Autonomous Flexible Manufacturing System for Building a Fuselage

• Main Authors: Hu, Yuanxin Charles, Sarh, Branko, Reese, IV, Richard Griffith, Do, Quang T, Gerosa, Alfredo Jose, Oberoi, Harinder S, Draper, Alan S, Kozak, Michael J, Barrick, Kevin Marion, Miller, Jeffrey Lawrence, Findlay, Melissa Ann, Arriaga, Jorge Alberto
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.11.2023
• Subjects: AEROPLANES; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; BLASTING; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES; COMBINED OPERATIONS; CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; CONTROLLING; COSMONAUTICS; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING ORREPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS ORMACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS,CLIPS, WEDGES, JOINTS OR JOINTING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; FORGE FURNACES; FORGING; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLYADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; HAMMERING; HAND TOOLS; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFTCOMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HEATING; HELICOPTERS; LIGHTING; MACHINE TOOLS; MANIPULATORS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVINGMATERIAL; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS ORELEMENTS; OTHER WORKING OF METAL; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; PRESSING METAL; PUNCHING METAL; REGULATING; RIVETING; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FORFASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING OR HOLDING; TRANSPORTING; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS; VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; WEAPONS; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method and apparatus for building a fuselage assembly for an aircraft. A number of fixtures may be drive across a floor to an assembly area to form an assembly fixture. The fuselage assembly may be built on the assembly fixture.