Indexing for airframes undergoing pulsed-line assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11926435-B2
Application number	US-202117454263-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2021
Priority date	Nov 18, 2020
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for assembling a structure. The systems and method including micro pulsing a structure along a track in a process direction by less than a length of the structure. The structure is indexed to one or more work stations by mating indexing features in a manufacturing excess of the structure to complementary features at the work stations. The work stations would the perform work on the structure at the work stations while the structure is indexed to the work stations. Iteratively repeating the micro pulsing and indexing and working upon the structure until it is ready to advance to the next assembly process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for assembling a structure the method comprising:
micro pulsing a structure along a track in a process direction by less than a length of the structure;
indexing the structure to work stations by mating indexing features in a manufacturing excess of the structure to complementary indexing features at the work stations, wherein each indexing feature is capable of physically coupling with each complementary indexing feature;
working on the structure at the work stations while the structure is indexed to the work stations; and
iteratively repeating the micro pulsing and indexing and working upon the structure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations is performed such that multiple work stations are indexed to the structure at once.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations conveys multiple instructions at the same time to one or multiple work stations.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations conveys a 3D characterization and/or IML loft and/or OML loft of the structure within a purview of the work stations.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations conveys a digitization of the structure within a purview of the work stations.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations conveys assembly instructions for the structure within a purview of the work stations to the work stations.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the work stations perform work during a pause between micro pulses of the structure.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the work stations perform work during a micro pulse of the structure.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations comprises inserting pins into holes that have been placed into or onto the structure at predefined intervals.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations comprises scanning RFID tags or bar codes placed upon the structure at predefined intervals.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
trimming the manufacturing excess and the indexing features from the structure.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
periodically standing down a work station when work is not needed to be performed on the structure within a purview of the work station.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein:
different messages are conveyed to the work stations by the indexing features based upon at least a shape, type or location of the indexing features at the structure wherein the indexing features are customized to provide instructions on operations to be performed within a purview of a work station of the work stations.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein:
multiple instructions are conveyed at the same time to multiple work stations via the indexing features.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the work stations are indexed to the structure at the same time, and work is performed by the work stations at the same time to modify the structure.

16. A method for assembling a structure the method comprising:
micro pulsing a structure along a track in a process direction by less than a length of the structure;
indexing the structure to work stations by mating indexing features in a manufacturing excess of the structure to complementary indexing features at the work stations, wherein each indexing feature is capable of physically coupling with each complementary indexing feature;
working on the structure at the work stations; and
iteratively repeating the micro pulsing and indexing the structure.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
wherein working on the structure at the work stations comprises working on the structure at the work stations while the structure is indexed to the work stations; and
wherein iteratively repeating the micro pulsing and indexing the structure comprises iteratively repeating the micro pulsing and indexing and working upon the structure.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
wherein working on the structure at the work stations comprises working on the structure by at least one of the work stations prior to the structure being indexed to the work stations; and
wherein iteratively repeating the micro pulsing and indexing the structure comprises iteratively repeating the micro pulsing and indexing and working upon the structure.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations is performed such that multiple work stations are indexed to the structure at once.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations conveys multiple instructions at the same time to one or multiple work stations.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations conveys a 3D characterization and/or IML loft and/or OML loft of the structure within a purview of the work stations.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations conveys a digitization of the structure within a purview of the work stations.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein:
indexing the structure to the work stations conveys assembly instructions for the structure within a purview of the work stations to the work stations.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein:
the work stations perform work during a pause between micro pulses of the structure.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein:
the work stations perform work during a micro pulse of the structure.

26. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
trimming the manufacturing excess and the indexing features from the structure.

27. The method of claim 16 wherein:
micro pulsing the structure exposes a new portion of the structure for receiving work by the work stations.

28. The method of claim 16 wherein:
the work stations are disposed along the track and are separated by less than a length of the structure.

29. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
micro pulsing additional structures along the track by less than a length of the structure.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein:
micro pulsing the additional structures comprises micro pulsing additional structures that are immediately upstream and/or downstream of the structure.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising:
micro pulsing the additional structures disposed serially along the track and separated by a gap.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein:
micro pulsing the additional structures comprises maintaining gaps between the additional structures.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising:
periodically standing down a work station when work is not needed to be performed on the structure within a purview of the work station.

34. The method of claim 32 further comprising:
performing maintenance at a work station disposed at one of the gaps during a pause between micro pulses of the additional structures.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein:
each of the gaps comprises a multiple of a micro pulse length for the structure.

36. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
working on the st

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Smith Daniel R
• Jones Darrell D
• Swanstrom Frederick M

Classifications

• B64C1/068

  Fuselage sections · CPC title

• B64F5/10 Primary

  Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor · CPC title

• B23P21/004 Primary

  the units passing two or more work-stations whilst being composed · CPC title

• B23P2700/01

  Aircraft parts · CPC title

• B64F5/50

  Handling or transporting aircraft components · CPC title