US 12,077,319 B2
Fabrication line, systems, and methods for fuselage sections
Daniel R. Smith, Woodinville, WA (US); Darrell D. Jones, Mill Creek, WA (US); Paul Chace Wilcoxson, Kent, WA (US); Raviendra Sidath Suriyaarachchi, Kirkland, WA (US); Robert William Whiting, St. Louis, MO (US); and Jeremy Evan Justice, Mill Creek, WA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Nov. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/454,293.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/115,058, filed on Nov. 18, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0153452 A1, May 19, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 70/30 (2006.01); B29C 70/54 (2006.01); B64C 1/12 (2006.01); B64F 5/10 (2017.01); B64F 5/50 (2017.01); B64C 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B64F 5/10 (2017.01) [B29C 70/30 (2013.01); B64F 5/50 (2017.01); B64C 2001/0072 (2013.01); B64C 1/12 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for fabricating a composite part using stations including at least a component station, a preform station, and a skin station, wherein the composite part is a section of a fuselage, the method comprising:
receiving a mandrel at the stations, the mandrel comprising an arcuate cross sectional shape;
placing components on the mandrel at the component station, wherein the components include at least one of isolation plies and frame filler preforms;
moving the mandrel to the preform station;
placing preforms on the mandrel at the preform station, wherein the preforms are configured to become support structures of the fuselage;
moving the mandrel to the skin station; and
placing one or more skin layers on the mandrel at the skin station and overlapping skin panel plies at a crown portion of the mandrel with skin panel plies at a lateral portion of the mandrel, the one or more skin layers covering at least the components.