Patent ID: 9555587
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: B29C,B29K,B29L,B64C,B64F,Y02T

Claim:
1. A method of assembling a layup tool that is utilized to manufacture a fuselage barrel section of an aircraft, the method comprising: aligning an adaptor mating surface of a splice adaptor with a mandrel mating surface of a layup mandrel, wherein the aligning includes: (i) rotationally aligning a bottom center line (BCL) reference direction of the splice adaptor and a BCL reference direction of the layup mandrel with a BCL reference direction of the layup tool; and (ii) radially aligning an outer surface of the splice adaptor with an outer surface of the layup mandrel proximate the BCL reference direction of the layup tool; initially attaching the splice adaptor to the layup mandrel at an initial attachment point that is located proximate the BCL reference direction of the layup tool; subsequent to the initially attaching, attaching a lower lobe of the splice adaptor to a lower lobe of the layup mandrel to form a lower lobe of the layup tool, wherein the attaching the lower lobe of the splice adaptor to the lower lobe of the layup mandrel includes: (i) radially aligning the outer surface of the splice adaptor with the outer surface of the layup mandrel proximal each of a plurality of lower lobe attachment points; and (ii) attaching the splice adaptor to the layup mandrel at each of the plurality of lower lobe attachment points to retain radial alignment between the outer surface of the splice adaptor and the outer surface of the layup mandrel within the lower lobe of the layup tool.