Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) has been widely used in aircraft panels. However

due to the insufficient of accuracy in the forming and machining

gaps occur often between the panels and the ribs in the assembling

causing deformations in the panel after tightening bolts. The effects of the bolt tightening sequences on the deformation in the assembling of CFRP panel is investigated. Firstly

a panel local structure was selected and a finite element simulation model was established based on the local structure. Then the experiments were designed and setup with regard for the local structure. Three tightening sequences

namely up to down

center-margin and margin-center

were involved in the experiments. The associated deformation data in the assembling of CFRP panel were measured by using the digital correlation method. The results were analyzed combining the simulated and the experimental data. It was found that the tightening sequences have almost no effects on the normal direction deformation. The panel transverse moving and in-plane deformation

however

were found highly dependent on the sequences. Specifically

the transverse moving was detected severer than in-plane tension and compression deformation. Among the three sequences

the transverse moving was the least as tightening from margin to center

while the in-plane deformation became the lowest as tightening from center to margin.