Flexible Track Manufacturing System and Method

• US 20190329905A1
• Filed: 04/26/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Chan, Kwok Tung, Sisco, Tanni, Reid, Eric M., Devlin, Jeffrey Martin
• Granted Patent: US 10,773,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 2210/008 Flexible guiding rails
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 9/0007 Portable machines comprising means for their guidance or support directly on the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/02 travelling along a guideway
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A track manufacturing system comprising:

flexible tracks;

a base attaching system; and

a base system connecting the base attaching system and the flexible tracks to each other in which the base system maintains a desired distance between the flexible tracks and a surface of a structure to which the base attaching system is attached in which the base system enables flexible tracks to bridge structural frames on the surface of the structure.

2. The track manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the flexible tracks comprise:

a first flexible track; and

a second flexible track, wherein the second flexible track is parallel to the first flexible track and wherein the first flexible track and the second flexible track are positioned in parallel with a splice in the structure.

3. The track manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the base system comprises:

a variable height base system connecting the base attaching system and the flexible tracks to each other, wherein the variable height base system has heights selected to maintain the desired distance between the flexible tracks and a surface of the structure to which the base attaching system is attached.

4. The track manufacturing system of claim 3, wherein the variable height base system comprises:

bases having the heights selected to maintain the flexible tracks at the desired distance from the surface of the structure such that the flexible tracks match a contour of the structure.

5. The track manufacturing system of claim 4, wherein a base in the bases is configured to set an angle for a flexible track in the flexible tracks connected to the base such that the flexible track matches the contour of the structure at a location for the flexible track such that the flexible track is substantially perpendicular to the surface.

6. The track manufacturing system of claim 5, wherein the structure is a fuselage section having a radius that decreases and wherein angles for the bases for the flexible tracks increase as the radius decreases.

7. The track manufacturing system of claim 5, wherein the variable height base system further comprises:

frames connected to the bases and the flexible tracks, wherein the bases are connected to the base attaching system.

8. The track manufacturing system of claim 7, wherein a frame in the frames is rotatably connected to the base to set the angle for the flexible track connected to the frame in a manner that causes the flexible track to match the contour of the structure at the location of the flexible track on the structure.

9. The track manufacturing system of claim 7, wherein the base has an angled end connected to the frame, wherein the angled end has the angle that causes the flexible track to match the contour of the structure at the location of the flexible track on the structure.

10. The track manufacturing system of claim 3, wherein the flexible tracks, the base attaching system, and the variable height base system form a flexible track system and further comprising:

a positioning system, wherein the positioning system extends from the variable height base system and is configured to connect to a group of features for the structure to position the flexible track system in a desired position on the structure for properly performing manufacturing operations.

11. The track manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the group of features comprises a group of window openings in the structure, wherein the positioning system comprises a group of window plugs and link pins that connect the group of window plugs to the variable height base system, and wherein the flexible track has a desired position on the surface of the structure when the group of window plugs is connected to the group of window openings.

12. The track manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the base attaching system is a vacuum cup system and wherein the positioning system provides support for the flexible tracks in case a vacuum loss occurs in the vacuum cup system while the vacuum cup system is attached to the surface of the structure.

13. The track manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the flexible tracks comprise a first flexible track and a second flexible track that are parallel to each other and further comprising:

spreader bars configured to connect to the first flexible track and the second flexible track such that a desired span is present between the first flexible track and the second flexible track such that the first flexible track and the second flexible track are equidistant to each other.

14. The track manufacturing system of claim 13, wherein the spreader bars bridge a splice between first flexible tracks and second flexible tracks.

15. The track manufacturing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a crawler robot configured to move along the flexible tracks and perform manufacturing operations.

16. The track manufacturing system of claim 15 further comprising:

a support system configured to position the crawler robot on the flexible tracks.

