Aircraft airframe assembly

• US 9,889,949 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Cookson, Andrew Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): YOO, JUN S
• Application Number:
  US15/305,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20170174364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/402 characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41805 characterised by assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35025 Design and manufacture jig
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37221 Probe fixture to know datum points
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45055 Assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49007 Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method of producing an assembly tool (60) for assembling an assembly (6), the method comprising: providing at least a portion of a jig frame (62); fixing support plates (65) to the jig frame (62); machining the one or more support plates (65) such that a surface of each of the support plates (65) lies in a common plane (130); positioning the jig frame (62) such that the machined surfaces of the support plates (65) contact with a supporting surface (138); fixing pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) to the jig frame (62); machining, with respect to the supporting surface (138), the pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) such that a surface of each mounting plate (140a, 40b) has a respective predetermined position and orientation with respect to the supporting surface (138); and fixing, to the machined surfaces of the mounting plates (140a, 140b), a respective pickup device (66-72).

Claims

1. A method of producing a single, unitary, assembly tool (60), the assembly tool (60) being for assembling an assembly (6) comprising one or more components (8-20), the method comprising:

providing at least a portion of a jig frame (62);

fixing one or more support plates (65) to the at least a portion of the jig frame (62);

machining the one or more support plates (65) such that a surface of each of the support plates (65) lies in a common plane (130);

positioning the at least a portion of the jig frame (62) such that the surfaces of the support plates (65) that lie in the common plane (130) are in contact with a supporting surface (138);

fixing one or more pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) to the at least a portion of the jig frame (62);

machining, with respect to the supporting surface (138), each of the pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) such that a pickup device receiving surface of that pickup device mounting plate (140a, 140b) has a respective predetermined position and orientation with respect to the supporting surface (138); and

fixing, to the pickup device receiving surface of each of the pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b), a respective pickup device (66-72), each pickup device (66-72) having a receiving element (74-80) for receiving a component (8-20) of the assembly (6);

wherein the assembly (6) comprises at least one fuselage frame (8, 10, 12), and at least one longeron (14, 16, 18); and

whereby the receiving elements (74-80) of the single, unitary, assembly tool (60) are configured to hold the at least one fuselage frame (8, 10, 12) in an orientation with respect to the at least one longeron (14, 16, 18) for attachment of the at least one longeron (14, 16, 18) to the at least one fuselage frame (8, 10, 12).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of a jig frame (62) is an upper portion of the jig frame, the method further comprising:

providing a lower portion of the jig frame;

fixing one or more further support plates to the lower portion of the jig frame;

machining the one or more further support plates such that a surface of each of the further support plates lies in a further common plane;

positioning the lower portion of the jig frame such that the surfaces of the further support plates that lie in the further common plane are in contact with the supporting surface (138);

fixing one or more further pickup device mounting plates to the lower portion of the jig frame;

machining, with respect to the supporting surface (138), each of the further pickup device mounting plates such that a pickup device receiving surface of that further pickup device mounting plate has a respective predetermined position and orientation with respect to the supporting surface (138);

fixing, to the pickup device receiving surface of each of the further pickup device mounting plates, a respective further pickup device, each further pickup device having a receiving element for receiving a component of the assembly; and

attaching the lower portion of the jig frame to the upper portion of the jig frame.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of machining the pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) is performed such that the pickup device receiving surface of each of the pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) is substantially parallel to the supporting surface (138) and is a respective predetermined distance (144a, 144b) from the supporting surface (138).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of fixing the one or more pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) to the at least a portion of the jig frame (62) comprises fixing the one or more pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) to an opposite side of the at least a portion of the jig frame (62) to the side of the at least a portion of the jig frame (62) to which the one or more support plates (65) are fixed.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein fixing the one or more support plates (65) to the at least a portion of the jig frame (62) comprises welding the one or more support plates (65) to the at least a portion of the jig frame (62).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein fixing the one or more pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) to the at least a portion of the jig frame (62) comprises welding the one or more pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) to the at least a portion of the jig frame (62).

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the assembly (6) is for attachment to a further assembly (5);

the method further comprises;

for each component (8-20) of the assembly (6), determining a position and orientation relative to the further assembly (5) that that component (8-20) would have if the assembly (6) was attached to the further assembly (5);

for each component (8-20) of the assembly (6), using the determined position and orientation of that component (8-20) relative to the further assembly (5), determining one or more positions and orientations relative to the further assembly (5) at which that component (8-20) is to be supported; and

coupling, to at least a portion of the jig frame (62), a reference structure (64); and

fixing the pickup devices (66-72) to the pickup device receiving surfaces of the pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) is performed such that a position and orientation relative to the reference structure (64) of each of the receiving elements (74-80) is the same as a respective determined position and orientation relative to the further assembly (5) at which each component (8-20) of the assembly (6) is to be supported.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of fixing the one or more pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) comprises:

using the determined positions relative to the further assembly (5) at which the components (8-20) are to be supported, determining a location on the jig frame (62) for each of the pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b); and

fixing the one or more pickup device mounting plates (140a, 140b) to the jig frame (62) at the determined location on the jig frame (62) for that pickup device mounting plate (140a, 140b).

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein;

the assembly (6) is a first part of an aircraft airframe;

the further assembly (5) is a second part of the aircraft airframe; and

the components (8-20) are airframe components.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein:

the assembly (6) is at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage (4); and

the further assembly (5) is at least part of an aircraft fore fuselage wherein the assembly (6), the aft fuselage (4), and the further assembly (5) are fuselage components in a fore-aft relationship according to an aircraft longitudinal axis, the assembly (6) and the aft fuselage (4) being in an aft orientation and the further assembly (5) being in a fore orientation relationship with respect to each other along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, a direction of connection being that the aft-end of the fore further assemble (5) is connected to the fore-end of the aft assembly (6) along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.