Aircraft assembly tracker systems and methods

The disclosure herein describes an aircraft assembly tracker system including a user interface configured to display an aircraft part under assembly and overlay one or more zones on the displayed part. The user interface operates on a computing device. The zones represent different panels to be affixed to the aircraft during assembly and their shape displayed on the user interface is identical to the shape of their corresponding panel being affixed to the physical aircraft part. The aircraft assembly tracker system monitors the assembly progress of each zone and automatically alerts aircraft assembly workers when the zone is ready for closure.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft assembly, and more particularly to systems and methods for tracking the assembly progress of aircraft and automatically alerting quality control operators when a particular part of an aircraft is ready to be affixed to the aircraft.

BACKGROUND

During the assembly of an aircraft in a factory, parts of the aircraft are assembled in an assembly line. Then, one or more external panels are affixed to the aircraft parts with screws or other fasteners in such a way that subparts behind these panels become inaccessible. A panel can, for example, be a flat or curved component, typically rectangular, that forms or is set into the body of the aircraft part. Similarly, one or more floor panels are affixed with screws or other fasteners inside the fuselage and subparts under these floor panels are then inaccessible. The phrase used hereinafter to refer to a panel being affixed to the aircraft with screws or other fasteners is to “close a zone”. A “zone” is the area behind the panel. When all of the work inside a zone is complete and a panel has been affixed to the zone to close it, the quality control closure state of the zone is said to be closed. Otherwise, if the panel is not affixed to the zone, the quality control closure state of the zone is said to be open.

When a zone is being closed, a quality control operator checks that the panel is properly affixed, and then indicates the same by physically placing a stamp on one of the screws used to affix the panel. The quality control operator also reports this closure on a paper sheet of a set of paper sheets. If someone needs to re-open the zone by removing the panel, he needs to remove the screws, which destroys the marking and it becomes visible that the panel has been removed. Additionally, the person has to make sure that the paper sheet is updated properly. Hereinafter, a “quality control operator”, a “user”, or a “worker” may be used interchangeably to mean an entity (human, machine, computer, etc.) assembling an aircraft, operating a user interface, or otherwise performing work described hereinbelow.

When a worker or quality control operator wanted to view the status of the aircraft, i.e. which zones are closed or which zones are open, he or she would have to look at the set of paper sheets on which the quality control operators have reported the markings. The current process of aircraft assembly tracking is very cumbersome and time consuming, adding hours onto the assembly time. Furthermore, this process does not allow quality control operators or other workers in the assembly plant to view a comprehensive assembly progress of the aircraft.

SUMMARY

A purpose of the subject matter described herein is to disclose methods and systems for an aircraft assembly tracker that not only monitors and displays the assembly progress of aircraft being assembled, but also assists quality control operators in automatically alerting them to zones which are ready for closure.

The present disclosure significantly improves upon the cumbersome and time consuming nature of the current process used in aircraft assembly tracking described above. One way it does this is by displaying, on a user interface operated by a processor, a visualization of the aircraft assembly progress for each zone. A quality control operator can select an appropriate aircraft and an aircraft part of the selected aircraft on the user interface. When they select the part, a multi-dimensional graphical representation of the part is displayed on the user interface. Additionally, the zones are overlaid on the graphical representation of the part with a shape that is identical to the physical panel on the aircraft part. On the user interface, the zones are shaded different colors, patterns, or given other indicia, depending on their quality control closure state.

For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the zone displayed on the aircraft part on the user interface will be colored blue if the panel is affixed to the aircraft, i.e. closed, and the zone will be colored red if the panel is not affixed to the aircraft. In other embodiments of the present disclosure other colors may be used to indicate the quality control closure state of the zones.

By shading the different zones based off their quality control closure state, the present disclosure significantly improves the current process for aircraft assembly tracking by visually allowing the quality control operator to quickly determine the quality control closure state of any zone on any given part by simply noting the color of the zone. This improved feature gives the quality control operator a visual indication of how much of the aircraft part is complete and how much is left to do. In the current process, there was no way for a quality control operator to visualize such information. This allows the quality control operator to predict approximately when the aircraft part will be completed.