17. The track manufacturing system of claim 15, wherein the flexible track system and the crawler robot are located on inner mold line (IML) side of the structure and further comprising:

an additional track system with additional flexible tracks located on an outer mold line side of the structure; and

an additional crawler robot configured to move along the additional flexible tracks and perform the manufacturing operations wherein a controller coordinates operation of the crawler robot and the additional crawler robot to perform the manufacturing operations.

19. The track manufacturing system of claim 3, wherein the flexible tracks, the base attaching system, and the variable height base system form a flexible track system.

20. The track manufacturing system of claim 19 further comprising:

a support system configured to position the flexible track system at a desired position on the surface of the structure.

21. The track manufacturing system of claim 19 further comprising:

a number of track clamps connected to the frames connected to the bases and the flexible tracks, wherein the number of track clamps is configured to clamp a structural frame on the structure.

22. The track manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the surface is on one of an inner mold line side and an outer mold line side of the structure.

24. A method for fabricating a portion of an aircraft using the track manufacturing system of claim 1.

18. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. A method for moving a crawler robot on a structure, the method comprising:

bridging structural frames on a surface of the structure with a flexible track system attached to the surface of the structure, wherein the surface is on one of an inner mold line side and an outer mold line side of the structure; and

moving a crawler robot on the flexible track system attached to the surface of the structure.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the bridging step comprises:

bridging the structural frames on the surface of the structure with the flexible track system attached to the surface of the structure, wherein the flexible track system comprises flexible tracks, a base attaching system, and a base system connecting the base attaching system and the flexible tracks to each other and in which the base system enables the flexible tracks to bridge structural frames on the surface of the structure.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

performing manufacturing operations on the structure using the crawler robot.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

attaching the flexible track system to the surface of the structure; and

attaching the crawler robot to the flexible track system.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the attaching step includes:

attaching a first flexible track and a second flexible track in parallel to each other and such that the first flexible track and the second flexible track are positioned in parallel with a splice in the structure.

43. The method of claim 25, wherein the flexible track system and the crawler robot are located on inner mold line side of the structure and wherein an additional track system with additional flexible tracks is located on an outer mold line side of the structure and an additional crawler robot is configured to move along the additional flexible tracks and perform the manufacturing operations and further comprising:

coordinating the crawler robot and the additional crawler robot to perform the manufacturing operations on the structure.

44. A method for fabricating a portion of an aircraft using the track manufacturing system of claim 25.

30. (canceled)

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45. A method for installing a flexible track system, the method comprising:

selecting at least one of a number of heights or a number of angles 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; and

attaching the flexible track system to the surface of the structure in which in a configuration of at least one of the variable height base system or the base attaching system enables the flexible tracks to bridge structural frames on the surface of the structure.

46. The method of claim 45, attaching the flexible track system to the surface of the structure comprises:

installing spreader bars between a first flexible track in the flexible tracks and a second flexible track in the flexible tracks, wherein the spreader bars bridge a splice between the first flexible track and the second flexible track.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein attaching the flexible track system to the surface of the structure comprises:

attaching the flexible track system to the surface of the structure on an inner mold line side of the structure or an outer mold line side of the structure.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the base attaching system is a vacuum cup system and wherein attaching the flexible track system to the structure comprises:

applying a vacuum to the vacuum cup system such that the vacuum cup system is attached to the surface of the structure.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein attaching the flexible track system to the structure further comprises:

attaching the flexible track system to a group of features on the structure to attach the flexible track system to a desired position on the structure.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the group of features is a group of window openings in the structure, and wherein the attaching step comprises:

installing a group of window plugs into the group of window openings in the structure;

positioning the flexible track system relative to the group of window plugs; and

connecting the flexible track system to the group of window plugs.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein connecting the flexible track system to the group of window plugs comprises:

connecting link pins to frames in the variable height base system in first tracks in the flexible track system and the group of window plugs.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein positioning the flexible track system relative to the group of window plugs comprises:

moving a cart holding the flexible track system relative to the group of window plugs installed in the group of window openings such that the flexible track system is in a position for connection to the group of window plugs.

54. The method of claim 45, wherein the structure is a fuselage section having a radius that decreases and wherein the angles for the bases for the flexible tracks increase as the radius decreases.

