The Boeing Company

The Boeiog Company

Eric M Reid

Matthew Ray DesJardien

Steven Best

Clayton Lynn Munk

Dan Dresskell Day

Darrell Darwin Jones

Tanni Sisco

Kwok Tung Chan

Steven A Best

Matthew Ray Desjardien

James Niemann Buttrick

Daniel Mark McDonagh

Matthew R Desjardien

Jeffrey Devlin

Alan Ray Merkley

Antonio C Micale

James M Cobb

Riley Harrison HansonSmith

Daniel R Smith

Paul Elfes Nelson

James N Buttrick, Jr

Paul Reed Stone

Dario I Valenzuela

Brent F Craig

David Paul Banks

Farahnaz Sisco

Edward John Batt

John Hartmann

James C Murphy

Carlos Crespo

Steven John Schmitt

Jaeeun Shin

Daniel M Mcdonagh

Jeffrey Martin Devlin

Jeremy Evan Justice

Thomas Jacob Hagman

Noel A Spishak

Jeff Devlin

Skye Jenkins

Paul Edward Jennerjohn

Paul G Solecki

Donald Joe Best, Iii

Brendan Elmore

Daniel Saeil Martin

Samuel Chew

David McCaig

Jeffrey D Schwindt

Matthew J Masters

Michael G Sanders

Parisa Nazaran

Eric J Schaefer

William Goodridge Westgard

Carlos Daniel Crespo

Dario Valenzuela

Thomas J Hagman

Alan R Merkley

Jeffrey M Devlin

Skye Sutherland Jenkins

Darell Darwin Jones

Edward J Batt

Riley Hansonsmith

Systems and methods are provided for aircraft assembly. The method includes receiving a half barrel section of fuselage in an assembly line having a plurality of serially arranged work stations; advancing the half barrel section in a process direction through the assembly line such that the half barrel section extends across at least a portion of the work stations; and performing work on the half barrel section with the portion of the work stations simultaneously.

Moving line assembly of airframes

A method for installing a fastener system. A position on a structure relative to an overhang on the structure is automatically sensed for installing a fastener system in a hole using an offset collar installer. The offset collar installer is moved about a rotation axis to the position such that a collar in the fastener system is held in the position over the hole. The offset collar installer is connected to a platform and rotatable about the rotation axis. The collar is fastened to an engagement feature for a bolt in the hole.

Fastener installation

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.

Flexible manufacturing system for aircraft structures

An apparatus and method for supporting an object. In one illustrative embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a support structure, a positioning system, and a retention system. The positioning system may be associated with the support structure and configured to position the support structure with respect to a number of linear axes. The retention system may be associated with the support structure. The retention system may be configured to retain a portion of an object and move the portion of the object towards a platform such that the portion of the object substantially conforms to a shape of the platform.

Modular and reconfigurable support system

A mobile fixture configured to move a structure in a manufacturing environment may include a motorized base configured to move on a surface and a support system connected to the motorized base, the support system being configured to support the structure, the support system being configured to position the structure along at least one of an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis, the support system being configured to position the structure about the Z-axis, and the support system being configured to provide free rotation of the structure about at least one of the X-axis and the Y-axis.

Apparatus and method for moving a structure in a manufacturing environment

A scanning apparatus for predictive shimming includes a scanning platform. The scanning apparatus also include a first scanner, coupled to the scanning platform, and a second scanner, coupled to the scanning platform. The scanning platform is configured to move the first scanner and the second scanner together along an X-axis and a Z-axis. The scanning platform is also configured to move the first scanner and the second scanner independent of and relative to each other along a Y-axis and a Z-axis. A first field of view of the first scanner and a second field of view of the second scanner at least partially overlap when the first scanner and the second scanner move in opposite directions along the Y-axis.

Scanning apparatus and method of scanning

A method for assembly manufacturing including positioning a workpiece in an assembly position within an operational cell, positioning a fastening machine relative to the workpiece, wherein the fastening machine includes a robot frame comprising a throat, an assembly end effector coupled to the frame about the throat, and a plurality of linear actuators coupled to the frame, moving, by the plurality of linear actuators, the fastening machine about at least one of six degrees of freedom to receive at least a portion of the workpiece within the throat and position the assembly end effector relative to the workpiece, and performing, by the fastening machine, a fastening operation on the workpiece.

System and method for assembly manufacturing

A method and system for installing a fastener system. A collar in the fastener system is automatically positioned on a hole on a first side of a structure prior to an insertion of a pin in the fastener system into the hole from a second side of the structure in which the pin has a pin tail. The pin with the pin tail is inserted through the collar in which the pin extends through the hole and the collar. A force is applied on at least one of the collar or the pin tail along a centerline extending centrally though the collar until the pin tail becomes separated from the pin such that the collar engages an engagement feature on the pin when the pin with pin tail is inserted into the hole from the second side.

Collar positioning system

Offset fastener installation system

A method for installing a flexible track system is presented. At least one of a number of heights or a number of angles is selected for a variable height base system that connects a base attaching system and flexible tracks in the flexible track system to each other, wherein at least one of the number of heights or the number of angles for the variable height base system maintains at least one of a desired distance between the flexible tracks and a surface of a structure to which the base attaching system is attached to the flexible tracks in the flexible track system matching a contour of the surface of the structure. The flexible track system is attached to the surface of the structure.

Flexible track manufacturing system and method

Systems and methods are provided for assembling a magazine for a swage tool. The method includes selecting a cartridge that comprises a first serpentine channel dimensioned for conveying collars, and further comprises an entrance and an exit of the first serpentine channel. The method also includes disposing the cartridge at a swage tool.

Stackable collar cartridges for swage tools

A method and apparatus for maintaining a selected configuration for a structure. Metrology data for a support system is received while the support system holds the structure. A determination is made as to whether a current configuration of the structure is within selected tolerances of the selected configuration for the structure based on the metrology data. The support system is moved to move the structure held by the support system into the selected configuration in response to a determination that the current configuration of the structure is not within the selected tolerances of the selected configuration for the structure.

Metrology system for positioning assemblies

A method and apparatus for supporting a structure. The apparatus may comprise a support, a load-balancing structure associated with the support, and a set of connection devices associated with the load-balancing structure. The set of connection devices may be configured to connect to the structure to form a set of control points. Each of the set of connection devices may be configured to independently control a location of a corresponding control point in the set of control points.

Apparatus, system, and method for supporting a wing assembly

Flexible manufacturing for aircraft structures

A method for assembly manufacturing may include the steps of: (1) positioning, by a material-handling system, an unassembled workpiece in a first assembly position within a tacking cell, (2) performing, by a first plurality of fastening machines, a tack fastening operation on the unassembled workpiece to form a partially assembled workpiece, (3) transferring, by the material-handling system, the partially assembled workpiece from the tacking cell to a fastening cell, (4) positioning, by the material-handling system, the partially assembled workpiece in a second assembly position within the fastening cell, and (5) performing, by a second plurality of fastening machines, a final fastening operation on the partially assembled workpiece to form an assembled workpiece.

Growing community of inventors

Kenmore, WA, United States of America

Eric M Reid