Autonomous flexible manufacturing system for building a fuselage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12564874-B2
Application number	US-202519079006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2025
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A process for assembling a fuselage comprising a passenger floor and a cargo floor, the process comprising:
simultaneously assembling the passenger floor and the cargo floor, of an aircraft, using a flexible manufacturing system that comprises: an assembly area that comprises a floor that comprises a holding cell and work cells, wherein each work cell in the work cells comprises, respectively, a utility fixture in the floor of the assembly area configured to electrically and physically accept an autonomous couple from an autonomous panel joining system that comprises a drivable tower that comprises:
a top platform and a bottom platform configured to drive across the floor of the assembly area into a selected tower position relative to the utility fixture selected from a plurality of utility fixtures in the assembly area, wherein:
the top platform is further configured:
to support a first internal mobile platform;
to rise above the bottom platform by a distance equal to a height of a top floor above a bottom floor in an interior of a section of the fuselage;
with a first extension configured to provide the first internal mobile platform an access to the top floor, wherein the first internal mobile platform supports a first internal robotic device that is configured to drive autonomously from the drivable tower onto the top floor;

the bottom platform is further configured:
to support a second internal mobile platform; and
with a second extension configured to provide the second internal mobile platform an access to the bottom floor, wherein the second internal mobile platform supports a second internal robotic device and is configured to drive autonomously from the drivable tower onto the bottom floor;

a first interface configured to autonomously couple physically and electrically to the utility fixture; and
a second interface configured to autonomously couple physically and electrically to a cradle fixture located at a selected cradle position relative to the drivable tower in the assembly area, wherein the cradle fixture comprises a number of retaining structures configured to retain and support the section of the fuselage, wherein the number of retaining structures each comprise, respectively, a radius of curvature equivalent to a radius of curvature of a keel of the section of the fuselage;
the drivable tower; the cradle fixture; and an external mobile platform configured to support an external robotic device configured to collaborate with the first internal robotic device to work on the fuselage.

2 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising the drivable tower coupling at least one of: an air or a hydraulic supply from the utility fixture.

3 . The process of claim 2 , further comprising the drivable tower being an autonomously drivable tower and wherein the number of drivable cradle fixtures is a number of autonomously drivable cradle fixtures.

4 . The process of claim 3 , further comprising the utility fixture supplying: communications, hydraulic fluid, water, and air.

5 . The process of claim 3 , further comprising the autonomous panel joining system comprising a number of drivable internal mobile platforms located on the autonomously drivable tower.

6 . The process of claim 3 , further comprising the external mobile platform supporting the external robotic device associating with the first internal robotic device autonomously coupling to an assembly fixture comprising a number of drivable cradle fixtures.

7 . The process of claim 2 , further comprising the drivable tower comprising a walkway configured providing access to the bottom platform from the work cell in the work cells.

8 . The process of claim 2 , further comprising an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomously driving the drivable tower between the holding cell and the work cells.

9 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising:
locating a sensor in the work cell of the work cells and configured to track and position the drivable tower and each drivable cradle fixture in the number of drivable cradle fixtures; and integrally associating an autonomous vehicle with the drivable tower.

10 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising each retaining structure in the number of retaining structures associating with, respectively, a base of a drivable cradle fixture in the number of drivable cradle fixtures.

11 . The process of claim 10 , further comprising the number of retaining structures being 4.

12 . A machine configured to assemble sections of a fuselage, wherein the machine comprises:
an assembly area that comprises a floor that comprises a holding cell and work cells, wherein each work cell in the work cells comprises, respectively, a utility fixture in the floor configured to electrically and physically accept an autonomous couple from an autonomous panel joining system that comprises a drivable tower that comprises:
a top platform and a bottom platform configured to drive across the floor into a selected tower position relative to the utility fixture selected from a plurality of utility fixtures in the assembly area, wherein:
the top platform is further configured:
to support a first internal mobile platform;
to rise above the bottom platform by a distance equal to a height of a top floor above a bottom floor in an interior of a fuselage section of the sections of the fuselage; and
with a first extension configured to provide the first internal mobile platform an access to the top floor, wherein the first internal mobile platform supports a first internal robotic device that is configured to drive autonomously from the drivable tower onto the top floor;

the bottom platform is further configured;
to support a second internal mobile platform; and
with a second extension configured to provide the second internal mobile platform an access to the bottom floor, wherein the second internal mobile platform supports a second internal robotic device and is configured to drive autonomously from the drivable tower onto the bottom floor;

a first interface configured to autonomously couple physically and electrically to the utility fixture; and
a second interface configured to autonomously couple physically and electrically to a cradle fixture located at a selected cradle position relative to the drivable tower in the assembly area, wherein the cradle fixture comprises a number of retaining structures configured to retain and support the fuselage section, wherein the number of retaining structures each comprise, respectively, a radius of curvature equivalent to a radius of curvature of a keel of the fuselage section;
the drivable tower; the cradle fixture; and an external mobile platform configured to support an external robotic device configured to collaborate with the first internal robotic device to work on the fuselage.

13 . The machine of claim 12 , wherein:
the holding cell is configured to store the drivable tower; the utility fixture is further configured to pneumatically, hydraulically, or aquatically accept a couple to the drivable tower, the second interface is further configured to autonomously couple at least: pneumatically, hydraulically, or aquatically, to the cradle fixture; and the external mobile platform comprises a third interface configured to couple to the cradle fixture.

14 . The machine of claim 13 , further comprising a metrology system configured to guide the external mobile platform relative to the fuselage.

15 . The machine of claim 12 , further comprising a second external mobile platform configured to support a second external

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Oberoi Harinder S
• Sarh Branko
• Findlay Melissa Ann
• Draper Alan S
• Arriaga Jorge Alberto
• Reese Iv Richard Griffith
• Gerosa Alfredo Jose
• Barrick Kevin Marion
• Kozak Michael J
• Do Quang T
• Miller Jeffrey Lawrence
• Hu Yuanxin Charles

Classifications

• B60P3/025

  the object being a shop, cafeteria or display {the object being a theatre or stage}(the object being a workshop B60P3/14) · CPC title

• B64F5/50

  Handling or transporting aircraft components · CPC title

• B29C2045/14368

  holes with means for anchoring the injected material · CPC title

• B29C39/10

  incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. casting around inserts or for coating articles {(coating a surface by casting in general B05D1/30, B29C39/126 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29C39/026

  characterised by the shape of the surface · CPC title