Flexible Aircraft Manufacturing

KUKA Robotics, as a key automation contractor on the F-35 Lightning II Program, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) selects Wheelift's AGV technologies for use in their integrated flexible manufacturing installation.

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CHALLENGE: Create a flexible Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) path system within a large complex facility requiring a fleet of low profile, heavy load capacity vehicles for interface to a wide variety of machine cells to produce a new degree of manufacturing flexibility.

SOLUTION: Provide a 5-vehicle "Free-Range" AGV system with three 38,000 lbs. capacity AGVs with 7' x 13.5' x 24.5" high load decks and two 75,000 lbs. capacity  AGVs with 11' x 16' x 24.5" high load decks with self-loading capabilities, capable of high precision omni-directional docking maneuvers.

BENEFIT:

• Low profile compact chassis with integrated lift eliminates external mechanisms and improves tooling access throughout the automation process
  
• High precision omni-direction movements that eliminate tooling miss-alignments and provides dock interface design flexibility
• Free-Range navigation system provides routing flexibility and growth options
  
  

Joint Strike Fighter

The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program, formerly the Joint Advanced Strike Technology (JAST) Program, is the US Department of Defense's focal point for affordable next generation strike aircraft weapon systems for the Navy, Air Force, Marines and our allies. The focus of the program is affordability by controlling the production and development costs along with reducing the cost of ownership. A key element in turning this goal into reality was the creation of an amazingly flexible manufacturing environment enabling customized versions specific to the JSF customer's unique application requirements. A central Control & Indication server (C&I) is the heart of this system that stores and manages all manufacturing processes and protocol. The C&I communicates with the AGV Server. The AGV server manages all tooling/work in progress (WIP) moves with the ability to travel to any machine within any process, and to any support area within the facility. Priority routing, safety, maintenance, power consumption, and fault tracking are integrated functions within the AGV server. Tooling/WIP is 100% tracked via RFID. The high value products allow no margin for error. Each Wheelift® AGV chassis undergoes finite element analysis in the design phase to identify potential areas of high stress. Frame welds are 100% inspected using magnetic particle inspection.

Savant's Navigational Technology

Doerfer provides application specific control technologies. This application is ideally suited for a peer-to-peer intelligent vehicle communications network. Applying Savant's "Free-Range" navigation technology, the foundation is laid for today's needs along with tomorrow's requirements as process cells get added and production ramps up.

The Modular Wheelift Chassis provides a degree of flexibility not attainable through other technologies. Automatic Guided Wheelift Transporters enable manufacturing flexibility with configurable work processes facilitating new design freedoms benefiting worldwide niche markets.

SUMMATION: Automatic Guided Wheelift Transporters are all about bringing new degrees of flexibility to assembly programs like the JSF and JAST for the next generation strike aircraft weapon systems for the Navy, Air Force, Marines.

TRADEMARKS

The following terms that are used through this website: Wheelift^®, Uniload^®, SynchroSteer^®, StackAxle^®, TrackAxle™ and OmniAxle^™ are all trademarks that are exclusively licensed to Doerfer Companies.