The Boeing Company

Riley Harrison HansonSmith

Darrell Darwin Jones

Daniel R Smith

Eric M Reid

Kwok Tung Chan

Tanni Sisco

Farahnaz Sisco

Jeremy Evan Justice

Scott Charles Tomchick

Brent F Craig

John Hartmann

Frank Charles Mestemacher

Tyler Kurtz

Parisa Nazaran

Systems and methods are provided for assembling aircraft fuselages. One embodiment is a method for assembling a fuselage of an aircraft. The method includes indexing an arcuate section of a fuselage to a frame installation station, feeding a frame at the frame installation station into a concavity defined by the arcuate section, placing the frame against an Inner Mold Line (IML) of the arcuate section while the frame is within the concavity, and affixing the frame to the arcuate section.

Frame installation station for aircraft fuselage segments

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 compound contour vacuum track, and an automated fastening machine using the track, for automation of final assembly inside an aircraft fuselage. The track is mounted at an angle to a surface, such as an inside surface of the fuselage, wherein the surface has one or more holes through which fasteners are inserted. The automated fastening machine is mounted on the track to traverse the track while performing fastening functions and steps. The automated fastening machine includes a carriage, arm, and end effector, wherein the arm is mounted on the carriage and the end effector is mounted on the arm. The carriage is attached to the track for positioning the arm and end effector, the arm is attached to the carriage for positioning the end effector, and the end effector is attached to the arm for installing the fasteners into the holes of the surface.

Automated fastening machine using a compound contour vacuum track for automation of final assembly from the interior of a fuselage

Machine vision methods and systems determine if an object within a work field has one or more predetermined features. Methods comprise capturing image data of the work field, applying a filter to the image data, in which the filter comprises an aspect corresponding to a specific feature, and based at least in part on the applying, determining if the object has the specific feature. Systems comprise a camera system configured to capture image data of the work field, and a controller communicatively coupled to the camera system and comprising non-transitory computer readable media having computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the controller to apply a filter to the image data, and based at least in part on applying the filter, determine if the object has the specific feature. Robotic installation methods and systems that utilize machine vision methods and systems also are disclosed.

Machine vision and robotic installation systems and methods

An apparatus may comprise a rail system, a multi-axis carriage, a tool module, and a controller. The rail system may be capable of being attached to a surface on a structure. The multi-axis carriage may be coupled to the rail system. The multi-axis carriage may be capable of moving along the rail system and moving a riveting tool in axes relative to the surface. The tool module may be capable of being removably coupled to the multi-axis carriage. The tool module may comprise a frame and may be capable of receiving the riveting tool. The controller may be capable of controlling movement of the riveting tool to a number of locations on the surface of the structure and may be capable of causing the riveting tool to install a number of rivets in the number of preselected locations in response to a signal.

Rivet installation system

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Riley Harrison HansonSmith