초록 ▼

The system includes stationary assembly jigs for supporting mechanical structures during assembly thereof, and a plurality of mobile, modular workstations that travel from one assembly jig to another. Each workstation interfaces with the assembly jigs and is configured to facilitate a unique set of

The system includes stationary assembly jigs for supporting mechanical structures during assembly thereof, and a plurality of mobile, modular workstations that travel from one assembly jig to another. Each workstation interfaces with the assembly jigs and is configured to facilitate a unique set of work operations on the mechanical structures. The workstations can include worker platforms, parts storage modules, drill and fasten modules, tooless component indexing modules, self-contained cleaning modules, functional testing modules, and others. Docking members on the workstations and the assembly jigs enable the workstations to dock with the jigs for indexing the workstations to the jigs. The assembly jigs can include utility ports and the workstations can include couplers that engage the ports so that electrical, pneumatic, water, vacuum, and/or data communication can be established between the workstations and the jigs.

대표청구항 ▼

The system includes stationary assembly jigs for supporting mechanical structures during assembly thereof, and a plurality of mobile, modular workstations that travel from one assembly jig to another. Each workstation interfaces with the assembly jigs and is configured to facilitate a unique set of

The system includes stationary assembly jigs for supporting mechanical structures during assembly thereof, and a plurality of mobile, modular workstations that travel from one assembly jig to another. Each workstation interfaces with the assembly jigs and is configured to facilitate a unique set of work operations on the mechanical structures. The workstations can include worker platforms, parts storage modules, drill and fasten modules, tooless component indexing modules, self-contained cleaning modules, functional testing modules, and others. Docking members on the workstations and the assembly jigs enable the workstations to dock with the jigs for indexing the workstations to the jigs. The assembly jigs can include utility ports and the workstations can include couplers that engage the ports so that electrical, pneumatic, water, vacuum, and/or data communication can be established between the workstations and the jigs. mprising: transporting a pant in a machine direction thus defining a pant transport plane and a z-direction perpendicular to the pant transport plane, the pant comprising at least one waist region comprising opposite side panels; and positioning the side panels on side panel transfer devices, each side panel transfer device comprising a vacuum conveyor defining a side panel transport path which intersects the pant transport plane; whereby the side panels move in the z-direction while the pant is transported in the machine direction and the side panels reside on the vacuum conveyors. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing at least portions of the side panels to move inwardly toward a machine center line while the pant is transported in the machine direction and the side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the side panels at a constant cross-machine direction position while the pant is transported in the machine direction and the side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices. 4. A method for making a prefastened and refastenable pant, comprising: transporting a folded pant in a machine direction, the folded pant having opposite first and second waist regions in facing relation, the first waist region comprising first side panels and the second waist region comprising second side panels, the first side panels comprising initially inward-facing fastening components, and the second side panels comprising initially outward-facing fastening components; inverting the initially outward-facing fastening components; transporting the first side panels on side panel transfer devices while the folded pant is transported in the machine direction; moving the initially inward-facing fastening components toward the inverted initially outward-facing fastening components while the first side panels are transported on the side panel transfer devices; and engaging the initially inward-facing and initially outward-facing fastening components. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein transporting the folded pant in the machine direction defines a pant transport plane and each side panel transfer device defines a side panel transport path which intersects the pant transport plane. 6. The method of claim 4, further comprising allowing at least portions of the first side panels to move inwardly toward a machine center line while the folded pant is transported in the machine direction and the first side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices. 7. The method of claim 4, further comprising maintaining the first side panels at a constant cross-machine direction position while the folded pant is transported in the machine direction and the first side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices. 8. The method of claim 4, wherein the initially inward-facing fastening components are separated from one another by an initial distance and the initially outward-facing fastening components are separated from one another by substantially the same initial distance. 9. The method of claim 4, wherein inverting the initially outward-facing fastening components comprises drawing a concentrated vacuum on the second side panels immediately laterally inward from the initially outward-facing fastening components. 10. The method of claim 4, wherein inverting the initially outward-facing fastening components comprises folding the second side panels against folding guides. 11. A method for making a pant, comprising: providing a pant chassis defining a first waist region, a second waist region, a crotch region which extends between and interconnects the waist regions, first side panels disposed in the first waist region and second side panels disposed in the second waist region, the first and second waist regions having substantially the same transverse width dimension; folding the pant chassis about a fold line extending in a lateral direction through the crot