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US 11,364,581 B2Granted
Flexible manufacturing system for aircraft structures
AssigneeThe Boeiog Company
InventorsDan Dresskell Day, Clayton Lynn Munk, Steven John Schmitt, Eric M. Reid
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims40
A flexible manufacturing system for an aircraft structure comprising:
- a drivable support connected to a first elongate platform and driven from a first location to a second location and brought together with at least one other drivable support connected to a second elongate platform and driven to the second location to form a drivable support system at the second location on a floor of a manufacturing environment, wherein the first elongate platform is attached to a plurality of points along a first side of the structure at the second location and the second elongate platform is attached to a plurality of points along a second side of the structure at the second location, in which the drivable support system is configured to hold the structure in a desired position.
A flexible manufacturing system for a structure comprising:
- a first plurality of drivable supports connected to a first elongate platform and driven from a first location to a second location to move the first elongate platform from the first location to the second location, wherein the first elongate platform is attached to a plurality of points along a first side of the structure at the second location;
- and
- a second plurality of drivable supports connected to a second elongate platform and driven to the second location to move the second elongate platform to the second location, wherein the second elongate platform is attached to a plurality of points along a second side of the structure at the second location, wherein the first plurality of drivable supports, the first elongate platform attached to the structure, the second plurality of drivable supports, and the second elongate platform attached to the structure form a drivable support system at the second location on a floor of a manufacturing environment, in which the drivable support system is configured to hold the structure in a desired position.
A method for manufacturing a structure, the method comprising:
- connecting a first plurality of drivable supports to a first elongate platform;
- driving the first plurality of drivable supports with the first elongate platform connected thereto from a first location to a second location to move the first elongate platform from the first location to the second location;
- attaching the first elongate platform to a plurality of points along a first side of the structure at the second location;
- connecting a second plurality of drivable supports to a second elongate platform;
- driving the second plurality of drivable supports with the second elongate platform connected thereto to the second location to move the second elongate platform to the second location;
- attaching the second elongate platform to a plurality of points along a second side of the structure at the second location, wherein the first plurality of drivable supports, the first elongate platform attached to the structure, the second plurality of drivable supports, and the second elongate platform attached to the structure form a drivable support system for the structure;
- and
- holding the structure in a desired position using the drivable support system.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.