# US 2013/0152397 A1 · Automated assembly of panelized aircraft fuselages > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0152397 A1 - Document ID: US20130152397A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/327,669 - Filed: 2011-12-15 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Harinder S. Oberoi; Blair P. Nelson; Alan S. Draper; Charles Y. Hu; Randall Matthewson; Branko Sarh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130152397A1 ## CPC - B64F 5/10: Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor - B64C 1/18: Floors - B64F 5/50: Handling or transporting aircraft components - Y10T 29/49622: Vehicular structural member making - Y10T 29/53004: with means to regulate operation by use of templet, tape, card or other replaceable information supply - Y10T 29/534: Multiple station assembly or disassembly apparatus - Y10T 29/53417: Means to fasten work parts together - Y10T 29/53974: having means to permit support movement while work is thereon - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A facility for assembling aircraft fuselages comprises a plurality of movable cradles. Each cradle is configured to support a fuselage keel structure and assemble a panelized fuselage in a single upright build position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A facility for assembling aircraft fuselages, the facility comprising a plurality of movable cradles, each cradle configured to support a fuselage keel structure and assemble a panelized fuselage in a single upright build position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The facility of claim 1, further comprising an assembly floor that accommodates a plurality of assembly cells, none of the cells having jigs or fixtures secured to the floor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The facility of claim 2, further comprising a gantry for moving fuselage panels and other structures across the floor to selected cells. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The facility of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of robots for performing fuselage fastening operations, the robots being movable into selected cells. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The facility of claim 4, wherein the robots are programmed to use fuselage features to establish individual frames of reference, and perform subsequent movements and robotic operations with respect to those reference frames. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The facility of claim 4, wherein the cradles and robots are moved by automated guide vehicles. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The facility of claim 4, wherein each robot includes an end effector for performing fuselage fastening operations, a positioning system for positioning the end effector, and a controller programmed to control the positioning system to move the end effector through a sequence of fastening locations and control the end effector to perform the fastening operations at those locations in the sequence. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the robots include tall robots for performing longitudinal splices and circumferential splices on upper fuselage portions, and short robots for performing circumferential splices on lower fuselage portions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The facility of claim 4, further comprising a gantry for moving fuselage panels and other structures across the facility to selected cradles. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The facility of claim 9, further comprising means for controlling placement, sequencing, and operation of the cradles, the gantry, and the robots. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The facility of claim 10, wherein the placement, sequencing and operation includes using a set of the robots to perform fastening operations in a first cell, and then moving the set to a second after the fastening operations in the first cell have been completed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The facility of claim 10, wherein the means is programmed to control the gantry and a set of cradles and robots to: load a keel structure on a cradle; load a floor grid on the keel structure, the floor grid having stanchions that are located on the keel structure; and locate the lower panels on the floor grid while using the cradle, the floor grid, and the keel structure to support the lower panels. ### Claim 13 A method of assembling a plurality of aircraft fuselages, the method comprising moving movable cradles to different locations on an assembly floor; and using the cradles to assemble panelized fuselages upwards without changing orientations of the fuselages. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein assembling each panelized fuselage includes loading a keel structure on a selected cradle; using DA holes to pin stanchions to a floor grid; positioning the floor grid and stanchions over the keel structure and using DA holes to pin the stanchions to the keel structure; and using DA holes to pin the lower panels on the floor grid while using the cradle, the floor grid, and the keel structure to support the lower panels. ### Claim 15 A method of assembling a panelized aircraft fuselage, the method comprising: loading a keel structure on a cradle; attaching stanchions to a floor grid; positioning the floor grid and stanchions over the keel structure and attaching the stanchions to the keel structure; and locating lower panels on the floor grid while using the cradle, the floor grid, and the keel structure to support the lower panels. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising separating the lower panels with a spreader bar; loading upper panels on the spreader bar, and assembling the upper panels to the lower panels. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein determinant assembly (DA) holes are used to locate the stanchions on the floor grid and the keel structure, stanchions; wherein DA holes are used to locate the lower panels on the floor grid; and wherein DA holes are used to locate the upper panels with respect to the lower panels. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein as the DA holes are aligned, the floor grid is pinned to the keel structure, the lower panels are pinned to the floor grid and stiffened by the floor grid, and the upper panels are pinned to the lower panels to obtain a full contour of the fuselage section prior to splicing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the pinning is performed manually. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein all DA locating holes are internal on the fuselage structure.