotic normalizing force feedback further refined how standard robots can achieve the tight tolerances demanded by aircraft structures. Beyond drilling, Kihlman has pioneered reconfigurable and affordable tooling concepts, challenging the reliance on costly dedicated fixtures in aircraft assembly and proposing flexible alternatives adaptable to low-volume, high-diversity production. His metrology-integrated robot control research, developed partly through EU-funded initiatives such as the ADFAST project, demonstrated how laser tracking and photogrammetry could correct robotic positioning errors in real time. More recently, his Autofix framework brings design automation and multidisciplinary optimization together for intelligent fixture design, reflecting a career dedicated to making aerospace assembly smarter and more cost-effective.