Assembly line fabrication and assembly of aircraft wings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12296984-B2
Application number	US-202318545481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2023
Priority date	Nov 18, 2020
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for assembling a wing. Methods include suspending an upper wing panel of an aircraft beneath a shuttle, translating a rib to a position it, and placing the rib into contact with, then affixing the rib to, the upper wing panel, while suspended. Some methods include installing ribs and spars to the upper wing panel, and joining a lower wing panel to the ribs and spars, while the upper wing panel is suspended. Some methods involve joining ribs to spars (e.g., all, or some) to produce a support structure that is then affixed to the upper wing panel. Systems include a shuttle that suspends an upper wing panel, and a cart that includes supports to hold a rib, a chassis to translate the rib to a position beneath the upper wing panel, and a lifting apparatus to lift the rib into contact with the upper wing panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for assembling a wing, the method comprising:
suspending an upper wing panel, comprising a predetermined contour, of an aircraft beneath a shuttle, the shuttle comprising pogos extending from the shuttle and enforcing the predetermined contour;
translating a rib to a position underneath the upper wing panel;
placing the rib into direct contact with the upper wing panel; and
affixing the rib directly to the upper wing panel while the upper wing panel remains suspended.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising affixing at least one spar to the upper wing panel.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
affixing the at least one spar to the rib.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one spar is affixed to the rib prior to placing the rib into direct contact with the upper wing panel, to produce a support structure.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the support structure is produced at a support structure assembly station.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
supplying the rib and the at least one spar just in time to the support structure assembly station via at least one feeder line.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein placing the rib into direct contact with the upper wing panel includes placing the support structure into contact with the wing panel; and
wherein affixing the rib to the upper wing panel includes affixing the support structure to the upper wing panel.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising predetermining a number of ribs and spars for affixing to the upper wing panel; and
wherein the support structure is produced from the number of ribs and spars.

9. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
supplying the rib just in time to the rib install station via a feeder line.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one spar is affixed subsequent to affixing the rib to the upper wing panel, and
wherein the at least one spar is affixed to the upper wing panel at an edge portion of the rib.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one spar is affixed in spar sections that are joined together lengthwise to each other at the rib.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein the rib and a spar are affixed to the upper wing panel simultaneously.

13. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
joining a lower wing panel to the rib and the spar affixed to the upper wing panel.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
orienting the rib vertically upright.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein orienting the rib is performed prior to translating the rib.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein translating the rib is performed by means of a cart, and
wherein orienting the rib is performed while loading the rib onto the cart.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein suspending the upper wing panel includes canting at least a portion of a lower surface of the upper wing panel at an angle complementary to a desired installation angle of the rib.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein placing the rib into direct contact with the upper wing panel is performed by placing the rib against the lower surface of the upper wing panel at the desired installation angle.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein suspending the upper wing panel includes coupling carriers that extend beneath the shuttle with an upper surface of the upper wing panel.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the carriers enforce the predetermined contour onto the upper wing panel while the upper wing panel is suspended.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein affixing the rib to the upper wing panel is done at an installation location on the lower surface of the upper wing panel, and
wherein the carriers are vacuum coupled at locations on the upper surface of the upper wing panel distinct from locations that correspond with the installation location.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein translating the rib includes driving a cart that supports the rib.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the cart is an Autonomous Guided Vehicle (AGV).

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein placing the rib includes lifting the rib vertically to a location on the upper wing panel to which it will be affixed.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the rib is supported in a vertical orientation on a cart, and
wherein lifting includes operating at least one actuator of the cart to lift the rib.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein placing the rib further includes lowering the upper wing panel toward the rib.

27. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
enforcing a contour onto the rib prior to affixing the rib.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein enforcing the predetermined contour onto the rib includes fastening a stiffener to the rib.

29. The method of claim 1 , wherein affixing the rib to the upper wing panel further comprises installing the rib to the upper wing panel.

30. The method of claim 29 , where installing the rib includes installing fasteners through the rib and the upper wing panel while the upper wing panel remains suspended.

31. The method of claim 1 , wherein suspending the upper wing panel includes indexing the upper wing panel to the shuttle.

32. The method of claim 1 , wherein translating the rib includes moving the rib to a position directly beneath a location on the upper wing panel to which the rib will be affixed.

33. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle is configured to advance the upper wing panel in a process direction in pulses, and
wherein translating the rib is performed during a pause between pulses.

34. The method of claim 1 , wherein placing the rib includes mating complementary alignment features on the rib and the upper wing panel.

35. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining the rib vertically upright during the translating and placing.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein the translating, placing, and affixing are performed at a rib install station.

37. The method of claim 1 , wherein the translating, placing, and affixing are performed while the upper wing panel is suspended beneath the shuttle.

38. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle is configured to advance the upper wing panel in a process direction in pulses, and
wherein the translating, placing, and affixing are performed during one or more pauses between pulses.

39. The method of claim 1 wherein the translating, placing, and affixing are performed iteratively to affix multiple ribs to the upper wing panel.

40. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
selectively shimming gaps between the rib and the upper wing panel, based on sizes of the gaps, to address out of tolerance conditions.

41. A method for assembling a portion of an aircraft, the method comprising:
suspending an upper wing panel, comprising a predetermined contour, of the aircraft beneath a shuttle, the shuttle comprising pogos extending from the shuttle and enforcing the predetermined contour;
translating a rib to a position underneath the upper wing panel;
placing the rib into contact with the upper wing panel; and
affixing the rib directly to the upper wing panel whi

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Smith Daniel R
• Jones Darrell D

Classifications

• B64C3/185

  Spars · CPC title

• B64F5/50

  Handling or transporting aircraft components · CPC title

• B64C3/26 Primary

  Construction, shape, or attachment of separate skins, e.g. panels · CPC title

• B23P2700/01

  Aircraft parts · CPC title

• B64C3/187

  Ribs · CPC title