Reversible manufacturing and assembly of aircraft wings

Abstract

To provide systems and methods for assembly line processing of wing panels of an aircraft.SOLUTION: In a method of inputting wing panels 150 into an assembly line 100, the assembly line 100 has several work stations 120. The wing panels 150 are oriented in a manner so that leading edges 155 are all on a first side 166 of the work stations 120, whereas trailing edges 157 are all on a second side 165 of the work stations 120. A first portion of the work stations 120 is dedicated to wing panel leading edge 155 processing, whereas a second portion of the work stations 120 is dedicated to wing panel trailing edge 157 processing. In the system and the method, the wing panels 150 advance in a processing direction 181 in the assembly line 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of aircraft, and more particularly, to the manufacture and assembly of aircraft wings.

Background Art

[0002] The airframe defines the mechanical structure of an aircraft. The airframe is made up of multiple components that provide the desired structural characteristics. For example, a portion of the airframe for an aircraft fuselage can include outer panel, ribs, and spars that are mechanically joined (e.g., via co-bonding, co-curing, or fasteners) according to design parameters. In current practice, airframe components are made and assembled within a given cell on the factory floor. For example, components can be laminated in one cell, cured in another cell, and receive post-cure pretreatment in another cell, or alternatively, made in one cell and then the whole is transferred to a new cell where work is performed.

[0003] The manufacturing process described above is highly reliable, but it can encounter delays when work on specific parts of a component is completed slower than expected. Specifically, the work density on that component may not be at the desired level, or too much floor space may be allocated to each part of the assembly process. For example, if fixing or laminating a specific part of a wing takes longer than expected, the entire wing assembly will remain in that cell until all the delayed work is completed. Alternatively, the assembly could be moved to the next cell, where the incomplete assembly would receive work to complete the tasks intended for the previous cell. This itself necessitates supplying the next cell with parts that are not suitable for that location, special tools, etc. Furthermore, a considerable amount of time is spent classifying the configuration of a component after it has moved. This time does not add value. Moreover, frequent movement between cells adds a significant amount of time that does not add value. That is, each movement of a component between cells (and consequently, each cell used in the manufacturing process) requires setup time, and this setup time should be minimized to improve efficiency. Current designs utilize automated optical inspection techniques and / or probes to inspect the position of parts along six degrees of freedom across their entire dimension, but this is a particularly time-consuming and expensive process.

[0004] Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus for considering at least some of the problems discussed earlier, as well as other anticipated problems. [Overview of the project]

[0005] Embodiments described herein provide improved systems and technologies to facilitate the manufacture and assembly of aircraft wings via an assembly line. According to these embodiments, large components, such as wing panels, are arranged in a mirrored orientation and transported in stepwise pulses or continuously. Stations positioned at the components perform work on them during pauses between pulses or while the components are being moved continuously. This assembly technology offers technical advantages by integrating the transport process into the assembly process and by reducing the amount of work performed on each large component each time it is moved.

[0006] Other exemplary embodiments (e.g., methods and computer-readable media related to the embodiments described above) may be described below. The above features, functions, and advantages can be realized individually in various embodiments or in combination in yet another embodiment. Further details of these embodiments can be understood by referring to the following description and drawings.

[0007] Herein, several embodiments of the present disclosure will be described, for illustrative purposes only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same element or element of the same type. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram of an aircraft. [Figure 1A] This is a diagram of an assembly line for multiple wings arranged in a row, in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 1B] The control elements of the manufacturing system in an exemplary embodiment are roughly shown. [Figure 1C] A flowchart for the fabrication of a composite component in an exemplary embodiment is shown. [Figure 2A] This is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a wing via an assembly line in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2B] This is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a wing via an assembly line in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a side view of an upper wing panel being worked on on an assembly line in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a diagram of the end face of an upper wing panel being transported along an assembly line in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 5] A perspective view of a fully assembled wing in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a diagram of a rib in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing and maintaining an aircraft in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram of an aircraft in an exemplary embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Specific exemplary embodiments of the Disclosure are provided by the drawings and the description below. Those skilled in the art can therefore devise various configurations not expressly described or illustrated herein to embody the principles of the Disclosure, but should be understood to be within the scope of the Disclosure. Furthermore, any embodiments described herein are intended to aid in understanding the principles of the Disclosure and should be construed as not being limited to the specifically described embodiments and conditions. Consequently, the Disclosure is limited by the claims, but is not limited to the specific embodiments or examples described below.

[0010] The wings described herein may include metal or composite components. Composite components, such as carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) components, are first laid up in multiple layers collectively called preforms. While the individual fibers in each ply of the preform are aligned parallel to one another, the various layers exhibit different fiber orientations to enhance the strength of the resulting composite component along different dimensions. The preform contains a viscous resin that solidifies in order to cure the preform into a composite component (for example, used in aircraft). Carbon fibers impregnated with uncured thermosetting or thermoplastic resins are called "prepregs." Other types of carbon fibers include "dry fibers," which are not impregnated with thermosetting resins but may contain tackifiers or binders. Before curing, the resin is injected into the dry fibers. For thermosetting resins, solidification is a unidirectional process called curing, while for thermoplastic resins, the resin reaches a viscous state when reheated.

[0011] Referring here to Figure 1, a diagram of an aircraft 10 in which an exemplary embodiment may be realized is shown. The aircraft 10 has wings 15 and wings 16 attached to a body 38. The body 38 has a fuselage 12 and a tail section 18. The aircraft 10 includes a first engine 13 attached to the wings 15 and a second engine 14 attached to the wings 16. The tail section 18 includes a horizontal stabilizer 20, a horizontal stabilizer 21, and a vertical stabilizer 22. With respect to this disclosure, the wings 15 and 16 are formed from wing panels 30, which include an upper wing panel 32 and a lower wing panel 34 joined together as further described herein.

[0012] Figure 1A is a diagram of an assembly line 100 for a plurality of wing panels 150, in which three wing panels are separately labeled as wing panels 151, 152, and 153. In the illustrated embodiment, the wing panels 150 are arranged in a series on the assembly line 100. Each wing panel 150 includes a leading edge 155 and a trailing edge 157. As shown, the panels 150 are placed on the assembly line 100 with the leading edge 155 on the first side 166 of each workstation 120 and the trailing edge 157 on the second side 165 of each workstation 120.

[0013] Each workstation 120 performs one or more different tasks on the wing panel 150 and is therefore also labeled as workstations 120-1 to 120-9. As an example of the assembly line 100 described herein, the workstations collectively referred to as workstations 120 may include a non-destructive inspection (NDI) workstation 120-1, a reworking workstation 120-2, a sacrificial ply laying workstation 120-3, an access port trim workstation 120-4, a drilling / milling workstation 120-5, an edge trimming workstation 120-6, a cleaning / deburring workstation 120-7, an edge NDI and sealing workstation 120-8, and a painting and touch-up workstation 120-9. As those skilled in the art will see, one or more parts of a particular workstation 120 (for example, a first side 166) are configured to have tools or other functionality specific to processing the leading edge 155, and a second side 165 of a particular workstation 120 is configured to have tools and other functionality specific to processing the trailing edge 157. When a part of a workstation is configured to have tools or other functionality specific to processing the leading edge 155, that part of the workstation can be said to be specialized for processing the leading edge 155. When a part of a workstation is configured to have tools or other functionality specific to processing the trailing edge 157, that part of the workstation can be said to be specialized for processing the trailing edge 157. In some exemplary embodiments, each workstation has a first part specialized for processing the leading edge 155 and a second part specialized for processing the trailing edge 157. In some exemplary embodiments, the wing panel 150 is advanced in a processing direction 181 via several workstations 120, where at least a first portion of the workstation 120 is dedicated to processing the leading edge 155 of the wing panel, and a second portion of the workstation 120 is dedicated to processing the trailing edge 157 of the wing panel.In some exemplary embodiments, a first portion of a workstation is located on a first side 166, and a second portion of a workstation is located on a second side 165. In some exemplary embodiments, a plurality of workstations 120 are distributed along a track 110 in a processing direction 181, with the workstations 120 having a first side 166 and a second side 165, with a portion of the workstations 120 on the first side 166 dedicated to processing the leading edge 155 of the wing panel 150, and a portion of the workstations 120 on the second side 165 dedicated to processing the trailing edge 157 of the wing panel 150. Other configurations of the assembly line 100 including a plurality of workstations 120 are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure, and therefore Figure 1A should not be considered limiting. In this specification, “a number of” when used in relation to an item means one or more items. Thus, several workstations 120 is one or more workstations.

