Inside The New Airbus A320 Structural Assembly Line

Thierry Dubois October 03, 2019
Credit: Airbus

Inaugurated Oct. 1, Airbus’ new structural assembly line for A320-family fuselage brings a step change in automation.

Credit: Kurt Hofmann/AW&ST

Joining fuselage sections involves circular drilling, which is now performed by Kuka robots with seven degrees of freedom—six for rotation and one for translation.

Credit: Airbus

For longitudinal joints, Airbus has introduced Flextrack robots that can move along a rail installed on the fuselage.

Credit: Airbus

At the beginning of the fuselage’s structural assembly process, a monorail system carries shells.

Credit: Kurt Hofmann/AW&ST

The new line was devised in particular for the A321neo-LR, as the rear fuselage section has a new design. 

Credit: Thierry Dubois/AW&ST

Airbus uses virtual reality to design digital tools and train workers to use them.

Credit: Thierry Dubois/AW&ST

Mechanics are still required to maneuver into some uncomfortable positions, but the new structural assembly line has made that less frequent.

Credit: Thierry Dubois/AW&ST

The new fuselage structural assembly line brings increased productivity and quality, according to Airbus Chief Operating Officer Michael Schoellhorn.

Struggling with the A320-family production ramp up and A321 delivery delays, Airbus is betting on robots to smooth production.

Thierry Dubois

Thierry Dubois has specialized in aerospace journalism since 1997. An engineer in fluid dynamics from Toulouse-based Enseeiht, he covers the French commercial aviation, defense and space industries. His expertise extends to all things technology in Europe. Thierry is also the editor-in-chief of Aviation Week’s ShowNews. 

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