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This paper presents a new conception of a positioning technology concept for aircraft structural assembly, for instance the manufacturing of the fuselage sections from shell panels and floor grids, the alignment of the sections to build the fuselage, and the joining of wings and tail units to the fuselage. The positioning system features a modular, reconfigurable, and versatile solution for various aircraft dimensions and different applications. It provides the customer with a holistic solution that considers the positioning task taking into account the operation conditions and the environmental influences within the very same control unit. The positioning system consists of three main modules that communicate over a standardized interface: A large-scale metrology system for an accurate identification of the positions and orientation of the aircraft components, a mechanical system for the handling of these components and a control system.

In the assembly of large aircraft components such as fuselage sections, wings and tail planes, today large fixtures are necessary to assure correct assembly results in terms of geometric accuracy. These fixtures need to be rigid, accurate and tailor-made for the related components and assembly operations. This results in inflexibility regarding changes of the components form and dimensions, and cost disadvantage [1]. On the other hand, the demands concerning tolerances in aircraft assembly are high, for instance position accuracy of less than ±0.2mm is required for large aircraft structural components. In order to reduce cost and improve quality, innovative approaches are required that enable an easy reconfiguration of assembly systems, while ensuring highly accurate positioning of the aircraft components. The aim of this work is to develop modular low cost automation systems for aircraft structural assembly.