Additionally, by selecting a particular zone on the user interface, the user, or another assembly worker, may view an assembly progress report of the zone. The assembly progress report comprises tasks that need to be completed on the zone before it can be closed, a closure history of the zone including how often and when it was closed or re-opened, and other information relating to the zone such as the facility from which the physical part the zone represents was delivered. In the current process, quality control operators and assembly workers would have to inspect the physical zone on the aircraft to determine if it was ready for closure. The assembly progress history feature of the present disclosure eliminates the cumbersome nature of the current process. Additionally, the feature of the present disclosure allows the quality control operator to display all of this information in one convenient location, whereas before this information was not readily available, much less in one location.

Another improvement on the current process for aircraft assembly tracking includes a feature of the present disclosure which automatically alerts quality control operators and other assembly workers that a particular zone may be closed because all of the tasks have been completed in that particular zone.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, once all of the tasks of a particular zone have been completed, and either an automatic alert has been sent to the user interface or the user has verified, on the user interface, that the assembly progress history has no more tasks to complete, the user may close the zone by pressing a button on the user interface that applies a virtual stamp on the zone. When a virtual stamp is applied to a zone, it indicates that the zone is closed, and by applying the virtual stamp the color, shading, or other indicia of the zone on the user interface is changed to the corresponding “closed zone” color, shading, or other indicia. This feature of the present disclosure is advantageous over the current process because it eliminates the use of paper stamps (used to mark on a paper sheet that a zone is closed in the current process).

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an aircraft assembly tracker system comprises: one or more computing devices comprising at least one processor and memory storing executable instructions for the at least one processor; and an aircraft assembly tracker implemented on the at least one processor and memory and configured to: display, on a user interface, a diagram of at least one selected part of an aircraft under assembly, wherein displaying the diagram comprises displaying a plurality of zones overlaid on a graphical representation of the at least one selected part, and displaying for one or more of the plurality of zones, a graphical indicator that indicates a quality control closure state of the zone; receive user input selecting a first zone of the plurality of zones; in response to receiving the user input, access an assembly history database for the aircraft to retrieve an assembly progress report for the first zone, wherein the assembly progress report for the first zone comprises a plurality of action items; display, on the user interface, at least a first portion of the assembly progress report, the first portion comprising completed action items; receive further user input selecting at least a second portion of the assembly progress report, the second portion comprising one or more non-completed action items, for completion; and in response to receiving the further user input, access the assembly history database for the aircraft, and update the assembly progress report for the first zone to indicate that at least the second portion of the action items on the assembly progress report have been completed.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the assembly history database comprises: a list of one or more aircraft; a list of one or more aircraft parts for each of the one or more aircraft; a list of a plurality of zones associated with each aircraft part; and an assembly progress report for each of the zones; wherein the user interface comprises a first user interface element for selecting an aircraft from the list of one or more aircraft, a second user interface element for selecting a part for the selected aircraft, and a third user interface element for selecting a zone for the selected aircraft part.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the user interface comprises a series of tabs at the bottom of the main page. Those tabs, when selected, display different pages such as a key performance indicator (KPI) page on the user interface. The KPI page will allow the user to visualize, in graphical form, the assembly history of the selected aircraft part. Additionally, it will allow the user to predict an approximate completion time of assembly for the selected aircraft. This is a significant enhancement over the current process because under the current process, it is difficult to predict when an aircraft under assembly would be finished. With this new and improved KPI feature, the quality control operators can view a real-time prediction for when the aircraft part under assembly would be completed as work is completed on particular zones.

In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the system further comprises: a list of one or more virtual quality control stamps; wherein a shape of each zone displayed on the user interface corresponds to a shape of the zone on the physical aircraft part; wherein the user interface comprises a fourth user interface element for attaching a virtual quality control stamp to the zone and a fifth user interface element for removing the virtual quality control stamp from the zone; wherein displaying the graphical indicator comprises indicia representing the quality control closure state of the plurality of zones and whether the virtual quality control stamp has been attached to the plurality of zones; and wherein the user interface is further configured for: receiving an additional user input on the fourth user interface element to attach the virtual quality control stamp, or on the fifth user interface element to remove the virtual quality control stamp to a selected zone; receiving an additional user input on a sixth user interface element to display key performance indicators such as a graph or chart showing a history of a number of zones completed on the aircraft part as well as a prediction of a date on which the aircraft part will be done with assembly; changing the graphical indicator of the zone in response to determining that the user has selected the fourth user interface element, wherein the graphical indicator is updated to indicate that the quality control closure state of the zone is now closed; changing the graphical indicator of the selected zone in response to determining that the user has selected the fifth user interface element, wherein the graphical indicator is updated to indicate that the quality control closure state of the selected zone is now open; and updating the assembly history database with a change corresponding to the selected zone and its present quality control closure state.