[0014] The assembly line 100 offers advantages over known manufacturing systems because specific tools for all different configurations of the wing panels 150 can be placed on the same side of each workstation 120. This is important because each particular wing panel 151, 152, and 153 is intended to be a different aircraft component. For example, wing panels 152 and 153 may be considered lower wing panels because they include an access panel opening 179. Thus, wing panel 151 may be considered upper wing panel. As can be seen, panels 151, 152, and 153 can further be configured as left wing panels or right wing panels. Based on the order in which the wing panels 150 move through the assembly line 100, wing panel 153 may also be referred to herein as the first wing panel 153. Similarly, wing panel 152 may be referred to as the second wing panel 152, and wing panel 151 may be referred to as the third wing panel 151. It is intended that wing panels 150 from different aircraft models can also be processed using the assembly line 100.

[0015] Another advantage of this assembly line 100 is that the supply lines 182 can be located on the same side of the workstation 120 for all wing panel configurations. The supply lines 182 include lines entering the assembly line 100 and lines exiting the assembly line 100. In the illustrated example, the NDI workstation 120-1 outputs data via the scan data supply line 182-1, and the reworking workstation 120-2 receives NDI information via the scan data supply line 182-2 and receives reworking material via the reworking material supply line 182-3. The sacrificial ply supply line 182-4 supplies composite material to the sacrificial ply laying workstation 120-3. The access port trim workstation 120-4 supplies trimmed material to the trimmed port material supply line 182-5, and the sealant supply line 182-6 and fastener supply line 182-7 supply material to the drilling / milling workstation 120-5. The edge trimming workstation 120-6 outputs the trimmed material to the trimmed material supply line 182-8. At the edge NDI and sealing workstation 120-8, data is supplied to the scan data supply line 182-9, and the sealant supply line 182-10 supplies sealant to the edge NDI and sealing workstation 120-8. Finally, the paint supply line 182-11 supplies paint to the painting and touch-up workstation 120-9. Again, the configuration in Figure 1A should be considered merely illustrative, as various combinations and configurations of workstations 120 and supply lines 182 are intended.

[0016] The assembly line 100 includes a track 110 parallel to the processing direction 181. A shuttle 130 moves along the track 110 in pulsed units in the processing direction 181, from workstation 120 to workstation 120 (for example, from workstation 120-1 to 120-9), or the shuttle 130 moves continuously. The track 110 includes one or more rails, rollers, or other elements that facilitate the motion (e.g., rotation or sliding) of the shuttle 130 along the track 110. Depending on the specific environment in which it is used, the track 110 can be mounted on the floor, suspended from above, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, each shuttle 130 includes a motor 132 that moves the shuttle 130 along the track 110. In a further embodiment, the track 110 includes a chain drive, an electric cart, a powered roller, or another powered system capable of synchronously moving the shuttle 130 in the processing direction 1.

[0017] A strongback 140 associated with each shuttle 130 reinforces the contour 167 on a wing panel 150, which in one example is a solidified (e.g., cured) composite component. The contour 167 is reinforced using a pogo 160. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the pogo 160 is vacuum-adhered to the wing panel 150 in a predetermined position and extends to a predetermined height in order to reinforce the contour 167 on the wing panel 150. For example, the upper wing panel may have a different contour from the lower wing panel. The pogo 160 also withstands the forces transmitted through the wing panel 150 while the contour 167 is being reinforced. In this way, the strongback 140 suspends the wing panel 150 from below while reinforcing the contour 167 on the wing panel 150.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1A, each wing panel 150 includes a wing tip section 150-1 and a wing root section 150-3. The wing tip section 150-1 includes a continuous section of the wing panel 150 that includes the portion closest to the wing tip, and the wing root section 150-3 includes a continuous section of the wing panel that includes the portion closest to the wing root (e.g., in the vicinity of the intersection with the body side). As shown here, the wing tip section 150-1 and the wing root section 150-3 are separated by one or more intermediate length sections 150-2, and each section includes approximately one-third of the width of the wing panel 150, although the size of the space occupied by different sections may vary. In a further embodiment, the wing root section 150-3 and the wing tip section 150-1 are not separated by any intermediate length section 150-2. In some exemplary embodiments, the intermediate length section 150-2 may be referred to as a "mid span section".

[0019] The wing panels 150 are arranged in a row in the width direction on the track 110, and the shuttle 130 advances (121) a series of wing panels 150 through the assembly line 100. As introduced above, various workstations 120 (e.g., 120-1 to 120-9) perform operations on the wing panels 150, and the wing panels 150 are maintained suspended under the shuttle 130 via the corresponding strongbacks 140. In the described embodiment, each workstation 120 includes a tool (e.g., end effector 122) and / or a technician (not shown), and the end effector 122 and / or the technician move with respect to the wing panel 150 and perform operations on the wing panel 150, such as drilling, trimming, inspection, and / or attachment of components (e.g., access panel opening 179, sacrificial ply 179-1, rework material 179-2, or rib 600 (shown in FIG. 6), sealant, fastener, paint, etc.). Further, in the present embodiment, the wing panels 150 are arranged such that the leading edge 155 of the wing panel 150 is exposed to the first side 166 of the workstation 120 and the trailing edge 157 of the wing panel 150 is exposed to the second side 165 of the workstation 12U.

[0020] The wing panel 150 is a solidified (e.g., cured) composite component, and therefore the assembly line 100 demonstrates post-curing treatment techniques for the wing panel 150. Exemplary processes performed on the wing panel 150 by the workstation 120 include automated non-destructive inspection (NDI) via NDI workstation 120-1 (e.g., via ultrasonic or other means), preparation and execution of rework via rework workstation 120-2, laying of one or more sacrificial plies via manual or automated techniques in sacrificial ply laying workstation 120-3, and automated or manual trimming, drilling, milling, or cutting processes via access port trim workstation 120-4, drilling / milling workstation 120-5, edge trimming workstation 120-6, and cleaning / deburring workstation 120-7. Additional types of work include cleaning and / or deburring composite parts, performing NDI edge inspection, and sealing at workstation 120-8, or painting (corrective coating) and curing in the desired manner at workstation 120-9.

[0021] The series of wing panels 150 are arranged in an alternating orientation on the trajectory 110 such that the second wing panel 152, with its tip section 150-1 at the front, is adjacent to the third wing panel 151 and the first wing panel 153, both of which have their wing root sections 150-3 at the front. That is, the second wing panel 152 is oriented with its tip section 150-1 furthest forward in the processing direction 181, while the third wing panel 151 and the first wing panel 153 are oriented with their wing root section 150-3 furthest forward in the processing direction 181. This alternating, mirrored orientation of the wing panels 150 provides a shared workspace for the workstations 120 (illustrated as shared workspace 150-4). That is, workstations 120-1 to 120-9 can simultaneously perform operations on adjacent pairs of wing root sections 150-3 within several workstations 120. In some exemplary embodiments, a workstation 120 of a first set is configured to process the wing root section 150-3 of a wing panel 150. When a workstation 120 is configured to process the wing root section 150-3, that workstation 120 is configured to perform processing of the wing root section 150-3. The workstation 120 of the first set includes one or more workstations. In some exemplary embodiments, a workstation 120 of the first set is configured to process the wing root section 150-3 of a wing panel 150, and the workstation 120 of the first set is further operable to process the wing root sections 150-3 of two wing panels 150 simultaneously when the wing root sections 150-3 are located adjacent to each other along the track 110. In some exemplary embodiments, a workstation 120 of a second set is configured to process the wingtip section 150-1 of a wing panel 150. When workstation 120 is configured to process wingtip section 150-1, workstation 120 is configured to perform processing of wingtip section 150-1. The second set of workstations 120 includes one or more workstations.In some exemplary embodiments, the second set of workstations 120 is operable to process the wing tip section 150-1 of the wing panel 150, and the second set of workstations 120 is further operable to simultaneously process the wing tip sections 150-1 of two wing panels 150 when the wing tip sections 150-1 are disposed adjacent to each other along the track 110. As shown in FIG. 1A, workstations 120-1 to 120-9 include a first set of workstations configured to perform processing on the wing root section 150-3, namely workstations 120-3 and 120-4, and a second set of workstations configured to perform processing on the wing tip section 150-1, namely workstations 120-6 and 120-7. While the wing panel 150 travels through workstations 120-1 to 120-9, the workstations within the first set of workstations and the workstations within the second set of workstations can vary as the wing panel 150 progresses in the processing direction 181.

