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US 10,427,254 B2Granted
Flexible manufacturing for aircraft structures
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsDan Dresskell Day, Clayton Lynn Munk, Steven John Schmitt, Eric M. Reid
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for manufacturing an aircraft structure. A drivable support may be driven from a first location to a second location to bring the drivable support together with at least one other drivable support to form a drivable support system. A structure may be held in a desired position using the drivable support system.
Claims36
A method for manufacturing a structure, the method comprising:
- independently driving each drivable support in a first plurality of drivable supports from a first location to a second location;
- attaching each drivable support in the first plurality of drivable supports to a different point along a first side of the structure at the second location;
- independently driving each drivable support in a second plurality of drivable supports to the second location;
- attaching each drivable support in the second plurality of drivable supports to a different point along a second side of the structure at the second location, wherein the first plurality of drivable supports attached to the structure and the second plurality of drivable supports attached to the structure form a drivable support system for the structure;
- holding the structure in a desired position using the drivable support system;
- placing first support structures between each of the first plurality of drivable supports to create a first platform at the second location;
- and
- placing second support structures between each of the second plurality of drivable supports to create a second platform at the second location.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.