In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the assembly tracker is further configured to automatically determine whether the quality control closure state of the selected zone can be changed to closed and triggering a process for closing the zone by a quality control operator.

In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the aircraft assembly tracker is configured to continuously monitor the assembly progress report of every zone stored in the assembly history database; wherein the aircraft assembly tracker is configured to trigger, upon determining that every action item on the assembly progress report has been completed for one or more zones, the process for closing the one or more zones by the quality control operator; and wherein, the user interface is configured to display the one or more zones and their corresponding assembly progress report to the quality control operator, and receive a selection from the quality control operator, using the fourth user interface element, to apply a virtual quality control stamp to the first zone.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1Ais a visualization or representation of the main page100of an example user interface that users will operate to view and manipulate the assembly progress of a selected aircraft part. The user interface is generated and operated by one or more processors that run on a computing device. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the user interface operates on a mobile device, for example, a wireless tablet. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the user interface operates on desktop computer. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the user interface comprises a touch screen, wherein a user may touch the elements of the user interface on the physical screen of the underlying device operating the user interface. The user may touch the screen with her or his finger, a stylus, or any other suitable instrument for the device operating the user interface. In further embodiments of the present disclosure, the user may select elements on the user interface using a computer mouse or other media suitable for the device operating the user interface. The described user interaction above is equivalent to the user selecting an element on the user interface.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the main page100of the user interface comprises an aircraft selection element102, which allows the user to select the aircraft the user wants to view or manipulate by entering the aircraft serial number into the aircraft selection element102or selecting from a dropdown menu of aircraft serial numbers of aircraft currently being assembled.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the main page100of the user interface further comprises an aircraft part dropdown menu110. The aircraft part dropdown menu110comprises a list of all of the aircraft parts that a selected aircraft is comprised of. Once the user has selected an aircraft, they may select a part from the aircraft part dropdown menu110, and the main page100of the user interface will display a graphical representation of the selected aircraft part116. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the graphical representation of the selected aircraft part116will be a two-dimensional image. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the graphical representation of the selected aircraft part116will be a multi-dimensional image. InFIG. 1A, the selected aircraft part116is displayed as a two-dimensional graphic.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple zones120will be overlaid on the selected aircraft part116. Each zone120will have the same shape on the main page100of the user interface as the physical panel which gets fastened on the physical aircraft during assembly. Not only will the zone120on the main page100of the user interface have the same shape as the physical panel, it will also have the same size on the selected aircraft part116in proportion to the physical aircraft part being assembled. For example, if the main page100of the user interface displays the selected aircraft part116as a 100:1 size ratio in relation to the physical aircraft part being assembled, the size ratio of a zone120overlaid on the displayed aircraft part116will also have a 100:1 size ratio in relation to the physical zone which gets fastened on the physical aircraft during assembly. Additionally, every zone120may be separate and apart from every other zone120, however, one zone120may be displayed within another zone120.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the zones120are shaded, marked, or colored with different indicia142depending on their quality control closure state. The main page100of the user interface comprises a glossary140which defines for the user what quality control closure state each indicia142represents. The indicia142can be represented by several colors or patterns in each indicia box142and beside each indicia142box, the glossary140will display a written description of what the indicia142indicates about the quality control closure state of a zone120.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure a selected zone120by the user will appear yellow, orange, white or any other color, shade, or pattern to distinguish the zone120as the one being selected on the user interface. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a zone120which has a closed quality control closure state will appear blue. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a zone120which has an open quality control closure state will appear red. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other colors may be used to depict when a zone120is selected, closed, or open. Additionally, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that patterns may be used to depict when a zone120is selected, closed, or open. For example, inFIGS. 1A-1D, a zone120with a closed quality control closure state has a hatched pattern, a zone120with an open quality control closure state has a stippled pattern, and a zone120which has been selected by the user has no pattern at all.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may depict the quality control closure state of one or more zones120using horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines. Further embodiments of the present disclosure may depict the quality control closure state of the one or more zones120using checkered patterns or other viable patterns to distinguish the quality control closure state of the zones.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that coloration and patterns are not the sole way to distinguish the quality control closure state of each zone120. Therefore, the hereinabove disclosed methods of distinguishing the quality control closure state of each zone120is not to be construed as limiting the method of displaying the quality control closure state of each zone120to only those methods.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, each zone120may be selected by the user with her or his finger, a stylus, or other suitable method described hereinabove. When the user has selected a zone120, the user interface gives them several different options on the main page100to take. A first option they may take is to view the details136of the selected zone120. The details136of the selected zone120could comprise a name or label, the quality control closure state, or other relevant information of the selected zone120.