[0022] After the wing panels 150 are placed into the assembly line 100 so that the wing root sections 150-3 are adjacent to each other, at least one workstation 120 configured to process the wing root sections 150-3 is operated. In some exemplary embodiments, operating at least one workstation 120 configured to process the wing root sections 150-3 includes processing the wing root sections 150-3 of two adjacent wing panels 150 simultaneously. Subsequently, this same workstation 120-1 to 120-9 can perform work on two adjacent wingtip sections 150-1. After the wing panels 150 are placed into the assembly line 100 so that the wingtip sections 150-1 are adjacent to each other, at least one workstation 120 configured to process the wingtip sections 150-1 is operated. In some exemplary embodiments, operating at least one workstation 120 configured to perform processing on a wingtip 150-1 includes simultaneously processing wingtip sections 150-1 of two adjacent wing panels 150. In an environment where workstations 120-1 to 120-9 are configured to perform various types of processes on different parts of a wing panel 150, workstations 120-1 to 120-9 are configured to apply their own specific work elements to different sections of the wing panel 150. In some exemplary embodiments, workstation 120 can perform similar types of work on the entire common work area 150-4 in Figure 1A (e.g., spanning multiple wingtip sections 150-1 of different wing panels) and then switch operating modes to adapt to different work areas (e.g., spanning multiple wing root sections 150-3 of different wing panels 150). When workstation 120 is configured to perform processing on wingtip section 150-1, the workstation has an operating mode to accommodate a common work area 150-4 for multiple wingtip sections 150-1. When workstation 120 is configured to perform processing on wing root section 150-3, the workstation has an operating mode to accommodate a common work area 150-4 for multiple wing root sections 150-3.

[0023] Because the wing panel 150 has a length that extends across multiple workstations 120, multiple workstations 120-1 to 120-9 can perform work on the same wing panel 150 during the same pause between pulses or during the continuous forward movement of the wing panel 150. In an embodiment in which the wing panel 150 is continuously advanced (121), workstations 120-1 to 120-9, for example, first track a first wing panel 153 as it moves through the work range 123, and then, when the first wing panel 153 leaves the work range 123, perform a carriage return 125 to a starting point to receive the second wing panel 152. Alternatively, a carriage return may be performed to receive the next segment of the same wing panel 150 (e.g., wingtip segment 150-1, intermediate segment 150-2, wing root segment 150-3). Figure 1A shows only the working range 123 and carriage return 125 for workstation 120-8, but similarly, each workstation 120-1 to 120-7 and 120-9 also has a working range 123 and carriage return 125.

[0024] This configuration also provides a longer period before changing processes at a particular workstation 120, which in turn provides a longer window time for transferring material to or removing material from workstation 120 (e.g., a reworking workstation 120-2 for reworking, or a sacrificial ply laying workstation 120-3 for laying sacrificial plies such as CFRP or glass fiber plies), and for performing maintenance (e.g., cleaning, blade replacement, tuning, etc.) on workstations 120-1 to 120-9.

[0025] For example, the reworking workstation 120-2 performs rework on the wingtip section 150-1, but it is not necessary to perform rework on the next wingtip section 150-1 consecutively. This allows the reworking workstation 120-2 to be given a short pause equal to the transition time for the second wingtip section 150-1. During this short pause, replacement materials such as new blades can be installed in the edge trimming workstation 120-6 while the edge trimming workstation 120-6 undergoes additional maintenance. Thus, the technology described herein results in a higher work density by reducing the floor space required for the workstation 120 and associated workloads, while increasing efficiency and throughput.

[0026] The workstations 120 are distributed along the track 110 in the processing direction 181 and perform work on the wing panel 150. Multiple workstations 120 can operate simultaneously to perform work on the same wing panel 150 during the same pause between pulses, and / or can operate synchronously to perform different tasks on different sections of the wing panel 150 (e.g., wingtip section 150-1, mid-length section 150-2, wing root section 150-3, etc.). In this embodiment, the workstations 120 include a non-destructive inspection (NDI) workstation 120-1 for inspecting the wing panel 150 for out-of-tolerance conditions (e.g., internal voids, debris, etc.), a rework workstation 120-2 for performing rework to address out-of-tolerance conditions, and a sacrificial ply laying workstation 120-3. Furthermore, the workstation includes an access port trim workstation 120-4 for creating an axle panel opening 179 by trimming excess fabricated material 168 in the first wing panel 153 and the second wing panel 152 (both shown as lower wing panels in Figure 1A); a drilling / milling workstation 120-5 for mounting the ribs 600 and / or spars 640 shown in Figure 6; an additional station (not shown) located downstream of the drilling / milling workstation 120-5, which is specialized for mounting the ribs to the wing panel 150; and a spar mounting station (not shown) located downstream of the drilling / milling workstation 120-5 for mounting the spars to the wing panel 150. The additional stations include an edge trimming workstation 120-6, a cleaning / deburring workstation 120-7, an edge NDI and workstation 120-8, and a painting and touch-up workstation 120-9.

[0027] In one embodiment, the rib 600 and spar 640 mounting process is a technique for fabricating the rib 600 and spar 640, wherein rib and spar segments are supplied just-in-time from parallel supply lines 182 to a rib and spar mounting station. In an embodiment not shown, workstation 120 includes a panel joining workstation for joining corresponding wing panels 150 together (e.g., an upper right wing panel and a lower right wing panel) to form a completed wing (not shown). In one embodiment, the panel joining station operates independently as a full pulse on the entire wing (e.g., wing 15 or wing 16) without moving forward (121) until the joining is complete. In a further embodiment, a station is included for mounting an access panel (not shown) and a door (not shown) to a cutout area of ​​the wing panel 150 (e.g., an access panel opening 179), or the mounting of the access panel and door is also performed at a drilling / milling workstation 120-5. The workstations 120 are positioned along the trajectory 110 that transports the wing panels 150, and may be separated by a distance shorter than the width of the wingtip section 150-1, the intermediate length section 150-2, or the wing root section 150-3. Such a configuration allows multiple workstations 120 to perform work on a single wing panel 150 simultaneously or during the same pause between pulses. For example, the edge trimming workstation 120-6, the cleaning / deburring workstation 120-7, the edge NDI, and the workstation 120-8 perform work on the wingtip section 150-1, the intermediate length section 150-2, and the wing root section 150-3, respectively. In a further embodiment, the work performed by the workstations 120 can be automated, manual, manually assisted, or manually performed.

[0028] As briefly described earlier, supply lines 182-2 to 182-4, 182-6 and 182-7, 182-10 and 182-11 supply various materials as needed to workstations 120-1 to 120-9. In this embodiment, the outflow line, i.e., the scan data supply line 182-1, receives scan data from workstation 120-1 which performs NDI, and the outflow line, i.e., the scan data supply line 182-9, receives scan data from another workstation 120-8 which performs NDI. The rework material supply line 182-3 supplies rework materials, such as resin materials and fiber-reinforced materials, to the rework workstation 120-2 which performs rework. The scan data supply line 182-2 supplies scan data to the rework workstation 120-2. Sacrificial ply supply line 182-4 supplies sacrificial ply material, such as fiberglass or CFRP ply, to the sacrificial ply laying workstation 120-3 for placement on wing panel 150, wing panels 151, 152, and 153. Outflow line, i.e., cut-off port material supply line 182-5, removes the cut-off excess manufactured portion 168 from the access port trim workstation 120-4. Sealant supply line 182-6 and fastener supply line 182-7 supply sealant and fasteners, respectively, to the drilling / milling workstation 120-5 for drilling and / or milling. Furthermore, outflow line, i.e., trimmed material supply line 182-8, removes the material from the trimmed edge excess manufactured portion 171 that has been cut by the edge trimming workstation 120-6. The sealant supply line 182-10 supplies the sealing material to workstation 120-8, and the paint supply line 182-11 supplies the paint to workstation 120-9 where painting is performed.

[0029] In one embodiment, the wing panel 150 is pulsed in units shorter than its wingspan, and the wingspan includes the wingtip section 150-1 plus the intermediate length section 150-2 plus the wing root section 150-3, with multiple workstations 120-1 to 120-9 performing work on the wing panel 150 during the pauses between pulses. This is referred to here as "micro pulse" manufacturing. In a further embodiment, the workstations are separated by a distance equal to or greater than the wingspan of the wing panel 150, and one station performs work on the entire wing panel 150 at once. This technique is referred to here as "full pulse" manufacturing. In yet another embodiment, the wing panel 150 moves continuously along a track 110, and workstations 120 perform work on the wing panel 150 while it moves continuously.

[0030] In one embodiment, a lower wing panel follows an upper wing panel. The lower wing panel does not receive ribs 600 or spars 640 (i.e., these components are already attached to the upper wing panel). A cutting station (e.g., access port trim workstation 120-4) performs most of the work on the wing panel 150, which is the lower wing panel, since the access panel opening 179 is generally located on the lower wing panel, while most of the work on the wing panel 150, which is the upper wing panel, includes the installation of ribs 600 and spars 640. In a further embodiment, a fastener sealing station (e.g., drilling / milling workstation 120-5) is used to seal fasteners attached to the wing panel 150, and various workstations 120 are also used to install electrical components (not shown), electrical equipment (not shown), and / or fuel tank-related systems (not shown). In a further embodiment, the wing panel 150 is a component for various models of aircraft and includes an (upper and lower) left wing panel and an (upper and lower) right wing panel.

