Autonomous carrier system for moving aircraft structures
First Claim
1. A method for manufacturing a structure, the method comprising:
- supporting a first part for the structure on a plurality of mobile fixtures configured to control an orientation of the first part;
moving the first part for the structure using the plurality of mobile fixtures to a number of stations for performing a number of operations for manufacturing the structure using the first part in which the plurality of mobile fixtures is configured to move in a coordinated manner and substantially maintain a desired orientation for the first part for a next station of the number of stations while moving the first part to the next station in the number of stations; and
performing the number of operations for manufacturing the structure at the number of stations while the plurality of mobile fixtures supports the first part;
wherein each mobile fixture comprises a motorized base, wherein the motorized base comprises a movement system, and wherein the movement system comprises magnetic tracks configured to move;
wherein the magnetic tracks are configured to attract a steel plate on a surface of a floor of a manufacturing environment to manufacture the structure;
changing the orientation of the first part at the next station in the number of stations using at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures;
wherein the step of changing the orientation of the first part at the next station in the number of stations using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures comprises;
rotating the first part about at least one of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures to change the orientation of the first part; and
coordinating the movement and height adjustment of the fixtures to maintain the first part in a preselected orientation during a manufacturing step and while moving the first part from one position to another along the floor to prevent changes to an orientation of the structure beyond a desired amount that would bring one or more features of the structure out of tolerance and that would affect one or more of performance and maintenance of the structure.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for manufacturing a structure. A part for the structure may be supported on a plurality of mobile fixtures configured to control an orientation of the part. The part for the structure may be moved using the plurality of mobile fixtures to a number of stations for performing a number of operations for manufacturing the structure using the part. The plurality of mobile fixtures may be configured to move in a coordinated manner and substantially maintain a desired orientation for the part while moving the part to a station in the number of stations. The number of operations for manufacturing the structure may be performed at the number of stations while the plurality of mobile fixtures supports the part.
42 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for manufacturing a structure, the method comprising:
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supporting a first part for the structure on a plurality of mobile fixtures configured to control an orientation of the first part; moving the first part for the structure using the plurality of mobile fixtures to a number of stations for performing a number of operations for manufacturing the structure using the first part in which the plurality of mobile fixtures is configured to move in a coordinated manner and substantially maintain a desired orientation for the first part for a next station of the number of stations while moving the first part to the next station in the number of stations; and performing the number of operations for manufacturing the structure at the number of stations while the plurality of mobile fixtures supports the first part; wherein each mobile fixture comprises a motorized base, wherein the motorized base comprises a movement system, and wherein the movement system comprises magnetic tracks configured to move; wherein the magnetic tracks are configured to attract a steel plate on a surface of a floor of a manufacturing environment to manufacture the structure; changing the orientation of the first part at the next station in the number of stations using at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures; wherein the step of changing the orientation of the first part at the next station in the number of stations using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures comprises; rotating the first part about at least one of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures to change the orientation of the first part; and coordinating the movement and height adjustment of the fixtures to maintain the first part in a preselected orientation during a manufacturing step and while moving the first part from one position to another along the floor to prevent changes to an orientation of the structure beyond a desired amount that would bring one or more features of the structure out of tolerance and that would affect one or more of performance and maintenance of the structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 28, 33)
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13. An apparatus comprising:
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a number of stations for performing a number of operations for manufacturing a structure; and a plurality of mobile fixtures configured to support a first part for the structure, control an orientation of the first part for a next station of the number of stations, and move the first part to the next station in the number of stations while substantially maintaining a desired orientation for the first part in which the plurality of mobile fixtures is configured to move in a coordinated manner; wherein each mobile fixture comprises a motorized base, wherein the motorized base comprises a movement system, and wherein the movement system comprises magnetic tracks configured to move; wherein the magnetic tracks are configured to attract a steel plate on a surface of a floor of a manufacturing environment to manufacture the structure; wherein the orientation of the first part is changed at the next station in the number of stations using at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures; wherein the step of changing the orientation of the first part at the next station in the number of stations using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures comprises; rotating the first part about at least one of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures to change the orientation of the first part; wherein the movement and height adjustment of the fixtures is coordinated to maintain the first part in a preselected orientation during a manufacturing step and while moving the first part from one position to another along the floor to prevent changes to an orientation of the structure beyond a desired amount that would bring one or more features of the structure out of tolerance and that would affect one or more of performance and maintenance of the structure. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for manufacturing a structure for an aerospace vehicle, the method comprising:
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supporting a first part for the structure on a plurality of mobile fixtures configured to control an orientation of the first part with respect to an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis; receiving information at controllers in the plurality of mobile fixtures from a carrier controller in communication with the controllers in which the carrier controller is configured to control movement of the plurality of mobile fixtures in a coordinated manner; moving the first part for the structure using the plurality of mobile fixtures to a number of stations for performing a number of operations for manufacturing the structure using the first part in which the plurality of mobile fixtures is configured to move and substantially maintain a desired orientation for the first part for a next station of the number of stations while moving the first part to the next station in the number of stations and in which the number of stations is part of an assembly line for manufacturing the structure; and performing at least one of the number of operations for manufacturing the structure at the station in the number of stations using a group of tools while the plurality of mobile fixtures supports the first part; wherein each mobile fixture comprises a motorized base, wherein the motorized base comprises a movement system, and wherein the movement system comprises magnetic tracks configured to move; wherein the magnetic tracks are configured to attract a steel plate on a surface of a floor of a manufacturing environment to manufacture the structure; changing the orientation of the first part at the next station in the number of stations using at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures; wherein the step of changing the orientation of the first part at the next station in the number of stations using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures comprises; rotating the first part about at least one of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures to change the orientation of the first part; and coordinating the movement and height adjustment of the fixtures to maintain the first part in a preselected orientation during a manufacturing step and while moving the first part from one position to another along the floor to prevent changes to an orientation of the structure beyond a desired amount that would bring one or more features of the structure out of tolerance and that would affect one or more of performance and maintenance of the structure.
