Airbus, Germany
Airbus floats through production
Airbus in Germany has installed a Solving air film based handling system for moving fuselages between the fuselage and wing assembly areas during final assembly of their A318, A319 and A321 aircraft.
A tape-guided handling system has been installed in conjunction with Wilhelm Kohne, Germany, to achieve shorter production times and safer control.
The system consists of two connectable movers, each equipped with a lifting table and fixtures for collecting the fuselages, which weigh up to 18 tonnes.
Manoeuvred from a portable radio control unit, the movers can be driven manually or instructed to follow the tape in the floor.
The movers are driven separately to the fuselage assembly area; upon arrival each mover stops at the correct position in front of the fuselage. The movers then drive the fuselage to the wing assembly area and return in tandem.