[0031] Each shuttle 130 is aligned with an indexing unit 112, which has hard stops 112-1 positioned at a known offset relative to each workstation 120. In some embodiments, indexing is performed via physical means, such as complementary groove-and-slot shapes, cup-and-cone shapes (not shown), hard stops 112-1, etc. In further embodiments, indexing is performed via visual means, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, or any combination of the technologies described above. Thus, the indexing unit 112 is positioned along the track 110 to align the wing panels 150 with respect to the workstations 120.

[0032] In yet another embodiment, each indexing unit 112 on the assembly line 100 is designed to be physically coupled to an indexing feature (alignment feature) 142 on the wing panel 150, to image the indexing feature 142, or to interact with the indexing feature 142, or with a strongback 140 which is itself physically coupled to the indexing feature 142. The indexing features 142 are formed or otherwise positioned at known locations along the wing panel 150, and in one embodiment, each of the indexing features 142 is spaced equally apart along the wing panel 150. Each indexing feature 142 is positioned to be accessible to an indexing unit 112 of one or more workstations 120. In one embodiment, the indexing features 142 are positioned within the excess manufactured portion 171 of the trimmed edge of the wing panel 150, which is cut off in the edge trimming workstation 120-6.

[0033] In one embodiment, each workstation 120 on the assembly line 100 is inserted into, grips, fits to, or is aligned with the indexing feature 142. In a further embodiment, the shuttle 130 itself is physically coupled to the indexing feature 142, and a hard stop 112-1 or other feature on the workstation 120 is used to align the shuttle 130 with the workstation. During assembly, the shuttle 130 is moved in pulses or continuously (for example, by the shortest distance between indexing features 142, the pitch distance between ribs 600 (not shown) ("rib pitch"), or a distance equal to at least a divisor or multiple of the rib pitch) to align with the workstation 120. The work is then carried out by various workstations 120. Whenever the indexing feature 142 is linked to the shuttle 130, the shuttle 130 is aligned with respect to the workstation 120. Thus, the position of the wing panel 150 is aligned with a known position in the coordinate space shared by the orbit 110 and the workstation 120.

[0034] In one embodiment, indexing is performed at least as described below. The wing panel 150 is carried on a shuttle 130, which moves along a track 110 that includes a rail system, such as being embedded in the floor, bolted to the floor, placed on the floor, glued to the floor, or mounted on the floor. The rails (not shown) are positioned in predetermined locations determined during the design of the assembly line 100. The wing panel 150 is aligned with the shuttle 130 via an indexing feature 142 and suspended below the shuttle 130. When the shuttle 130 is advanced to an individual workstation 120 (121), it is aligned with an indexing unit 112. Thus, the 3D position and rotation of the wing panel 150, including the contour 167 provided by the pogo 160, can be precisely determined. This is achieved without requiring a full scan via probes or optical techniques at each workstation 120. This is because the wing panel 150 is aligned with the shuttle 130, and the shuttle 130 is aligned with the workstation 120. Therefore, the contour 167 of the wing panel 150 (loft characteristics of the outer mold line (OML) and inner mold line (IML)) in the individual workstation 120 can be determined in the workstation 120 after each pulse.

[0035] For accurate indexing and insertion sequence of the wing panels 150 into the assembly line 100, the end effector / tool ​​at each workstation can accurately determine its position relative to the wing panel 150, whether it is an upper / lower / left / right wing panel 150, and the contour 167 of the wing panel 150 when the wing panel 150 is fixed in place. For accurate indexing, the technician at each workstation can accurately determine its position relative to the wing panel 150 when the wing panel 150 is fixed in place. Subsequently, the 3D position and orientation of the wing panel 150 are established or aligned in any numerically controlled (NC) programming system or automated system used in workstation 120. Therefore, no setup time or scanning is required after each pulse of the wing panel 150. Furthermore, structures that were added to or removed from the wing panel 150 within the previous workstation 120 can be added to the model or system representation of the wing panel 150 without the need to scan the wing panel 150 for the modification.

[0036] The operation of the workstation 120 is managed by the controller 170. In one embodiment, the controller 170 determines the movement of the shuttle 130 along the trajectory 110 and uses this input to manage the operation of the workstation 120 according to instructions stored in the NC program. The controller 170 may be implemented, for example, as a custom circuit, as a hardware processor that executes programmed instructions, or as any combination thereof.

[0037] Now, let us focus on Figure 1B, which roughly illustrates a manufacturing system for composite parts in an exemplary embodiment. A controller 190 coordinates and controls the operation of a station 120 and the movement of one or more shuttles 130 along a track 110 having a powertrain 198 (e.g., engine 132 in Figure 1A). The controller 190 may include a processor 191, which is connected to a suitable memory 192 that stores a program 194. In one example, the shuttles 130 are driven along a transport line 199, which is continuously driven by a powertrain 198 (e.g., engine 132 in Figure 1A) controlled by the controller 190. In this example, the shuttles 130 (also shown in Figure 1A) include utility connections 197-8, which may include an electrical, pneumatic, and / or hydraulic quick disconnect that connects the shuttles 130 to an external source utility 194-1. In other examples, the shuttle 130 includes utilities and an automated guided vehicle (AGV) equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) / automated guidance system 197-9. In yet another embodiment, the movement of the shuttle 130 may be controlled using a laser tracker 195. Position and / or motion sensors 193 connected to the controller 190 are used to determine the positions of the shuttle 130 and the powertrain 198.

[0038] Figure 1C shows a flow chart 180 for the fabrication of a composite part in an exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figure 1C, the fabrication process includes solidification 186 to form the composite part, after which the composite part is moved to a new position to undergo trimming 187 (of, for example, excess fabricated portion 168 (illustrated in Figure 1A)), inspection 188 (e.g., by non-destructive means), reworking 189, and surface treatment 183. Reworking 189 is performed after inspection 188.

[0039] Exemplary details of the operation of assembly 100 will be described with reference to Figures 2A and 2B. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the wing panel 150 is fixed to the strongback 140, and a shuttle 130 that carries the strongback 140 is located on the assembly line 100. That is, the wing panel 150 is suspended on the assembly line 100 via the strongback 140, which reinforces the contour 167 on the wing panel 150.

[0040] Figure 2A is a flowchart illustrating a method 200 for processing wing panels and fabricating a wing via an assembly line 100 in an exemplary embodiment. The steps of method 200 are described with reference to the assembly line 100 in Figure 1A, but those skilled in the art will see that method 200 can be carried out in other systems as well. The steps in the flowchart described herein are not exhaustive and may include other steps not shown. The steps described herein may be performed in an alternative order.

[0041] In step 202, the wing panels 150 are arranged in an alternating orientation and continuously in the lengthwise direction on the assembly line 100, such that the wing panel 150 with tip section 150-1 at the front is adjacent to the wing panel with root section 150-3 at the front, with the OML of each panel facing upwards. In some exemplary embodiments, in step 202, the wing panels 150 are arranged in an alternating orientation and continuously in the spanwise direction 159 on the assembly line 100, such that the wing panel 150 with tip section 150-1 at the front is adjacent to the wing panel 150 with root section 150-3 at the front. That is, the wing panels 150 are oriented alternately to proceed in the processing direction 181 from the root to the tip and from the tip to the root, with the OML of each wing panel 150 facing upwards. This provides a shared work area 150-4 that spans multiple wing panels 150. The extended shared work area 150-4 facilitates fewer changes of tools and personnel as the wing panel 150 moves through the workstation 120. The orientation of the wing panel 150 in the wing length direction 159 facilitates the attachment of the ribs 600, because the ribs 600 are attached in the chord direction 169 and can be attached in a single workstation 120, and as much as possible, within a single pause between pulses or in a continuous process. The ribs 600 are attached at the rib pitch, or at intervals that facilitate micropulsing of the wing panel 150 in a micropulse manner at the rib pitch interval, or at multiples or divisors thereof.

