Manufacturing lines, systems, and methods for fuselage sections

JP7878872B2Active Publication Date: 2026-06-23THE BOEING CO
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP Β· JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
THE BOEING CO
Filing Date
2021-11-10
Publication Date
2026-06-23

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Abstract

To provide systems and methods for fabricating a part on a mandrel.SOLUTION: The system includes a series of stations divided into at least two groups of stations 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, wherein each group of stations performs fabrication operations on a particular zone 126, 128 of a mandrel 102.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Claims

1. A method (400) for manufacturing a section of a fuselage, Moving the mandrel (102) to the first subsystem (106) assigned to the first zone (126) of the mandrel (102) (408), In the first subsystem (106), components, preforms, and one or more outer layers are placed on the first zone (126) of the mandrel (406), The second subsystem (108) assigned to the second zone (128) of the mandrel is to move the mandrel (412), In the second subsystem (108), the component, the preform, and the one or more outer layers are placed on the second zone (128) of the mandrel (102). A method comprising placing (410)

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first zone includes the top portion (130) of the mandrel (102) and / or the second zone includes the sides (132, 134) of the mandrel (102).

3. The mandrel (102) is pulsed so that it passes through the first subsystem (106), The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising pulsing the mandrel (102) so that it passes through the second subsystem (108).

4. During the pause time between pulse operations of the mandrel (102) passing through the first subsystem (106), the above-described setting (406) is performed in the first subsystem (106). The method according to claim 3, wherein the setting (410) in the second subsystem (108) is performed during the pause time between pulse operations of the mandrel (102) passing through the second subsystem (108).

5. The above-mentioned setting (406) in the first subsystem (106) is The components are placed on the first zone (126) by placing the separation ply (32) and the frame filler preform (36) at the first component station (210), The stringer preform (38) is placed on the first zone (126) by placing it on the first preform station (212) located behind the first component station (210), The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising placing the one or more exterior panels (28) on the first zone (126) by placing exterior panel plies (34) at a first exterior panel station (214) located behind the first preform station (212).

6. The above-mentioned setting (410) in the second subsystem (108) is The components are placed on the second zone (128) by placing the separation ply (32) and the frame filler preform (36) at the second component station (216), The preform is placed on the second zone (128) by placing the stringer preform (38) in the second preform station (218) located behind the second component station (216), The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising placing the one or more outer panels (28) on the second zone by placing outer panel plies (34) at a second outer panel station (220) located behind the second preform station (218).

7. Placing the one or more outer layers on the second zone (128) is The method according to claim 6, further comprising splicing the outer panel ply (34) of the first zone (126) of the layup mandrel (102) with the outer panel ply (34) of the second zone (128) of the layup mandrel (102).

8. A method for manufacturing a section of a fuselage according to any one of claims 1 to 7, using a set of mandrels comprising at least a first mandrel (102a) and a second mandrel (102b), wherein the first subsystem (106) comprises a first group (204) of stations (202), and the second subsystem (108) comprises a second group (206) of stations (202), and the method Moving the first mandrel (102a) toward the first station (210) of the first group (204) of the stations in the process direction (420) by one or more pulse operations, Positioning a portion of the first mandrel (102a) relative to the first station (210) (430), Within the first station (210), an object comprising at least one of a component, a preform, or one or more outer layers is placed on the mandrel (102) (416), A method comprising moving the first mandrel (102a) to a second station (212) of a first group of stations (204) by one or more pulse operations (412) while the second mandrel (102b) is being moved to the first station (210) by one or more pulse operations.

9. It can be operated by one or more pulse operations. Moving the first mandrel (102a) by a predetermined distance, This includes stopping the movement of the first mandrel (102a) to define each of the one or more pulse operations, The method according to claim 8, wherein the method includes stopping each mandrel in the set of mandrels between the movements so as to define the one or more pulse movements.

10. Moving the first mandrel (102a) The method according to claim 8 or 9, comprising pulsing the first mandrel (102a) at intervals corresponding to the length of the first mandrel (102a).

11. Moving the first mandrel (102a) The method according to claim 8 or 9, comprising pulsing the first mandrel (102a) at intervals shorter than the length of the mandrel (102a).

12. Placing the aforementioned object, The method according to claim 11, further comprising using the first station (210) to place the object on different parts of the first mandrel (102a) after each pulse operation of the first mandrel (102a).

13. A system for manufacturing a composite material component, which is a section of a fuselage, from multiple objects. A first subsystem (106) comprises a first group (204) of stations (202) configured to carry out a manufacturing process including placing an object on a first zone (126) of a mandrel (102), The second subsystem (108) comprises a second group (206) of stations (202) configured to carry out a manufacturing process including placing an object on the second zone (128) of the mandrel (102), A drive system (138) is configured to move the mandrel (102) relative to the first subsystem (106) and the second subsystem (108), A system comprising a controller (104) operably connected to the drive system (138), the controller (104) configured to coordinate the movement of the mandrel (102) with the manufacturing process of the station (202) of the first subsystem (106) and the second subsystem (108).

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to carry out the method described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A method for manufacturing a part of an aircraft, using the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

16. A manufacturing system for an aircraft part, using the system described in claim 13 or 14.