Alternatively, another option the user may take is to review the assembly progress122for the zone120. The assembly progress122comprises a list of action items, both remaining and completed on the zone120, as well as an assembly history of the zone120. The user can choose to simply view the assembly progress122or select one or more of the action items for completion.

Once the entire list of action items on the assembly progress122for a selected zone120has been completed, including the zone120being properly affixed with screws to the aircraft, an automatic alert is sent by the user interface to the user indicating that the zone120is ready for closure. The alert is either displayed to the user on the main page100of the user interface, or sent to the user by some other means such as electronic mail, text message, or some other mode of communication. The user may choose to act on that alert or ignore it for the time being. If the user chooses to act on the alert, the user will select the zone120that the alert was sent for (if not already selected) and then select the install virtual stamp element112. When the install virtual stamp element112is selected, the zone120is marked as closed by shading the zone120on the display of the selected aircraft part116the appropriate color as identified in the glossary140.

Alternatively, after selecting the zone120, the user may enter a comment for the zone120in the comment box138. The comment box138is an element of the main page100of the user interface which is selectable by the user, and upon its selection, a means for entering the comments is displayed on the main page100of the user interface, and the user may enter his or her comments.

In yet another alternative embodiment, the user may select a zone120that is already closed, and remove the virtual quality control stamp from the zone120by selecting the remove virtual stamp element114. After the remove virtual stamp element114is selected, the selected zone120is shaded the appropriate color indicating that its quality control closure state is open again.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the main page100of the user interface comprises a latest update element130, which displays to the user the date and time of the latest update of the selected aircraft part116. When the user makes a change to any of the zones120of the selected aircraft part, the latest update element130is updated with the present date and time.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the main page100of the user interface comprises a status indicator element132which indicates the overall assembly progress of the selected part116. For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, if there are fifty zones120associated with a particular aircraft part116and thirty of the zones120have a closed quality control closure state, then the status indicator element132will display the number “50”, indicating that there are fifty total zones120associated with the selected aircraft part116, and display the number “30”, indicating that thirty zones120have a closed quality control closure state and that twenty zones120remain in an open quality control closure state.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the main page100of the user interface comprises a set of tabs134at the bottom of the screen. These tabs134will include other pages besides the main page100. When the user selects one of the tabs134, a new page will appear, displaying, for example, key performance indicators as will be discussed below inFIG. 3. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the tabs134may link to other pages besides key performance indicators. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that one of the tabs134, when selected, will display the main page100again to the user.

FIG. 1Bis a schematic illustration showing the aircraft part116from the user interface physically being assembled.FIG. 1Ashows the aircraft part116virtually on the user interface.FIG. 1Bis an illustration of the physical aircraft part116in reality being assembled. InFIG. 1B, the aircraft part116is illustrated with no panels124(seeFIG. 1D) affixed to it, and all zones120open.

FIG. 1Cis a visualization or representation of the main page100of an example user interface with one or more zones120closed. Several of the zones120are given an indicia142indicating that the panel124(seeFIG. 1D) has been affixed to the aircraft part116and the zone120has been closed. As an example embodiment of the present disclosure, inFIG. 1C, the zones120which have hatched patterns are closed, and the zones120which have stippled patterns are open.

FIG. 1Dis a schematic illustration showing a physical aircraft part116with several panels124affixed to the physical aircraft part with fasteners and another panel124which has not been affixed. On the physical aircraft part116, several of the zones120are opened as indicated by their stippled pattern, 2 of the zones120are closed as indicated by the panel124with hatched pattern affixed to the closed zones120, and 1 of the zones120is opened, as indicated by its stippled pattern, but has a panel124above it. This part ofFIG. 1Dillustrates, for example, what closing the zone120means. Closing the zone120on the physical aircraft part116comprises placing the panel124on the physical aircraft part116and fastening the panel124with a fastener. In some embodiments of the present disclosure the fasteners may be screws, bolts, welding, or any other suitable fastener which could sufficiently affix the panel124to the aircraft part116, closing the zone120.

