Method of assembling parts on an aircraft skin to form a panel
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsAntonio C. Micale, David E. Strand
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for manufacturing panels and major airplane fuselage sections, including a reconfigurable fixture that holds panels for routing and drilling by accurate numerically controlled machine tools using original numerical part definition records, utilizing spatial relationships between key features of detail parts or subassemblies as represented by coordination holes drilled into the parts and subassemblies and making the parts and subassemblies intrinsically determinate of the dimensions and contour of the assembly.
Claims7
A method of accurately assembling a part on a sheet to make a panel, comprising:
- positioning said sheet on a fixture and holding said sheet immobile on said fixture;
- locating reference points on said sheet comprising at least two points from which dimensions to holes and other machined surfaces on said sheet are referenced;
- downloading digital product definition data which includes sheet data and part data from a central product engineering authority to a post processor;
- converting said digital product definition data in said post processor into machine instructions for instructing a numerically controlled machine tool where to drill coordination holes in said sheet relative to said reference points said numerically controlled machine tool comprising a precision computer controlled robot including an end effector having a drill;
- drilling coordination holes in said sheet using said end effector of said precision computer controlled robot that is directed to the drilling locations using said machine instructions;
- drilling corresponding coordination holes in said part;
- removing said sheet from said fixture;
- aligning said corresponding coordination holes in said part with said coordination holes in said sheet to accurately position said part with respect to said sheet;
- and
- assembling said accurately positioned part on said sheet.
A method of accurately assembling apart on a sheet to make a panel, comprising:
- positioning said sheet and said part on a fixture and holding said sheet and said part immobile on said fixture;
- locating reference points on said sheet comprising at least two points from which dimensions to holes and other machined surfaces on said sheet are referenced;
- downloading digital product definition data which includes sheet data and part data from a central product engineering authority to a post processor;
- converting said digital product definition data in said post processor into machine instructions for instructing a numerically controlled machine tool where to drill coordination holes in said sheet relative to said reference points, said numerically controlled machine tool comprising a precision computer controlled robot including an end effector having a drill;
- drilling coordination holes in said sheet using said end effector of said precision computer controlled robot that is directed to the drilling locations using said machine instructions;
- drilling corresponding coordination holes in said part;
- removing said sheet and said part from said fixture;
- deburring said part and said sheet to remove burrs around said holes;
- aligning said coordination holes in said sheet and said part to accurately locate said part on said sheet;
- temporarily fastening said part to said sheet through said coordination holes;
- clamping said part to said sheet;
- drilling rivet holes in said sheet and said part;
- and
- riveting said part to said sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.