Coordinated end effector attachment of fasteners to aircraft structure

A method for applying fasteners to a structure, the method comprising:

• disposing the structure on a plurality of rails;
• disposing a first set of at least three end effectors along a fixed inner track that follows an Inner Mold Line (IML) surface of the structure;
• disposing a second set of at least three end effectors along a fixed outer track that follows an Outer Mold Line (OML) surface of the structure, wherein the first set of end effectors and the second set of end effectors define a gap for the structure to pass through;
• aligning a first end effector of the first set of at least three end effectors along the fixed inner track together with a second end effector of the second set of at least three end effectors along the fixed outer track;
• clamping the structure between the first end effector and the second end effector by pressing the first end effector and the second end effector into the structure;
• applying a fastener to the structure;
• assigning the end effectors in the first set to different radial zones at the Inner Mold Line (IML) surface of the structure;
• and
• assigning the end effectors in the second set to the different radial zones at the Outer Mold Line (OML) surface of the structure,
• wherein the plurality of rails extend through the fixed outer track and move the structure in a longitudinal direction from a first end of each of the plurality of rails to a second end of each of the plurality of rails through the fixed outer track, and
• wherein the structure moves without obstruction from the first end of each of the plurality of rails to the second end of each of the plurality of rails through the gap between the first end effector and the second end effector.

A method for applying fasteners to a structure, the method comprising:

• disposing the structure on a plurality of rails;
• disposing a first set of at least two end effectors along a fixed inner track that follows an Inner Mold Line (IML) surface of the structure, wherein the first set of end effectors comprises at least 2 end effectors;
• disposing a second set of at least two end effectors along a fixed outer track that follows an Outer Mold Line (OML) surface of the structure, wherein the second set of end effectors comprises at least 2 end effectors, wherein the first set of end effectors and the second set of end effectors define a gap for the structure to pass through;
• aligning a first end effector of the first set of at least two end effectors along the fixed inner track together with a second end effector of the second set of at least two end effectors along the fixed outer track;
• clamping the structure between the first end effector and the second end effector by pressing the first end effector and the second end effector into the structure;
• applying a fastener to the structure;
• assigning the end effectors in the first set to different radial zones at the Inner Mold Line (IML) surface of the structure;
• and
• assigning the end effectors in the second set to the different radial zones at the Outer Mold Line (OML) surface of the structure,
• wherein the plurality of rails extend through the fixed outer track and move the structure in a longitudinal direction from a first end of each of the plurality of rails to a second end of each of the plurality of rails through the fixed outer track, and
• wherein the structure moves without obstruction from the first end of each of the plurality of rails to the second end of each of the plurality of rails through the gap between the first end effector and the second end effector.