[0042] The arrangement from wingtip to root makes it easy to always position the leading edge 155 of the wing panel 150 on one side of the workstation 120 and the trailing edge 157 of the wing panel 150 on the other side of the workstation 120. Each wing panel 150 has its leading edge 155 on each workstation 120 on the first side 166. Each wing panel 150 has its trailing edge 157 on each workstation 120 on the second side 165. The advantage of this type of arrangement is that the tools and jigs required for assembling the trailing edge 157 are always on the second side 165, and the tools and jigs required for the leading edge 155 are always on the first side 166, thus increasing efficiency. This is an example of bringing the work to the tools and technicians instead of carrying the tools and technicians, and therefore bringing the work to the appropriate part of the wing panel 150. In a further embodiment, wing panels 150 for various models of aircraft move down the assembly line 100 in a series.

[0043] In step 204, the wing panel 150 is advanced in the processing direction 181 through the workstation 120 of the assembly line 100 (121). In one embodiment, this step includes operating the engine 132 of the shuttle 130 to drive the shuttle 130 in the processing direction 181. In a further embodiment, this step includes operating a chain drive in a trajectory 110 that moves all the shuttles 130 in synchronous motion (121).

[0044] Step 206 involves operating the workstation to sequentially perform work on pairs of wingtip sections 150-1 and pairs of wing root sections 150-3. That is, each workstation 120 works on the wingtip section 150 of the first wing panel 153, immediately afterwards works on the wingtip section 150-1 of the second wing panel 152, each workstation 120 works on the wing root section 150-3 of the second wing panel 152, and then works on the wing root section 150-3 of the third wing panel 151. In other words, each workstation 120 can perform similar types of work on the entire common work area 150-4 in Figure 1A (for example, spanning multiple wingtip sections 150-1 of different wing panels), and then the operating mode is switched to accommodate different work areas (for example, spanning multiple wing root sections 150-3 of different wing panels 150).

[0045] Furthermore, the leading edges 155 and trailing edges 157 of the series of wing panels 150 are arranged such that the leading edges 155 consistently occupy the assembly line 100 on the first side 166, and the trailing edges 157 consistently occupy the assembly line 100 on the second side 165. Thus, a workstation 120 on one side always works on the leading edge 155 of each wing panel 150, and a workstation 120 on the other side always works on the trailing edge 157 of each wing panel 150. Similarly, for additional wing panels 150, the process proceeds with pairs of wingtip sections 150-1 and pairs of wing root sections 150-3 alternating, where the pairs of wingtip sections 150-1 and pairs of wing root sections 150-3 may be separated by one or more intermediate length sections 150-2.

[0046] In one embodiment, the wing panel 150 moves in a micropulse manner as previously described, where the wing panel 150 moves synchronously for a portion shorter than its wingspan (121), and then each pauses to receive work at one or more workstations 120. In a further embodiment using a full pulse manner, the wing panel 150 is sent in pulse units for the length of its wingspan, including the wingtip section 150-1 plus the intermediate length section 150-2 plus the wing root section 150-3, and then pauses to receive work at multiple workstations 120. In each case, the wing panel 150 is sent in pulse units in the processing direction 181, and the workstations 120 perform work on the wing panel 150 during the pauses between pulses. In yet another embodiment, the wing panel 150 moves continuously in the processing direction 181 121, and the workstations 120 perform work on the wing panel 150 during the continuous movement.

[0047] In any of the above cases, Method 200 may further include performing a different process / or operation on the wingtip section 150-1 than that performed on the wing root section 150-3 on at least one of the workstations 120, and / or applying a different component to the wingtip section 150-1 than that performed on the wing root section 150-3 on at least one of the workstations. The different operation may include attaching a different number or different type of fasteners, attaching a different number or different type of component, and so on.

[0048] Method 200 offers a technical advantage over the prior art because it enables the fabrication of wing panels 150 for aircraft 10 by arranging common sections for work in a continuous manner. This improves throughput and reduces the workload and time associated with switching operating modes of workstation 120. Furthermore, the advantage is realized because the leading edge 155 is located on workstation 120 on the first side 166 and the trailing edge 157 is located on workstation 120 on the second side 165. Thus, there is no need to switch the tools and personnel used for the leading edge 155 of wing panel 150 from the first side 166 to the second side 165 of the workstation, and vice versa.

[0049] Figure 2B is a flowchart of a further method 250 for manufacturing wings 15, 16 via an assembly line 100 in an exemplary embodiment. Step 252 of method 250 includes securing a first wing panel 153 to a first strongback 140 that reinforces a contour 167 on the first wing panel 153. In one embodiment, this is done by aligning the strongback 140 with indexing features 142 on the first wing panel 153, applying a plurality of pogos 160 to the first wing panel 153 at a predetermined height and position, and applying a vacuum grip that reinforces the contour 167 on the first wing panel 153.

[0050] Step 254 includes positioning the first strongback 140 on the track 110, where the first wing panel 153 is oriented so that the wingtip section 150-1 is at the front. That is, the strongback 140 is mounted on the shuttle 130 on the track 110, or a shuttle 130 carrying the strongback 140 is mounted on the track 110, enabling the processing direction 181 of the wing panel 150 via the assembly line 100. In some exemplary embodiments, step 254 includes positioning the first strongback 140 on the track 110, where the first wing panel 153 is oriented so that the wing root section 150-3 is at the front.

[0051] Step 256 involves securing the second wing panel 152 to a second strongback 140 that reinforces the contour 167 on the second wing panel 152, and step 256 is performed in a similar manner to step 252.

[0052] Step 258 includes positioning the strongback 140 on the track 110, wherein the second wing panel 152 is oriented such that the wing root section 150-3 is at the front, and step 258 is performed in the same manner as step 254, except that the second wing panel 152 is oriented in a left-right inverted orientation with respect to the orientation of the first wing panel 153. In some exemplary embodiments, when step 254 includes positioning the first strongback 140 on the track 110, wherein the first wing panel 153 is oriented such that the wing root section 150-3 is at the front, step 258 includes positioning the strongback 140 on the track 110, wherein the second wing panel 152 is oriented such that the wingtip section 150-1 is at the front.

[0053] Step 260 includes advancing each strongback 140 along the trajectory 110. In one embodiment, this is carried out in the same manner as in step 204 of method 200. While the wing panels 150 are advancing (or during pauses between pulses), the workstation 120 performs operations on the wing panels 150. From the perspective of the workstation 120, the wing root section 150-3 of the first wing panel 153 is accepted, followed by the wingtip section 150-1 of the first wing panel 153, followed by the wingtip section 150-1 of the second wing panel 152, followed by the wing root section 150-3 of the second wing panel 152, and so on, with respect to additional wing panels 150 arranged in a series along the wing length, being accepted alternately. This forwarding process can be performed in micropulse form, full pulse form, or continuous form, as previously described.

[0054] Step 262 includes operating the workstation 120 on track 110 to sequentially perform operations on pairs of wing root sections 150-3 of the first wing panel 153 and wing root sections 150-3 of the second wing panel 152. That is, the workstation 120 performs operations on pairs of wing root sections 150-3, for example, on the wing root section 150-3 of the first wing panel 153 in the first instance and on the wing root section 150-3 of the second wing panel 152 in the second instance. With respect to the second wing panel 152, any intervening intermediate length section 150-2 follows the wing root section 150-3, as indicated by the second wing panel 152 and the third wing panel 151, followed by a pair of wingtip sections 150-1. Any intervening intermediate length section 150-2 from among the intermediate length sections 150-2 follows, followed by a pair of wing root sections 150-3, and so on. This means that the wing root sections 150-3 of adjacent wing panels 150 form a common work area 150-4, and similarly, the wingtip sections 150-1 of adjacent wing panels 150 form a common work area 150-4. Therefore, workstations 120-1 to 120-9 can execute the operating mode of the wing root section 150-3 for multiple wing root sections 150-3, and then switch the operating mode to the operating mode of the intermediate length section 150-2 or the operating mode of the wingtip section 150-1. In some exemplary embodiments, step 262 includes operating the workstation 120 on track 110 to sequentially perform work on pairs of wingtip sections 150-1 of the first wing panel 153 and wingtip sections 150-1 of the second wing panel 152. That is, the workstation 120 performs work on pairs of wingtip sections 150-1, for example, on the wingtip section 150-1 of the first wing panel 153 in the first instance and the wingtip section 150-1 of the second wing panel 152 in the second instance. With respect to the second wing panel 152, any intervening intermediate length section 150-2 follows the wingtip section 150-1, as shown by the second wing panel 152 and the third wing panel 151, followed by a pair of wing root sections 150-3.Any intervening intermediate length section 150-2 from the intermediate length section 150-2 follows, followed by a pair of wing root sections 150-3, and so on. This means that the wing root sections 150-3 of adjacent wing panels 150 form a common work area 150-4, and similarly, the wingtip sections 150-1 of adjacent wing panels 150 form a common work area 150-4. Therefore, workstations 120-1 to 120-9 can execute the operating mode of a wingtip section 150-1 for multiple wingtip sections 150-1, and then switch the operating mode to the operating mode of an intermediate length section 150-2 or the operating mode of a wing root section 150-3. In this specification, the common work area 150-4 extends across pairs of sections of the wing panel 150 that are the same part of the wing panel 150 but whose orientation is reversed left to right. In other words, the common work area 150-4 may include a pair of wingtip sections 150-1, a pair of wing root sections 150-3, and so on.

