Method and system for fabricating, equipping and outfitting an aircraft fuselage

• US 6,237,210 B1
• Filed: 08/02/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimlerchrysler North America Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimlerchrysler North America Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Koehler, Bernd, Stoewer, Udo, Kosuch, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): JIMENEZ, MARC QUEMUEL
• Application Number:
  US09/366,034
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 29/429, 29/430, 29/897.2, 29/431, 29/525.06, 29/791, 29/795, 29/243.53, 29/428, 29/897, 29/701, 29/824
• US Class Current: 29/430
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/00 Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49831 Advancing station
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/534 Multiple station assembly or disassembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5377 Riveter

Abstract

A fuselage is substantially simultaneously fabricated, equipped and outfitted in an assembly area including adjacent riveting, equipping and outfitting zones. The riveting zone includes an external riveting apparatus working from the outside of the aircraft fuselage, and an internal riveting apparatus working from the inside of the fuselage to fabricate and join a first fuselage section to an initial structure. The first fuselage section is moved from the riveting zone into an equipping zone, wherein equipment, such as pipes, ducts, hoses, pumps, blowers and structural components and fittings of the aircraft, is installed in the first fuselage section, while simultaneously a second fuselage section is being rivet-joined onto the first fuselage section in the riveting zone. The second fuselage section is moved from the riveting zone into the equipping zone, and the first fuselage section is moved from the equipping zone into the outfitting zone. Equipment is installed in the second fuselage section in the equipping zone, while outfitting components such as electrical cable bundles, insulation blankets, wall paneling, floors, furnishings, and cabin fittings are installed in the first fuselage section in the outfitting zone. Next, the fuselage being formed is shifted so that the second fuselage section moves from the equipping zone into the outfitting zone, while a third fuselage section is joined onto the second fuselage section in the riveting zone.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating, equipping and outfitting at least a segment of an aircraft fuselage including a plurality of fuselage sections, in an assembly area including a riveting zone having an automatic riveting machine, an equipping zone and an outfitting zone, said method comprising the following steps:

a) moving a first fuselage section into said riveting zone, and joining said first fuselage section onto an initial structure using said automatic riveting machine;

b) moving said first fuselage section and said initial structure in common so that said first fuselage section is moved from said riveting zone into said equipping zone;

c) moving a second fuselage section into said riveting zone, and joining said second fuselage section onto said first fuselage section using said automatic riveting machine;

d) at least partially overlapping in time with said step c), installing equipment components into said first fuselage section in said equipping zone;

e) moving said first fuselage section and said second fuselage section in common so that said first fuselage section is moved from said equipping zone into said outfitting zone and said second fuselage section is moved from said riveting zone into said equipping zone;

f) moving a third fuselage section into said riveting zone, and joining said third fuselage section onto said second fuselage section using said automatic riveting machine;

g) at least partially overlapping in time with said step f), installing equipment components into said second fuselage section in said equipping zone and installing outfitting components into said first fuselage section in said outfitting zone; and

h) moving said first, second and third fuselage sections in common so that said second fuselage section is moved from said equipping zone into said outfitting zone and said third fuselage section is moved from said riveting zone into said equipping zone.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the following steps:

i) moving a further fuselage section into said riveting zone, and joining said further fuselage section onto said fuselage section located in said equipping zone using said automatic riveting machine;

j) at least partially overlapping in time with said step i), installing equipment components into said fuselage section located in said equipping zone and installing outfitting components into said fuselage section located in said outfitting zone;

k) moving said fuselage sections in common so that said fuselage section that was in said equipping zone is moved from said equipping zone into said outfitting zone and said fuselage section that was in said riveting zone is moved from said riveting zone into said equipping zone; and

l) repeating said steps i), j) and k) in successive cycles using respective successive additional fuselage sections, for a sufficient number of cycles to form a complete fuselage or a fuselage segment having a required axial length.

3. The method according to claim 2, carried out so as to form said complete fuselage including a cockpit fuselage section and a tailcone fuselage section and a plurality of body fuselage sections joined therebetween, and wherein said initial structure comprises one of said cockpit fuselage section and said tailcone fuselage section.

4. The method according to claim 2, carried out so as to form said fuselage segment, which comprises a straight substantially cylindrical segment of an aircraft fuselage without at least one of a cockpit section and a tailcone section, and further comprising a subsequent step of joining said at least one of a cockpit section and a tailcone section to said fuselage segment.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein each said fuselage section moved into said riveting zone has been previously fabricated, and said automatic riveting machine is used in said riveting zone only for respectively joining each said fuselage section located in said riveting zone respectively to said fuselage section located in said equipping zone by fastening rivets along a transverse circumferential seam between said fuselage sections being joined.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein each said fuselage section moved into said riveting zone is an unassembled fuselage section comprising a plurality of fuselage components temporarily held together along longitudinal seams, and further comprising joining together said fuselage components along said longitudinal seams using said automatic riveting machine when each said fuselage section is located respectively in said riveting zone, and wherein said joining of each said fuselage section respectively in said riveting zone to said fuselage section respectively in said equipping zone comprises joining with rivets along a transverse circumferential seam using said automatic riveting machine.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said automatic riveting machine includes an orbital riveting apparatus and a riveting robot, and wherein said joining using said automatic riveting machine comprises moving said riveting robot inside of said fuselage section and moving said orbital riveting apparatus outside of said fuselage section in said riveting zone.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said equipment components comprise components selected from pipes, hoses, conduits, ducts, pumps, blowers, electrical devices, pneumatic devices, hydraulic devices, airframe structural components, and cabin structural components.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said outfitting components comprise components selected from insulation blankets, insulation packets, electrical conductors and cables, wall panels, floor decks, mounting hardware and fittings, trim components, seats, baggage compartments, and light fixtures.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said outfitting components comprise components selected from insulation blankets, insulation packets, electrical conductors and cables, wall panels, floor decks, mounting hardware and fittings, trim components, seats, baggage compartments, and light fixtures.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said outfitting components are different components from said equipment components.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising arranging a safety screening divider between said riveting zone and said equipping zone before said step of installing said equipment components in said fuselage section in said equipping zone.