FIG. 2is a flow chart200depicting an example process by which a quality control operator could use or implement the user interface. After the user begins the program running the user interface, they follow the first step in the process210by selecting, on the main page100(seeFIG. 1A) of the user interface, an appropriate aircraft. In the second step220, after selecting the appropriate aircraft, on the main page100(seeFIG. 1A), the user selects from a list of aircraft parts associated with the selected aircraft. In the third step230, the selected aircraft part is displayed on the main page100(seeFIG. 1A), with the zones120(seeFIG. 1A) overlaid on the part, and the user views the quality control closure state of each zone120(seeFIG. 1A) displayed. In the fourth step240, the user then selects, on the main page100(seeFIG. 1A), one of the zones120(seeFIG. 1A) to track and the user interface displays the list of action items, both completed items and uncompleted items.

In the fifth step250, the user completes one or more action items from the list. In the sixth step260, if all of the action items from the list for the zone120(seeFIG. 1A) are completed, then the user interface will indicate that all of the action items are completed and will send an alert to the user that the zone120(seeFIG. 1A) may be stamped, or closed. After completing the sixth step260, the user may proceed to either the seventh step270, eighth step280, or ninth step290. In the seventh step270, the user selects the “install virtual stamp button” and the quality control closure state of the zone120(seeFIG. 1A) will be changed to closed. Additionally, the zone120(seeFIG. 1A) will be shaded a new color indicating it has been closed, and the indicia of the zone120(seeFIG. 1A) will be changed to show that it is closed as well. In the eighth step280, if the zone120(seeFIG. 1A) is already closed, the user can change the quality control closure state of the zone120(seeFIG. 1A) to opened by selecting the “remove virtual stamp” button. The indicia of the zone120(seeFIG. 1A) will be changed to show that it is closed as well. In the ninth step290, the user may select another tab134(seeFIG. 1A) at the bottom of the main page100(seeFIG. 1A) of the user interface to view another page, for example, a KPI page.

FIG. 3is a visualization of an example user interface when the KPI tab is selected by the user. Starting on the main page100(seeFIG. 1A) the user selects one of the tabs134that is designated as a KPI page300. The KPI page300is displayed as a new page on the user interface and it retains the same tabs134at the bottom as the main page100(seeFIG. 1A) on the user interface. This functionality allows the user to move between the different pages including the KPI page300and the main page100(seeFIG. 1A) by selecting one of the tabs134.

Displayed on the KPI page300, is a graph310detailing a history of the number of zones120(seeFIG. 1A) closed on any given date as well as a forecast of how many zones120(seeFIG. 1A) will be closed on any future date. In this regard, the graph310will help the user determine on approximately what date the particular aircraft part166(seeFIG. 1A) will be completed during assembly. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the graph310can be manipulated and altered in many different ways. For example, in some embodiments, the graph310could display the number of zones120(seeFIG. 1A) left to close on a particular aircraft part116(seeFIG. 1A). In other embodiments, the graph310could display the number of zones120(seeFIG. 1A) completed on a particular day and then forecast the number of zones120(seeFIG. 1A) projected to be closed on any subsequent day.

The zone list330displays a list of the zones associated with the particular aircraft part the user selected on the main page. The zone list330will indicate which zones have been closed and which zones are still open. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the zone list330will indicate that the zones120(seeFIG. 1A) have been closed by giving the text of the zone120(seeFIG. 1A) name in the zone list330a different color than the open zones in the zone list330. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the zone list330may use other methods of indicated closed zones120(seeFIG. 1A) as well. For example, the zone list330could indicate closed zones120(seeFIG. 1A) by putting a “*” or other character at the end of the name in the zone list330.

The graph manipulator340allows the user to select certain parameters to alter the graph310. These parameters can include date ranges, single dates, week ranges, or other suitable parameters depending on what kind of KPI information the user needs to display.

The latest update indicator350displays to the user the date and time that the KPI page300or zone120(seeFIG. 1A) information was last updated. The latest update indicator350is automatically updated by the user interface when a zone120(seeFIG. 1A) is altered by either closing it or opening it. The latest update indicator350is manually updated by the user interface when the user selects the manual update button360. The user can select the manual update button350at any time. However, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the user will select the manual update button350after altering the graph310or some other aspect of the KPI page300. Any updates are saved by the user interface.