[0055] The process is further repeated by the following, namely, By fixing the third wing panel 151 to the strongback 140 which reinforces the contour 167, By fixing the third wing panel 151 to the strongback 140 which reinforces the contour 167, The strongback 140 is positioned on the track 110, and here the third wing panel 151 is oriented so that the wing root section 150-3 is at the front, By moving the strongback 140 along the trajectory 110 together with the first wing panel 153, the strongback 140 together with the second wing panel 152, and the strongback 140 together with the third wing panel 151, and By operating the workstation 120 on the track 110, the following operations are performed sequentially on the wing root section 150-3 of the second wing panel 152 and the wing root section 150-3 of the third wing panel 151: This process is repeated. This process is carried out continuously in the width direction for the additional wing panels 150.

[0056] In the previously described wing panel configuration, a first wing panel 153 is described in which the wing root section 150-3 is positioned at the front. In further embodiments, the first wing panel 153 has the wingtip section 150-1 at the front, and the third wing panel 151 has the wingtip section 150-1 at the front. Furthermore, the wing panels may be positioned such that the leading edge 155 and trailing edge 157 are always on the same side of the workstation 120, i.e., on the first side 166 and the second side 165, respectively. Method 250 provides technical advantages over the prior art in a similar manner to Method 200 described earlier.

[0057] Figure 3 is a view of the wing panels 150, particularly the third wing panel 151 and the second wing panel 152, being worked on assembly line 100, in the wing-length direction, corresponding to the view indicated by arrow 3 in Figure 1A, in the illustrated embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, a shuttle 130 moves along the trajectory 110 in the direction of processing and includes a strongback 140. The strongback 140 includes a pogo 160, which includes a shaft 322 having an adjustable length. The pogo 160 further includes a vacuum connector 324. By setting the length of each shaft 322 and applying vacuum suction to the third wing panel 151 and the second wing panel 152 via the vacuum connector 324, the contour 167 is reinforced on the third wing panel 151 and the second wing panel 152. It should be noted again that the contour 167 may differ depending on whether the wing panel 150 is an upper wing panel or a lower wing panel. Workstation 120 performs operations on the third wing panel 151 and the second wing panel 152, and in this embodiment, operates the end effector 122. Alternatively or additionally, manual work is performed in channels located beneath the lower surfaces 310 of the third wing panel 151 and the second wing panel 152. In this configuration, safety measures are enhanced to prevent interference between the human worker and the end effector (i.e., robot). The third wing panel 151 and the second wing panel 152 are arranged such that the root section 150-3 and wingtip section 150-1 are adjacent to the wing root section 150-3 and wingtip section 150-1 of the wing panel 150, resulting in a shared work area 150-4 that extends across the pair of wing root sections 150-3 and the pair of wingtip sections 150-1. Furthermore, time is saved because, as the subsequent wing panels 150 enter the workstation 120 in sequence, there is no need to move tools specifically designed for the leading edge 155 and trailing edge 157 (for example, tools within the station 120) from the workstation 120 on the second side 165 to the workstation 120 on the first side 166.

[0058] In a further embodiment, the pogo 160 and vacuum connector 324 are positioned relative to the third and second wing panels 151 and 152 to allow access to specific locations on the third and second wing panels 152 for assembly purposes. That is, the arrangement of the pogo 160 and vacuum connector 324 provides localized access to the rib and / or spar land 311 and provides sufficient clearance to facilitate the assembly of parts joined at the rib and / or spar land 311, including ribs or spars (not shown). The pogo 160 and vacuum connector 324 can also be temporarily removed during assembly within a particular workstation 120 to obtain better access to the rib and / or spar land 311 on the third and second wing panels 151 and 152.

[0059] Figure 4 is a view of the end face 400 of a wing panel 150 being transported along the assembly line 100, corresponding to the view indicated by arrow 4 in Figure 1A in the illustrated embodiment. Figure 4 shows a reinforced contour 167 on the wing panel 150 and further shows an end effector 122 of a workstation 120, which can move as desired to perform work on various parts of the wing panel 150. An engineer 401 assigned to the workstation 120 can move as desired to perform work on various parts of the wing panel 150.

[0060] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a fully assembled wing 500 in an exemplary embodiment, the wing 500 including a wing root 580 and a wingtip 570. The wing 500 may be assembled from an upper wing panel 502 and a lower wing panel 504, as well as a leading edge 550 and a trailing edge 560, and structures such as slats (not shown) and fillet panels (not shown), and engine pylons 540 on the leading edge 550 and flaps (not shown), and other structures on the trailing edge 560. The wing length direction 561 and the wing chord direction 562 correspond to the wing length direction 159 and the wing chord direction 169 used earlier, respectively.

[0061] Figure 6 shows a rib 600 in an exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, the rib 600 includes a web 610 and a flange 620 for attachment to the outer skin of a wing (not shown). The side portions 622 of the rib 600 are dimensioned for attachment to a spar 640. The rib 600 also includes a mouth hole 630 for housing stringers, cables, and other components.

[0062] With more specific reference to the drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure can be described in relation to a method 700 for manufacturing and maintaining an aircraft, as shown in Figure 7, and an aircraft 702, as shown in Figure 8. In the pre-manufacturing stage, the method 700 may include the specification and design 704 of the aircraft 702 and the procurement of materials 706. In the manufacturing stage, the manufacturing 708 of the components and subassemblies of the aircraft 702 and system integration 710 are carried out. The aircraft 702 can then be put into operation 714 after approval and delivery 712. While in operation by the customer, the aircraft 702 is scheduled for periodic maintenance and upkeep 716 (which may include modifications, reconfigurations, and refurbishments). The apparatus and methods embodied herein may be used in any suitable stage of manufacturing and maintenance described in Method 700 (e.g., specification and design 704, material procurement 706, component and subassembly manufacturing 708, system integration 710, authorization and delivery 712, operation 714, maintenance and servicing 716) and / or in any suitable component of the aircraft 702 (e.g., airframe 718, systems 720, interior 722, propulsion systems 724, electrical systems 726, hydraulic systems 728, environmental systems 730).

[0063] Each process of Method 700 may be performed or carried out by a system integrator, a third party, and / or an operator (e.g., a customer). For the purposes of this Specification, a system integrator may include, but not limited to, any number of aircraft manufacturers and subcontractors of key systems; a third party may include, but not limited to, any number of vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers; and an operator may be an airline, leasing company, military organization, service organization, etc.

[0064] As shown in Figure 8, an aircraft 702 manufactured by method 700 may include a fuselage 718 with a plurality of systems 720 and interior 722. Examples of systems 720 include one or more of the propulsion system 724, electrical system 726, hydraulic system 728, and environmental system 730. Any number of other systems may also be included. Although an example from the aerospace industry is shown, the principles of the present invention can also be applied to other industries such as the automotive industry.

[0065] As described above, the apparatus and methods embodied herein may be used in any one or more stages of manufacturing and maintenance described in Method 700. For example, a component or subassembly corresponding to the manufacturing of a component or subassembly 708 may be manufactured or produced in a similar manner to a component or subassembly manufactured during the operation of the aircraft 702. Also, one or more embodiments of an apparatus, an embodiment of a method, or a combination thereof may be used in the stages of manufacturing a subassembly 708 and system integration 710, for example, by substantially streamlining the assembly of the aircraft 702 or reducing the cost of the aircraft 702. Similarly, one or more embodiments of an apparatus, an embodiment of a method, or a combination thereof may be used during the operation of the aircraft 702, for example, during maintenance and servicing 716, but not limited to these. Accordingly, this disclosure may be used at any stage described herein (e.g., specification and design 704, material procurement 706, manufacturing of components and subassemblies 708, system integration 710, authorization and delivery 712, operation 714, maintenance and repair 716) and / or at any suitable component of the aircraft 702 (e.g., airframe 718, systems 720, interior 722, propulsion systems 724, electrical systems 726, hydraulic systems 728, environmental systems 730), or in any combination thereof.

[0066] In one embodiment, a part comprises a portion of the airframe 718 and is manufactured during the manufacture of components and subassemblies 708. This part is assembled in this case to form an aircraft in system integration 710 and may then be used in operation 714 until the part becomes unusable due to wear. Thereafter, in maintenance and servicing 716, the part may be discarded and replaced with a newly manufactured part. The components and methods of the present invention may be used throughout the period of manufacture of components and subassemblies 708 to manufacture new parts.