13. The method according to claim 1, where in said installing of said equipment components in said fuselage section respectively in said equipping zone and said installing of said outfitting components in said outfitting zone are carried out substantially simultaneously with each other.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said equipping zone has a length corresponding to an axial length of one of said fuselage sections, and said steps of moving said fuselage sections comprise moving said fuselage sections respectively one process step distance corresponding to said axial length.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein each said fuselage section comprises a plurality of fuselage subsections that are joined to each other along respective transverse circumferential seams in said riveting zone using said automatic riveting machine.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said zones immediately adjoin one another along an axis of said fuselage sections.

17. A system for fabricating, equipping and outfitting at least a plurality of sections of an aircraft fuselage, comprising:

an assembly station including a riveting zone having an automatic riveting machine therein, an equipping zone directly adjoining said riveting zone, and an outfitting zone directly adjoining said equipping zone; and

a partially assembled aircraft fuselage that includes plural fuselage sections joined to each other, and that is located in said assembly station;

wherein at least one first fuselage section of said plural fuselage sections is located in said outfitting zone, at least one second fuselage section of said plural fuselage sections is located in said equipping zone, and at least one third fuselage section of said plural fuselage sections is located in said riveting zone;

wherein said first fuselage section contains equipment components and outfitting components installed therein, said second fuselage section contains equipment components and does not contain outfitting components installed therein, and said third fuselage section does not contain equipment components and does not contain outfitting components installed therein; and

wherein said assembly station has dimensions large enough to receive said partially assembled aircraft fuselage therein, and each one of said zones respectively individually has dimensions that are large enough to receive said at least one of said fuselage sections respectively therein and are too small to receive all of said partially assembled aircraft fuselage therein.

18. The system according to claim 17,

wherein said equipment components comprise components selected from pipes, hoses, conduits, ducts, pumps, blowers, electrical devices, pneumatic devices, hydraulic devices, airframe structural components, and cabin structural components, and

wherein said outfitting components comprise components selected from insulation blankets, insulation packets, electrical conductors and cables, wall panels, floor decks, mounting hardware and fittings, trim components, seats, baggage compartments, and light fixtures.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said dimensions of said assembly station are only large enough to accommodate one complete aircraft fuselage that is finished from said partially assembled aircraft fuselage therein.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein said dimensions of each one of said zones are respectively only large enough to receive a single one of said fuselage sections therein.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein said automatic riveting machine comprises an orbital riveting apparatus that is movable around an exterior of said third fuselage section in said riveting zone and a riveting robot that is movable inside of said third fuselage section in said riveting zone.

22. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a safety screening divider arranged between said riveting zone and said equipping zone.

23. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a carriage system supporting said first, second and third fuselage sections respectively in said zones, for moving said fuselage sections successively stepwise into said riveting zone, said equipping zone and said outfitting zone.

24. A system for fabricating, equipping and outfitting at least a segment of an aircraft fuselage including an initial structure and first, second and third fuselage sections, said system comprising an assembly area including a riveting zone having an automatic riveting machine, an equipping zone and an outfitting zone, first means for moving said fuselage sections among said zones, and second means for installing equipment components and outfitting components into said fuselage sections,

wherein said first means are for moving said first fuselage section into said riveting zone, and said automatic riveting machine is for joining said first fuselage section onto said initial structure in said riveting zone,

wherein said first means are further for moving said first fuselage section and said initial structure in common so that said first fuselage section is moved from said riveting zone into said equipping zone,

wherein said first means are further for moving said second fuselage section into said riveting zone, and said automatic riveting machine is further for joining said second fuselage section onto said first fuselage section in said riveting zone,

wherein said second means are further for installing equipment components into said first fuselage section in said equipping zone,

wherein said first means are further for moving said first fuselage section and said second fuselage section in common so that said first fuselage section is moved from said equipping zone into said outfitting zone and said second fuselage section is moved from said riveting zone into said equipping zone,

wherein said first means are further for moving said third fuselage section into said riveting zone, and said automatic riveting machine is further for joining said third fuselage section onto said second fuselage section in said riveting zone,

wherein said second means are further for installing equipment components into said second fuselage section in said equipping zone and for installing outfitting components into said first fuselage section in said outfitting zone, and

wherein said first means are further for moving said first, second and third fuselage sections in common so that said second fuselage section is moved from said equipping zone into said outfitting zone and said third fuselage section is moved from said riveting zone into said equipping zone.