An assembly process for assembling at least part of an aircraft airframe, the assembly process comprising: providing a first assembly including a first part of the airframe and a first reference structure attached thereto; providing a second assembly including a second part of the aircraft airframe and a second reference structure attached thereto; receiving, by a first receptacle, the first reference structure; receiving, by a second receptacle, the second reference structure; moving, by an actuation device, the receptacles into a predetermined configuration, thereby moving the first part of the aircraft airframe and the second part of the aircraft airframe into a predetermined configuration; and performing an assembly operation on the airframe parts to fixedly attach together the first part of the aircraft airframe and the second part of the aircraft airframe, thereby producing the part of the aircraft airframe.

A system used in a factory for manufacture of a vehicle comprises: a remote controller remotely controlling running of the vehicle capable of running in the factory during a course of manufacture in the factory, the vehicle including a communication device having a communication function for remote control and a secondary battery for running; a power feeder available for charging the secondary battery; a manufacturing status acquisition unit acquiring information about a manufacturing status in the factory; and a feeding judgment unit judging whether to feed the vehicle using the acquired information about the manufacturing status. When the feeding judgment unit judges that the vehicle is to be fed, the vehicle is fed using the power feeder.

Techniques for flexible, on-site additive manufacturing of components or portions thereof for transport structures are disclosed. An automated assembly system for a transport structure may include a plurality of automated constructors to assemble the transport structure. In one aspect, the assembly system may span the full vertically integrated production process, from powder production to recycling. At least some of the automated constructors are able to move in an automated fashion between the station under the guidance of a control system. A first of the automated constructors may include a 3-D printer to print at least a portion of a component and to transfer the component to a second one of the automated constructors for installation during the assembly of the transport structure. The automated constructors may also be adapted to perform a variety of different tasks utilizing sensors for enabling machine-learning.

A method and apparatus for maintaining a selected configuration for a structure. Metrology data for a support system is received while the support system holds the structure. A determination is made as to whether a current configuration of the structure is within selected tolerances of the selected configuration for the structure based on the metrology data. The support system is moved to move the structure held by the support system into the selected configuration in response to a determination that the current configuration of the structure is not within the selected tolerances of the selected configuration for the structure.

The invention is directed to maintaining the accuracy in the positional adjustment of a stationary part while shortening a turbine assembly period through the omission of the temporary assembly of a casing. A method of assembling includes gaining measurement data on the configuration of a casing upper half part not fastened to a casing lower half part; gaining measurement data on the configuration of the casing lower half part in an open state in which the casing upper half part and a rotor are removed and in which a stationary part is mounted; comparing measurement data on the configuration of the casing upper half part and the casing lower half part with simulation data on the configuration of the casing upper half part and the casing lower half part previously obtained to select simulation data closest to the measurement data on the configuration of the casing upper half part and the casing lower half part; calculating, based on the selected simulation data, a change amount of the configuration of the casing upper half part and the casing lower half part when the casing upper half part is fastened to the casing lower half part in the open state; and adjusting the installation position of the stationary part inside the casing taking into account the calculated change amount.

A system and method for calibrating a manufacturing machine that includes a leveling device including a machine base interface to a manufacturing machine, a support system that comprises of a set of linearly actuating supports, a workpiece interface, and wherein actuation of supports collectively adjusts the orientation of the workpiece interface with two degrees of angular freedom; and a calibration system with sensors configured to measure the orientation of the workpiece interface.

A robot includes an arm that has a plurality of arm members, a drive unit driving the plurality of arm members, and a grasp unit; and a force detector. The robot sequentially performs a contact operation in which a fitting member grasped by the grasp unit is moved in a predetermined contact direction and is brought into contact with a to-be-fitted member, a posture change operation in which a posture of the fitting member is changed to a fitting posture, and a fitting operation in which the fitting member in the fitting posture is moved in a searching direction and the fitting member is fitted into the to-be-fitted member in a fitting direction. The contact direction, the searching direction, and the fitting direction are directions different from one another.

A method and apparatus for maintaining a selected configuration for a structure during a manufacturing process for forming a product using the structure. Metrology data for a support system is received. The support system holds the structure during the manufacturing process. A determination is made as to whether a current configuration of the structure is within selected tolerances of the selected configuration for the structure based on the metrology data. The support system is reconfigured to move the structure into the selected configuration in response to a determination that the current configuration of the structure is not within the selected tolerances of the selected configuration for the structure.

Methods and systems are provided for managing vehicle manifest data at a vehicle. Vehicle manifest data is received from a plant operation system at a vehicle manifest data management system of the vehicle. The vehicle manifest data includes a plurality of component identifiers. Each of the component identifiers corresponds to a vehicle component for installation in the vehicle during a vehicle assembly process. The vehicle manifest data includes installation data associated with the installation of each of the vehicle components. A first component identifier associated with a first vehicle component and a first assembly station identifier associated with a first assembly station equipped to install the first vehicle component are received at the vehicle manifest data management system from the plant operation system. The installation data associated with the first vehicle component is transmitted from the vehicle manifest data management system to a station controller of the first assembly station.

An end-of-line task system includes a plurality of bays each including a plurality of task stations and a task execution system for executing software-based tasks, a conveyor system for transporting the vehicle to and from the plurality of bays, and a task and vehicle management system. The task and vehicle management system includes a station module for collecting data from the task stations and for determining whether each of the task stations is available to receive the vehicle, an assignment module, and a transport module. The assignment module obtains a task request for the vehicle to perform a task. The assignment module assigns the vehicle to a selected bay based on the task request and to a selected task station based on availabilities of the task stations. The transport module operates the conveyor system to transport the vehicle to the selected bay and to the selected task station.