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27. A system comprising:
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a carrier system for an aircraft structure, the carrier system comprising; a plurality of mobile fixtures configured to hold and move the aircraft structure, in which a mobile fixture in the plurality of mobile fixtures comprises;
(a) a motorized base configured to move on a surface;
(b) a support system associated with the motorized base and configured to be positioned to support a portion of a structure in which the support system comprises a post extending from the motorized base;
a connector system configured to be connected to the structure;
a member movably connected to the post and connected to the connector system and configured to move the connector system relative to the motorized base and change a height of the connector system relative to the motorized base;
(c) a controller associated with the motorized base and configured to control movement of the motorized base and the plurality of mobile fixtures on the surface; and
(d) a movement system configured to move the member relative to the connector system in which the connector system comprises a connector configured to be connected to the portion of the structure and a positioning system configured to position the connector about a number of axes, in which the motorized base has a housing and the movement system in which the movement system comprises magnetic tracks and a motor configured to move the magnetic tracks;wherein the magnetic tracks are configured to attract a steel plate on a surface of a floor of a manufacturing environment to manufacture the structure; and a carrier controller configured to communicate with controllers in the plurality of mobile fixtures and control movement of the plurality of mobile fixtures in which the carrier controller is configured to control the plurality of mobile fixtures to maintain the structure in a desired orientation for a next station of a number of stations while moving the structure to the next station in a number of stations; wherein the orientation of the structure is changed at the next station in the number of stations using at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures; wherein the step of changing the orientation of the structure at the next station in the number of stations using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures comprises; rotating the structure about at least one of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures to change the orientation of the structure; wherein the movement and height adjustment of the fixtures is coordinated to maintain the structure in a preselected orientation during a manufacturing step and while moving the structure from one position to another along the floor to prevent changes to an orientation of the structure beyond a desired amount that would bring one or more features of the structure out of tolerance and that would affect one or more of performance and maintenance of the structure.
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29. A method for manufacturing a structure, the method comprising:
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supporting a first part for the structure in a preselected orientation with a plurality of mobile fixtures, each fixture being movable along a factory floor and adjustable in height; coordinating the movement and height adjustment of the fixtures to maintain the first part in the preselected orientation during a manufacturing step and while moving the first part from one position to another along the factory floor to prevent changes to an orientation of the structure beyond a desired amount that would bring one or more features of the structure out of tolerance and that would affect one or more of performance and maintenance of the structure; and changing the orientation of the first part at a next station in a number of stations using at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures; wherein the step of changing the orientation of the first part at the next station in the number of stations using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures comprises; rotating the first part about at least one of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures to change the orientation of the first part; wherein each mobile fixture comprises a motorized base, wherein the motorized base comprises a movement system, and wherein the movement system comprises magnetic tracks configured to move; and wherein the magnetic tracks are configured to attract a steel plate on a surface of the factory floor. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A method for manufacturing a structure, the method comprising:
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supporting a first part for the structure on a plurality of mobile fixtures configured to control an orientation of the first part; performing a number of operations for manufacturing the structure at a number of stations while the plurality of mobile fixtures supports the first part; maintaining a desired orientation for the first part during manufacture of the structure to manufacture the structure within desired tolerances via the plurality of mobile fixtures that are configured to move in a coordinated manner and substantially maintain a desired orientation for the first part; wherein each mobile fixture comprises a motorized base, wherein the motorized base comprises a movement system, and wherein the movement system comprises magnetic tracks configured to move; wherein the magnetic tracks are configured to attract a steel plate on a surface of a floor of a manufacturing environment to manufacture the structure; changing the orientation of the first part at a next station in the number of stations using at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures; wherein the step of changing the orientation of the first part at the next station in the number of stations using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures comprises; rotating the first part about at least one of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis using the at least one of the plurality of mobile fixtures to change the orientation of the first part; and coordinating the movement and height adjustment of the fixtures to maintain the first part in a preselected orientation during a manufacturing step and while moving the first part from one position to another along the floor to prevent changes to an orientation of the structure beyond a desired amount that would bring one or more features of the structure out of tolerance and that would affect one or more of performance and maintenance of the structure.
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Specification