[0067] Any of the various control elements (e.g., electrical or electronic components) illustrated or described herein may be implemented as hardware, processor-implemented software, processor-implemented firmware, or any combination thereof. For example, an element may be implemented as dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware elements may be referred to as “processors,” “controllers,” or any similar technical term. Where provided by a processor, the functionality may be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or multiple individual processors, some of which may be shared. Furthermore, the explicit use of the terms “processor” or “controller” should not be interpreted as referring only to, and not limiting to, hardware capable of running software, but may implicitly include digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or other circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), read-only memory (ROM) for software storage, random access memory (RAM), non-volatile memory, logic units, or any other physical hardware components or modules.

[0068] Furthermore, control elements may be implemented as instructions that can be executed by a processor or computer to perform the function of the element. Some examples of instructions are software, program code, and firmware. When executed by a processor, an instruction is operable to instruct the processor to perform the function of the element. Instructions may be stored on a storage device that the processor can read. Some examples of storage devices are digital or solid-state memory, magnetic storage media such as magnetic disks and magnetic tapes, hard drives, or optically readable digital data storage media.

[0069] Furthermore, this disclosure includes embodiments relating to the following provisions.

[0070] Clause 1. A method for processing an aircraft wing panel (150) on an assembly line (100), The process involves placing wing panels (150) into an assembly line (100), where the assembly line (100) has several workstations (120), and the wing panels (150) are oriented such that their leading edges (155) are all on the first side (166) of the workstation (120) and their trailing edges (157) are all on the second side (165) of the workstation (120). The wing panel (150) is advanced in the processing direction (181) via several workstations (120), wherein at least a first part of the workstation (120) is specialized for processing the leading edge (155) of the wing panel, and a second part of the workstation (120) is specialized for processing the trailing edge (157) of the wing panel. Methods that include...

[0071] Clause 2. Placing a wing panel (150) into the assembly line (100) includes placing the wing panel (150) into the assembly line (100) such that the wing root sections (150-3) are adjacent to each other. The method according to Clause 1, further comprising operating at least one workstation (120) specialized for processing wing root sections (150-3).

[0072] Clause 3. The method according to Clause 2, wherein operating at least one workstation (120) dedicated to processing wing roots (150-3) is used to simultaneously process wing root sections (150-3) of two adjacent wing panels (150).

[0073] Clause 4. Placing a wing panel (150) on the assembly line (100) includes placing the wing panel (150) on the assembly line (100) such that the wingtip sections (150-1) are adjacent to each other. The method is The method according to Clause 1, further comprising operating at least one workstation (120) dedicated to processing wingtip sections (150-1).

[0074] Clause 5. The method according to Clause 4, wherein operating at least one workstation (120) dedicated to processing wingtip (150-1) is used to simultaneously process wingtip sections (150-1) of two adjacent wing panels (150).

[0075] Clause 6. The method according to Clause 1, wherein placing wing panels (150) into the assembly line (100) includes placing the upper left wing panel, lower left wing panel, upper right wing panel, and lower right wing panel into the assembly line (100) with all leading edges (155) facing the first side (166) of the workstation (120).

[0076] Clause 7. The wing panel (150) is advanced in the processing direction. The wing panel (150) is advanced continuously in the processing direction (181), and This includes one of the following: sending the blade panel (150) in pulse units in the processing direction (181), The method according to Clause 1, wherein the work is performed on the wing panels (150) in multiple workstations (120) based on a combination of workstation (120) capacity and the division of wing panels (150) within individual workstations (120).

[0077] Clause 8. The method of Clause 7, wherein the work performed includes one or more of the following: drilling, trimming, inspection, painting, sealing, cutting wing panel access openings, installing wing panel access doors, laying sacrificial plies, machining sacrificial plies, reworking materials, installing wing ribs (600), and installing components to wing panels (150).

[0078] Clause 9. The method according to Clause 1, wherein the wing panel (150) is placed on the assembly line (100), and the contour (167) is reinforced on the wing panel (150) using a strong back (140).

[0079] Clause 10. The method according to Clause 1, wherein the placement of wing panels (150) into the assembly line (100) includes placing wing panels (150) for different aircraft models into the assembly line (100) such that the wing panels (150) for the different aircraft models are placed adjacent to one another.

[0080] Clause 11. The method according to Clause 1, wherein advancing a wing panel (150) includes aligning at least one indexing feature (142) associated with the wing panel (150) with an indexing unit (112) on an assembly line (100).

[0081] Clause 12. The advancement of a wing panel (150) involves aligning a shuttle (130) having at least one indexing feature (142) associated with the wing panel (150) to an indexing unit (112) on an assembly line (100), wherein the shuttle (130) is operable to move the wing panel (150) along the assembly line (100) and aligning the shuttle (130) to the indexing unit (112). The method described in Clause 1, including the method described in Clause 1.

[0082] Clause 13. The method according to Clause 1, further comprising operating the workstation (120) to track the wing panel (150) over the workstation (120) and the associated work area (123).

[0083] Clause 14. A portion of an aircraft assembled in accordance with the method described in Clause 1.

[0084] Clause 15. An assembly line (100) for processing wing panels (150) of an aircraft (10), A trajectory (110) that moves parallel to the processing direction (181), A plurality of workstations (120) distributed along a trajectory (110) in a processing direction (181), wherein each workstation (120) has a first side (166) and a second side (165), a portion of the workstations (120) on the first side (166) is specialized for processing the leading edge (155) wing panel (150), and a portion of the workstations (120) on the second side (165) is specialized for processing the trailing edge (157) wing panel (150), and Multiple strongbacks (140) that engage with the wing panel (150) and are operable to move the wing panel (150) along a track (110) through multiple workstations (120), Assembly line (100), including the assembly line.

[0085] Clause 16. An assembly line (100) as described in Clause 15, including a strongback (140) that is operable to reinforce the contour (167) on a wing panel (150).

[0086] Clause 17. The assembly line (100) as described in Clause 16, further comprising a plurality of shuttles (130), each shuttle (130) operable to move an associated strongback (140) along a trajectory (110).

[0087] Article 18. The first workstation (120) is operable to process the wing root section (150-3) of a wing panel (150), and the first workstation (120) is further operable to process the wing root sections (150-3) of two wing panels (150) simultaneously when the wing root sections (150-3) are located adjacent to each other along the trajectory (110), and the second workstation (120) is operable to process the wingtip section (150-1) of a wing panel (150). The second workstation (120) is further operable to process wingtip sections (150-1) of two wing panels (150) simultaneously when the wingtip sections (150-1) are arranged adjacent to each other along the track (110), as described in the assembly line (100) of Clause 15.

[0088] Clause 19. The strongback (140) and workstation (120) are operable to process wing panels (150) for a first model aircraft (10) and wing panels (150) for a second model aircraft (10), which are arranged adjacent to each other on the assembly line (100) as described in Clause 15.

[0089] Clause 20. The assembly line (100) described in Clause 15 is configured to engage with the wing panel (150) such that the leading edge (155) of each of the upper left wing panel, lower left wing panel, upper right wing panel, and lower right wing panel is positioned on the same side of the workstation (120).

[0090] Clause 21. An assembly line (100) as described in Clause 15, wherein a workstation (120) performs selected processes from the group consisting of drilling, trimming, inspection, painting, sealing, cutting wing panel access openings, installing wing panel access doors, laying sacrificial plies, machining sacrificial plies, reworking materials, installing wing ribs, and installing components to wing panels (150).

[0091] Clause 22. An assembly line (100) as described in Clause 15, wherein at least a portion of the workstation (120) includes an end effector (122) that is operable to move relative to a wing panel (150).

[0092] Clause 23. The assembly line (100) described in Clause 15, wherein the workstation (120) includes an indexing unit (112), the indexing unit (112) is operable to interact with an indexing feature (142) associated with the blade panel (150) in order to control the forward feed of the blade panel (150).

[0093] Clause 24. Further including multiple shuttles (130), each shuttle (130) is operable to move an associated strongback (140) along a trajectory (110), The assembly line according to Clause 23, wherein indexing features (142) are positioned on a plurality of strongbacks (140) and are aligned with wing panels (150) supported by the strongbacks (140).

[0094] Clause 25. An assembly line (100) as described in Clause 24, wherein a shuttle (130) is configured to advance wing panels (150) continuously in the processing direction (181), and the work is performed on the wing panels (150) at multiple workstations (120).

[0095] Clause 26. An assembly line (100) as described in Clause 24, wherein a shuttle (130) is configured to deliver wing panels (150) in pulse units in the processing direction (181), and the work is performed on the wing panels (150) at multiple workstations (120).