FIG. 4is a block diagram depicting an example aircraft assembly tracker system400comprising at least the device420operating the user interface and its communication link430with a centralized aircraft assembly server410. The centralized aircraft assembly server410comprises a processor412and a memory414, the memory comprising an aircraft assembly list416and a virtual stamp list418. The processor412is electronically connected to the memory414via a circuit442that allows the processor412to communicate with the memory414to retrieve instructions to operate the server410and perform other functions described hereinbelow. The memory414, in addition to the instructions used to run the server410itself, comprises the aircraft assembly list416including all of the aircraft, aircraft parts, and zone120(seeFIG. 1A) assembly progress reports for all of the aircraft that need to be tracked by the aircraft assembly tracker system400. Additionally, the memory414comprises the virtual stamp list418to keep track of the virtual stamps which have been applied and which ones have not been applied.

The user interface is operated by a device420capable of operating a user interface. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the device420operating the user interface could be a mobile tablet. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the device420operating the user interface could be a mobile phone, a desktop computer, a laptop, or other suitable computing device that can operate a user interface.

The device420operating the user interface comprises a processor422and a memory424, the memory424comprising the user interface software426to display and operate the user interface. The processor422is electronically connected to the memory424via a circuit444that allows the processor422to fetch instructions to operate the device420and the user interface software426.

Communication link430is either a wired communication link or wireless communication link between the device420running the user interface software426and the aircraft assembly server410. This communication link430establishes a computer network between the aircraft assembly server410and the device420running the user interface software426. In some embodiments of the present disclosure the communication link430can use traditional Ethernet protocols to pass information between the device420running the user interface software426and the aircraft assembly server410. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication link430can use other suitable protocols to pass information between the device420running the user interface software426and the aircraft assembly server410. The paragraphs below discuss what information is passed between the server410and the device420operating the user interface software426using the communication link430.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, both the aircraft assembly server410and the device420running the user interface software426are powered off. In this embodiment, the device420is a mobile tablet and the user interface software426has already been installed into the memory424of the device420. The user powers on the device420and the processor422fetches instructions via circuit444from the memory424to operate the device420and operate the user interface software426. Once the instructions are fetched and executed by the processor422, the user operates the device420. In this particular embodiment, the device420has a touch screen that allows the user to operate the user interface software426by touching the screen of the device420using his or her finger, a stylus, or other suitable instrument (not shown).

When the user touches the screen of the device420to operate the user interface software426, the device displays the main page100(seeFIG. 1A) of the user interface to the user on the screen of the device420. Using her or his finger, or other suitable instrument described hereinabove, the user then selects an aircraft serial number on the aircraft selection element102(seeFIG. 1A). At that moment, the device420will communicate with the aircraft assembly server410, via communication link430, to retrieve the list of aircraft parts for the selected aircraft in the aircraft assembly list416of the aircraft assembly server410. The user interface software426will then display the list of aircraft parts on the main page100of the user interface via the aircraft part dropdown menu110(seeFIG. 1A). Using his or her finger or other suitable instrument, the user then selects an aircraft part from the aircraft part dropdown menu110(seeFIG. 1A) on the main page100of the user interface. At that moment, the user interface software426will display on the main page100of the user interface the aircraft part116(seeFIG. 1A) along with the zones120(seeFIG. 1A) associated with that aircraft part116(seeFIG. 1A).

After the user has received an alert that a zone120(seeFIG. 1A) is ready for closure, or after a user has manually verified that a zone120(seeFIG. 1A) is ready for closure, the user will then select, the apply virtual stamp button112(seeFIG. 1A) on the main page100of the user interface. Upon receiving this input on the screen of the device420, the device420will communicate with the aircraft assembly server410via communication link430and instruct the processor412of the aircraft assembly server410to assign a virtual stamp from the virtual stamp list418to the appropriate zone120(seeFIG. 1A) in the aircraft assembly list416. The processor412of the aircraft assembly server410will then make the appropriate alterations in the aircraft assembly list416and the virtual stamp list418by giving appropriate instructions to the memory414via circuit442.

Once the aircraft assembly list416has been updated, the server410communicates with the device420running the user interface software426via communication link430to update the display of the aircraft part116on the main page100of the user interface. This update comprises shading the zone120(seeFIG. 1A) that was updated the proper color or pattern indicating the zone's120(seeFIG. 1A) quality control closure state and updating the action item list122(seeFIG. 1A) for the zone120(seeFIG. 1A).