Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Assembly line fabrication and assembly of aircraft wings
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Application No.: US17454284Application Date: 2021-11-10
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Publication No.: US11643224B2Publication Date: 2023-05-09
- Inventor: Daniel R. Smith , Darrell D. Jones , James C. Kennedy , Jeremy Evan Justice
- Applicant: The Boeing Company
- Applicant Address: US IL Chicago
- Assignee: The Boeing Company
- Current Assignee: The Boeing Company
- Current Assignee Address: US VA Arlington
- Agency: Yee & Associates, P.C.
- Main IPC: B64F5/60
- IPC: B64F5/60 ; B64F5/50 ; B64F5/10 ; G01N29/27

Abstract:
Systems and methods are provided for inspecting a wing panel. Some methods include advancing a wing panel through a Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) station, and inspecting the wing panel with inspection heads at the NDI station. The wing panel may be suspended beneath a strongback during inspection and/or advancement, such as by using vacuum couplers and/or adjustable-length pogos of the strongback, and suspending may include enforcing a contour to the wing panel using the vacuum couplers and/or pogos. Other methods include receiving a wing panel at an NDI station and inspecting a portion thereof during movement through the NDI station. Some systems include a track, a strongback to suspend a wing panel beneath it and to advance along the track, and an NDI station disposed at the track to inspect the wing panel while suspended.
Public/Granted literature
- US20220153453A1 Assembly Line Fabrication and Assembly of Aircraft Wings Public/Granted day:2022-05-19
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