Method and apparatus for bonding stringers to a fuselage skin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023123780-A1
Application number	US-202117502519-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 15, 2021
Priority date	Oct 15, 2021
Publication date	Apr 20, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A joining system includes a holding fixture assembly configured to hold a fuselage skin. The stringers are temporarily attached to the fuselage skin. The joining system includes an upper beam assembly including an upper beam and a lower beam assembly. The lower beam assembly includes a lower beam and at least one lower heating element. The holding fixture assembly is coupled to the upper beam assembly. The holding fixture assembly is coupled to the lower beam assembly. The upper beam is movable relative to the lower beam to clamp the at least one of the plurality of stringers and the fuselage skin together prior to and during welding.

First claim

1 . A joining system, comprising:
a holding fixture assembly configured to hold a fuselage skin, wherein at least one of a plurality of stringers is temporarily attached to the fuselage skin, and each of the plurality of stringers includes at least one flange; an upper beam assembly including an upper beam; a lower beam assembly including a lower beam and at least one lower heating element, the holding fixture assembly being coupled to the upper beam assembly, and the holding fixture assembly being coupled to the lower beam assembly, and the at least one lower heating element is configured to apply heat to the at least one flange to weld the fuselage skin to the at least one flange; and wherein the upper beam is movable relative to the lower beam to clamp the at least one of the plurality of stringers and the fuselage skin together prior to and during welding.

2 . The joining system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one lower heating element is a welder, and the welder is configured to weld the fuselage skin to an entirety of the at least one flange all at once.

3 . The joining system of claim 2 , wherein the upper beam assembly includes a plurality of pressure feet coupled to the upper beam, each of the plurality of pressure feet is configured to apply pressure to the fuselage skin and the plurality of stringers, the upper beam assembly further includes an inflatable bladder coupled to each of the plurality of pressure feet, the holding fixture assembly is configured to orient the fuselage skin and the plurality of stringers in a normal orientation relative to the upper beam and the lower beam, each of plurality of pressure feet is movable relative to the lower beam to hold the at least one of the plurality of stringers against the fuselage skin, each of plurality of pressure feet is configured to compress the at least one of the plurality of stringers and the fuselage skin together using the inflatable bladder, and the welder is configured to conduct a conductive thermoplastic welding process.

4 . The joining system of claim 3 , wherein the upper beam assembly further includes a plurality of pneumatic cylinders each coupled to the upper beam and a respective one of the plurality of pressure feet.

5 .- 19 . (canceled)

20 . The joining system of claim 1 , wherein the lower beam assembly comprises at least one thermally insulative block disposed on the lower beam, the at least one lower heating element is disposed on the at least one thermally insulative block, and the lower beam assembly further includes a plurality of platen plates disposed on the at least one lower heating element.

21 . The joining system of claim 1 , wherein the holding fixture assembly comprises a plurality of rings and a plurality of longitudinal members coupled to the plurality of rings, the plurality of rings and the plurality of longitudinal members hold the fuselage skin in an approximately nominal condition, and the joining system further includes a plurality of cradles coupled to the plurality of rings to rotate the plurality of rings.

22 .- 30 . (canceled)

31 . A method of joining a stringer to a fuselage skin, comprising:
positioning at least one flange of the stringer and the fuselage skin in a clamp up device; clamping the at least one flange of the stringer and the fuselage skin together; and welding the at least one flange of the stringer to the fuselage skin.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein:
clamping the at least one flange of the stringer and the fuselage skin together includes moving at least one of a plurality of pressure feet of an upper beam assembly toward a lower beam of a lower beam assembly until an inflatable bladder of the upper beam assembly is proximate to the at least one flange of the stringer; clamping the at least one flange of the stringer and the fuselage skin together includes inflating the inflatable bladder; and welding the at least one flange of the stringer to the fuselage skin includes welding an entirety of the at least one flange to the fuselage skin all at once.

33 . The method of claim 32 , further comprising:
attaching the fuselage skin to a first ring and a second ring of a joining system before moving the at least one of the plurality of pressure feet toward the lower beam; and wherein positioning the at least one flange of the stringer and the fuselage skin between an upper beam of the upper beam assembly and the lower beam includes rotating the first ring and the second ring after attaching the fuselage skin and the first ring and the second ring until the at least one flange of the stringer is positioned between the upper beam and the lower beam.

34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein moving the at least one of the plurality of pressure feet toward the lower beam includes actuating at least one of a plurality of pneumatic cylinders that is coupled to the upper beam to move the at least one of the plurality of pressure feet toward the lower beam.

35 .- 40 . (canceled)

41 . A method for joining at least one stringer to a fuselage skin, comprising:
a) clamping the at least one stringer to the fuselage skin, wherein the at least one stringer includes a stringer body and at least one flange extending from the stringer body; and b) welding an entirety of the at least one flange into the fuselage skin all at once.

42 . The method of claim 41 , further comprising:
c) transferring the at least one stringer and the fuselage skin to a joining cell; and d) rotating the fuselage skin and the at least one stringer until the at least one stringer is located between an upper beam of an upper beam assembly and a lower beam of a lower beam assembly.

43 . The method of claim 42 , further comprising:
e) engaging the lower beam assembly with the fuselage skin; and f) moving the upper beam toward the lower beam until at least one of a plurality of pressure feet of the upper beam assembly is proximate to the at least one flange.

44 .- 56 . (canceled)

57 . A method of joining a stringer to a fuselage skin, comprising:
positioning a flange of the stringer and the fuselage skin between a clamp up device; clamping the flange of the stringer and the fuselage skin together; and welding an entirety of a length of the flange of the stringer that is clamped to the fuselage skin all at once.

58 . The method of claim 57 , further comprising placing a thermoplastic film between the flange of the stringer and the fuselage skin.

59 . A joining system, comprising:
a holding fixture assembly configured to hold a fuselage skin, wherein at least one stringer is temporarily attached to the fuselage skin, the at least one stringer includes at least one flange; an upper beam assembly including an upper beam; a lower beam assembly including a lower beam and at least one lower heating element, the holding fixture assembly being coupled to the upper beam assembly, and the holding fixture assembly being coupled to the lower beam assembly; and wherein the upper beam is movable relative to the lower beam to clamp the at least one stringer and the fuselage skin together prior to and during welding; and wherein the at least one lower heating element is configured to weld an entirety of the at least one flange of the at least one stringer all at once/ to the fuselage skin.

60 . The joining system of claim 59 , wherein the upper beam assembly includes a plurality of pressure feet coupled to the upper beam, each of the plurality of pressure feet is configured to apply pressur

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Autry Byron J
• Werntges Paul G
• Knutson Samuel J
• Hickman Gregory
• Arnold Alice R

Classifications

• B29C70/32

  on a rotating mould, former or core · CPC title

• B64F5/10

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

• B29C65/242

  the heat transfer being achieved by contact, i.e. a heated tool being brought into contact with the welding tool and afterwards withdrawn from it · CPC title

• B29C65/4815

  Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives · CPC title

• B29C65/7802

  Positioning the parts to be joined, e.g. aligning, indexing or centring · CPC title