[0096] Clause 27. An assembly line (100) as described in Clause 15, wherein a workstation (120) functions to track a wing panel (150) across a work area (123) associated with the workstation (120).

[0097] Clause 28. Manufacturing of a portion of an aircraft (10) using the assembly line (100) described in Clause 15.

[0098] Article 29. A method for processing an aircraft wing panel (150), The first wing panel (150) is fixed to a first strongback (140) that reinforces the contour (167) on the first wing panel (150), Moving the first strongback (140) along the trajectory (110), during which the first wing panel (150) is oriented toward the first side (166) of the workstation (120) associated with the trajectory (110), The second wing panel (150) is fixed to a second strongback (140) that reinforces the contour (167) on the second wing panel (150), The second strongback (140) is moved along the trajectory (110), during which the second wing panel (150) is oriented with its trailing edge (157) toward the second side (165) of the workstation (120), and the second strongback (140) is moved. Includes, A method in which the second wing panel (150) and the first wing panel (150) are oriented such that the wingtip section (150-1) and the wingtip section (150-1) are opposite to each other, or the wing root section (150-3) and the wing root section (150-3) are opposite to each other.

[0099] Clause 30. The first strongback (140) and the second strongback (140) are to be moved continuously along the trajectory (110), To operate additional workstations (120) positioned along the track (110) to perform work on the first wing panel (150) and the second wing panel (150), The method described in Clause 29, further including the method described in Clause 29.

[0100] Clause 31. Apparatus for assembling a wing panel (150), While reinforcing the contour (167) on the wing panel (150), a strongback (140) suspends the wing panel (150), The orbit (110) from which Strongback (140) will be transported, Multiple workstations (120) arranged along a track (110), wherein multiple workstations (120) process a single wing panel (150) simultaneously. A device equipped with the following features.

[0101] Clause 32. Wing panel (150) The leading edge (155) of the wing panel (150) is oriented toward the first side (166) of the workstation (120), and the trailing edge (157) of the wing panel (150) is oriented toward the second side (165) of the workstation (120), The device described in Clause 31, which is suspended.

[0102] While specific embodiments are described herein, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to these specific embodiments. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for processing an aircraft wing panel (150) on an assembly line (100), The process involves placing the wing panel (150) into the assembly line (100), the assembly line (100) having several workstations (120), The aforementioned wing panel (150) is The leading edge (155) is entirely on the first side (166) of the workstation (120), and the trailing edge (157) is entirely on the second side (165) of the workstation (120), The wing panel (150) is placed into the assembly line (100), The process involves advancing the wing panel (150) in a processing direction (181) via several workstations (120), wherein at least a first portion of the workstations (120) is specialized for processing the leading edge (155) of the wing panel, and a second portion of the workstations (120) is specialized for processing the trailing edge (157) of the wing panel. Methods that include...

2. Inserting the wing panel (150) into the assembly line (100) includes inserting the wing panel (150) into the assembly line (100) such that the wing root sections (150-3) are adjacent to each other. The method described above is The method according to claim 1, further comprising operating at least one workstation (120) configured to perform processing of wing root sections (150-3), preferably comprising operating the at least one workstation (120) configured to perform processing of wing root sections (150-3) to simultaneously process wing root sections (150-3) of two adjacent wing panels (150).

3. Placing the wing panel (150) into the assembly line (100) includes placing the wing panel (150) into the assembly line (100) such that the wingtip sections (150-1) are adjacent to each other. The method described above is The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising operating at least one workstation (120) configured to perform processing of wingtip sections (150-1), preferably the operation of the at least one workstation (120) configured to perform processing of wingtip sections (150-1) includes simultaneously processing wingtip sections (150-1) of two adjacent wing panels (150).

4. The wing panel (150) is placed into the assembly line (100). At least one of the following, namely, The upper left wing panel, lower left wing panel, upper right wing panel, and lower right wing panel are placed into the assembly line (100) with all leading edges (155) facing the first side (166) of the workstation (120), The strongback (140) is used to reinforce the contour (167) on the wing panel (150), To place wing panels (150) for different aircraft models into the assembly line (100) such that the wing panels (150) for the different aircraft models are placed adjacent to each other, The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising at least one of the following.

5. Moving the blade panel (150) in the processing direction is The blade panel (150) is advanced continuously in the processing direction (181), and This includes one of the following: sending the blade panel (150) in pulse units in the processing direction (181), The work is performed on the wing panels (150) in several workstations (120) based on a combination of workstation (120) capacity and the division of the wing panels (150) within the individual workstations (120). Preferably, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the work includes one or more of the following: drilling, trimming, inspection, painting, sealing, cutting wing panel access openings, installing wing panel access doors, laying sacrificial plies, machining sacrificial plies, reworking materials, installing wing ribs, and installing components to the wing panel (150).

6. Moving the aforementioned wing panel (150) forward Aligning at least one indexing feature (142) associated with the wing panel (150) with an indexing unit (112) on the assembly line (100), and / or Aligning a shuttle (130) having at least one indexing feature (142) associated with the wing panel (150) to an indexing unit (112) on the assembly line (100), wherein the shuttle (130) is operable to move the wing panel (150) along the assembly line (100), The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, including the method described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising operating the workstation (120) to track the wing panel (150) over a working area (123) associated with the workstation (120).

8. An assembly line (100) for processing wing panels (150) of an aircraft (10), A trajectory (110) parallel to the processing direction (181), A plurality of workstations (120) distributed along the trajectory (110) in the processing direction (181), wherein each workstation (120) has a first side (166) and a second side (165), a portion of the workstation (120) on the first side (166) is specialized for processing the leading edge (155) wing panel (150), and a portion of the workstation (120) on the second side (165) is specialized for processing the trailing edge (157) wing panel (150), Multiple strongbacks (140) that engage with the wing panel (150) and are operable to move the wing panel (150) along the track (110) through the multiple workstations (120), Assembly line (100), including the assembly line.

9. The assembly line (100) according to claim 8, wherein the strongback (140) includes a pogo (160) that is operable to reinforce the contour (167) on the wing panel (150), and the assembly line preferably further includes a plurality of shuttles (130), each shuttle (130) operable to move an associated strongback (140) along the trajectory (110).

10. The workstation (120) of the first assembly is configured to process the wing root section (150-3) of the wing panel (150), The first assembly workstation (120) is further operable to process the wing root sections (150-3) of two wing panels (150) simultaneously when the wing root sections (150-3) are arranged adjacent to each other along the trajectory (110), The workstation (120) of the second assembly is configured to process the wingtip section (150-1) of the wing panel (150), The assembly line (100) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the workstation (120) of the second assembly is further operable to process the wingtip sections (150-1) of two wing panels (150) simultaneously when the wingtip sections (150-1) are arranged adjacent to each other along the track (110).

11. The strongback (140) and the workstation (120) are operable to process wing panels (150) for a first model aircraft (10) and wing panels (150) for a second model aircraft (10) which are arranged adjacent to each other on the assembly line (100), and / or The assembly line (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the strongback (140) is configured to engage with the wing panel (150) such that the leading edge (155) of each of the upper left wing panel, lower left wing panel, upper right wing panel, and lower right wing panel is positioned on the same side of the workstation (120).

12. The workstation (120) performs a selected process from the group consisting of drilling, trimming, inspection, painting, sealing, cutting wing panel access openings, installing wing panel access doors, laying sacrificial plies, machining sacrificial plies, reworking materials, installing wing ribs, and / or installing components to the wing panel (150). The assembly line (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein at least a portion of the workstation (120) includes an end effector (122) that is operable to move relative to the wing panel (150).

13. The workstation (120) includes an indexing unit (112), the indexing unit (112) is operable to interact with an indexing feature (142) associated with the blade panel (150) in order to control the forward feed of the blade panel (150), The assembly line preferably further includes a plurality of shuttles (130), each shuttle (130) operable to move an associated strongback (140) along the track (110), The indexing feature (142) is positioned on the plurality of strongbacks (140) and is aligned with the wing panel (150) supported by the strongbacks (140). More preferably, the assembly line (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the shuttle (130) is configured to continuously advance the wing panel (150) in the processing direction (181), and the work is performed on the wing panel (150) by the plurality of workstations (120), or the shuttle (130) is configured to send the wing panel (150) in pulse units in the processing direction (181), and the work is performed on the wing panel (150) by the plurality of workstations (120).

14. The assembly line (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the workstation (120) functions to track the wing panel (150) over a work area (123) associated with the workstation (120).

15. Manufacturing a part of an aircraft (10) using the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and / or the assembly line (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

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