Industrial automation specialist Advanced Integration Technology (AIT, Plano, Texas) has been selected by Spirit AeroSystems (Wichita, Kan.) to design, develop and build four industrial transporter systems for Spirit’s plant in Kinston, N.C. Spirit plans to manufacture the Section 15 center composite fuselage structure for the Airbus A350 XWB there.

The objective of the AIT systems is to transport composite molds and tooling that will enable Section 15’s manufacture throughout various cells and staging areas in the facility. AIT accomplishes this goal with standalone and tandem transporters that have integrated automatic guidance systems, which are designed to optimize efficient movement and reliable positioning of loads throughout the building.  With load capacities of 100,000 lb/45,359 kg (in tandem mode), the AIT transporter systems use two real-time vision cameras that follow a line on the factory floor. The control system uses the data generated by the camera to automatically calculate speed and steering corrections. The systems operate in either auto-guidance or manual mode, with a chassis design that allows articulation to adapt to any deviations in the factory floor. With multifunctional wireless control, the Spirit team will have total control of the transporters’ omni-directional movement, which is expected to provide greater flexibility.

The company also announced on July 20 that it has been tapped as the sole provider of tooling for the mid-size, eight-seat Learjet 85, a forthcoming all-composite business jet. AIT will design, develop and produce the tooling with which aircraft maker Bombardier (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) will fabricate and assemble all structural composite components produced at its facility in Querètaro, Mexico.