Autonomous flexible manufacturing system for building a fuselage

A machine configured to assemble sections of a fuselage, wherein the machine comprises:

• an assembly area that comprises a floor that comprises a holding cell and work cells, wherein each work cell in the work cells comprises, respectively, a utility fixture in the floor configured to electrically and physically accept an autonomous couple from an autonomous panel joining system that comprises a drivable tower that comprises:
• a top platform and a bottom platform configured to drive across the floor into a selected tower position relative to the utility fixture selected from a plurality of utility fixtures in the assembly area, wherein:
• the top platform is further configured:
• to support a first internal mobile platform;
• to rise above the bottom platform by a distance equal to a height of a top floor above a bottom floor in an interior of a fuselage section of the sections of the fuselage;
• and
• with a first extension configured to provide the first internal mobile platform an access to the top floor, wherein the first internal mobile platform supports a first internal robotic device that is configured to drive autonomously from the drivable tower onto the top floor;
• the bottom platform is further configured;
• to support a second internal mobile platform;
• and
• with a second extension configured to provide the second internal mobile platform an access to the bottom floor, wherein the second internal mobile platform supports a second internal robotic device and is configured to drive autonomously from the drivable tower onto the bottom floor;
• a first interface configured to autonomously couple physically and electrically to the utility fixture;
• and
• a second interface configured to autonomously couple physically and electrically to a cradle fixture located at a selected cradle position relative to the drivable tower in the assembly area, wherein the cradle fixture comprises a number of retaining structures configured to retain and support the fuselage section, wherein the number of retaining structures each comprise, respectively, a radius of curvature equivalent to a radius of curvature of a keel of the fuselage section;
• the drivable tower;
• the cradle fixture;
• and
• an external mobile platform configured to support an external robotic device configured to collaborate with the first internal robotic device to work on the fuselage.

A process for assembling a fuselage comprising a top floor and a bottom floor, the process comprising:

• providing a machine configured to assemble sections of the fuselage, the machine comprising:
• an assembly area that comprises a floor that comprises a holding cell and work cells, wherein each work cell in the work cells comprises, respectively, a utility fixture in the floor configured to electrically and physically accept an autonomous couple from an autonomous panel joining system that comprises a drivable tower that comprises:
• a top platform and a bottom platform configured to drive across the floor into a selected tower position relative to the utility fixture selected from a plurality of utility fixtures in the assembly area, wherein the top platform is further configured:
• to support a first internal mobile platform;
• to rise above the bottom platform by a distance equal to a height of a top floor above a bottom floor in an interior of a section of the fuselage in the sections of the fuselage;
• and
• with a first extension configured to provide the first internal mobile platform an access to the top floor, wherein the first internal mobile platform supports a first internal robotic device that is configured to drive autonomously from the drivable tower onto the top floor;
• the bottom platform is further configured:
• to support a second internal mobile platform;
• and
• with a second extension configured to provide the second internal mobile platform an access to the bottom floor, wherein the second internal mobile platform supports a second internal robotic device and is configured to drive autonomously from the drivable tower onto the bottom floor;
• a first interface configured to autonomously couple physically and electrically to the utility fixture;
• and
• a second interface configured to autonomously couple physically and electrically to a first cradle fixture located at a selected first cradle position relative to the drivable tower in the assembly area, wherein the first cradle fixture comprises a number of retaining structures configured to retain and support the section of the fuselage, wherein the number of retaining structures each comprise, respectively, a radius of curvature equivalent to a radius of curvature of a keel of the section of the fuselage;
• the drivable tower;
• the first cradle fixture;
• and
• a first external mobile platform configured to support a first external robotic device configured to collaborate with the first internal robotic device to work on the fuselage:
• driving the drivable tower across the floor of the assembly area in the assembly area into the selected tower position in a work cell in the work cells in the floor of the assembly area relative and autonomously connecting the drivable tower electrically and physically to the utility fixture in the work cell;
• physically and electrically coupling the drivable tower to the utility fixture using the first interface such that a number of utilities flow from the utility fixture to the drivable tower through the first interface, wherein the number of utilities comprise electricity and at least one of:
• air, hydraulic fluid, and water;
• lifting the first cradle fixture with an autonomous vehicle and driving the first cradle fixture across the floor of the assembly area into the selected first cradle position relative to the drivable tower in the assembly area;
• physically and electrically coupling, using the second interface, the first cradle fixture to the drivable tower such that electricity and the number of utilities flow downstream from the drivable tower to the first cradle fixture through the second interface;
• lifting a second cradle fixture with a second autonomous vehicle and driving the second cradle fixture across the floor of the assembly area into a selected second cradle position relative to the first cradle fixture in the assembly area;
• physically and electrically coupling the first cradle fixture to the second cradle fixture such that electricity and the number of utilities flow downstream from the drivable tower through the first cradle fixture to the second cradle fixture;
• moving the first external mobile platform carrying the first external robot device alongside the first cradle fixture and connecting the first external mobile platform to the first cradle fixture;
• moving a second external mobile platform carrying a second external robot device alongside the second cradle fixture and connecting the second external mobile platform to the second cradle fixture;
• driving the first internal mobile platform from the top platform onto the top floor of the fuselage and collaboratively using the first internal robotic device with the first external robotic device for fastening a first panel of the fuselage to a second panel of the fuselage;
• and
• driving the second internal mobile platform from the bottom platform onto the bottom floor of the fuselage and collaboratively using the second internal robotic device with the second external robotic device for fastening a third panel of the fuselage to a fourth panel of the fuselage.