How to Build the Wings for the Boeing 737

Building something as large as a 737 wing takes an even bigger machine. Boeing’s Panel Assembly Line (PAL) is the 60-ton, 20-foot tall robot that always lends a rather large hand. Boeing is using the robotic machines, which began making wings for current generation 737s earlier this year, to drill holes and install rivets in wing panels.  The result is that about 90% of the wing assembly process is automated, up from 70% on older, legacy machines that Boeing has used for decades.