Composite Wing Panel Production Line with Integrated Mandrel Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of large composite aircraft wing panels is inefficient due to the need to move components between work cells, resulting in increased flow times and reduced throughput, and suboptimal utilization of factory floor space.
Innovation Solution
A production line system where mandrels are moved along a line with integrated workstations for wing skin lamination and stringer placement, utilizing a controller to synchronize movements and feed materials just-in-time, allowing for continuous processing and reduced delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If components are moved between individual work cells for fabrication, then each task can be performed in a dedicated work cell, but flow times increase and throughput is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual work cells into an integrated production line where mandrels move sequentially through lamination, stringer placement, and curing operations. This merging eliminates the need to move components between separate cells, reducing flow time and increasing throughput while maintaining dedicated functionality for each process step.
Solution Approach 2:
The production line employs dynamic mandrel movement where mandrels are continuously advanced through the production line and can be indexed or paused at specific workstations as needed. This dynamic approach allows multiple mandrels to be processed simultaneously at different stages, optimizing throughput while maintaining process control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If components are moved between work cells, then specialized equipment can be used for each task, but transportation time and delays increase
Solution Approach 1:
The production line uses a conveyor system as an intermediary mechanism to transport mandrels between workstations. This automated conveyor eliminates manual handling and reduces transportation time while maintaining the specialized equipment at each workstation for specific tasks such as lamination, stringer placement, and curing.
3Ease of manufacture
If large factory floor space is allocated for individual work cells, then each process can be performed independently, but space utilization becomes suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The production line arrangement transforms the spatial organization from dispersed work cells occupying large floor area to a compact linear sequence where processes are stacked along the production line direction. This dimensional reorganization maintains independent process execution while significantly reducing the overall factory floor space required.
Data Source
AI summary
Wing panels having composite wing skins and stringers are produced on a moving production line. The wing panels are formed on mandrels that move through workstations along the production line where laminators layup the wing skins and pick-and-place machines place stringers on the wing skins that are supplied by stringer feeder lines.