56. A portion of an aircraft assembled according to the method of claim 45.

53. (canceled)

55. (canceled)

57. A vacuum track manufacturing system comprising:

flexible tracks comprising a first flexible track and a second flexible track in which the first flexible track and the second flexible track are configured to bend to correspond to a contour in a surface of a structure;

a vacuum cup system;

a variable height base system connecting the vacuum cup system and the flexible tracks to each other;

a flexible track system in which the variable height base system has heights that are selected to maintain a desired distance between the flexible tracks and the surface of the structure to which the vacuum cup system is attached in which the variable height base system comprises;

frames connected to the flexible tracks; and

bases connected to the frames in which the frames of the bases have the heights selected to maintain the flexible tracks at the desired distance from the surface of the structure such that the flexible tracks match a contour of the structure, in which a base in the bases is configured to set an angle for a flexible track in the flexible tracks connected to the base such that the flexible track matches a contour of the structure at a location for the flexible track by at least one of being rotatably connected to a frame in the frames to set the angle for the flexible track connected to the frame in a manner that causes the flexible track to match the contour of the structure at the location of the flexible track on the structure or having an angled end connected to the frame in which the angled end has the angle that causes the flexible track to match the contour of the structure at the location of the flexible track on the structure in which in a configuration of at least one of the variable height base system or the vacuum cup system enables the flexible tracks to bridge structural frames on the surface of the structure;

a positioning system, wherein the positioning system extends from the variable height base system and is configured to connect to a group of features for the structure to position the flexible track system in a desired position on the structure for performing manufacturing operations on the structure;

spreader bars configured to connect to the first flexible track and the second flexible track such that a desired span is present between the first flexible track and the second flexible track in which the spreader bars bridge a splice between the first flexible track and the second flexible track; and

a crawler robot configured to move along the flexible tracks and perform the manufacturing operations on the structure.

59. The vacuum track manufacturing system of claim 57, wherein the flexible track system and the crawler robot are located on inner mold line side of the structure and further comprising:

an additional track system with additional flexible tracks located on an outer mold line side of the structure; and

an additional crawler robot configured to move along the additional flexible tracks and perform the manufacturing operations wherein a controller coordinates operation of the crawler robot and the additional crawler robot to perform the manufacturing operations.

60. A method for fabricating a portion of an aircraft using the vacuum track manufacturing system of claim 57.

58. (canceled)

61. A method for moving a crawler robot on a surface of a structure, the method comprising:

connecting a flexible track system relative to a group of features for the structure using a positioning system to position the flexible track system in a desired position on the structure for property performing manufacturing operations;

attaching the flexible track system to the surface of the structure in which the flexible track system comprises flexible tracks, a vacuum cup system, and a variable height base system having frames and bases connecting the vacuum cup system to the flexible tracks, in which the bases are connected to vacuum cups and the frames, in which a base in the bases has a height selected to maintain a flexible track in the flexible tracks at a desired distance from the surface of the structure at a location of the structure selected for the base such that the flexible tracks match a contour of the structure, in which the base is configured to set an angle for the flexible track connected to the base such that the flexible track matches a contour of the structure at a location for the flexible track by at least one of being rotatably connected to a frame in the frames to set the angle for the flexible track connected to the frame in a manner that causes the track to match the contour of the structure at the location of the track on the structure or having an angled end connected to the frame, in which the angled end has the angle that causes the flexible track to match the contour of the structure at the location of the flexible track on the structure in which the variable height base system enables the flexible tracks to bridge structural frames on the surface of the structure;

attaching the crawler robot to the flexible track system;

moving the crawler robot on the flexible track system attached to the surface of the structure; and

performing manufacturing operations on the structure using the crawler robot.

63. The method of claim 61 further comprising:

supporting the flexible track system in case a vacuum loss occurs in the vacuum cup system while the vacuum cup system is attached to the surface of the structure.

66. A portion of an aircraft assembled according to the method of claim 61.

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