Assembly tool production

• US 10,606,243 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Bickerstaff, John, Cookson, Andrew Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Jason D
• Application Number:
  US15/304,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20170185071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 700 98
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4097 characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM G05B19/4093 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35025 Design and manufacture jig
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45071 Aircraft, airplane, ship cleaning manipulator, paint stripping
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50132 Jig, fixture

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of producing an assembly tool for assembling a first system comprising one or more components. The method comprises: for each component, determining, when the first system is attached to a second system, a position and orientation of that component relative to the second system and positions and orientations relative to the second system at which that component is to be supported; providing a frame; attaching, to the frame, a reference structure; providing a plurality of pickup devices each having a receiving element for receiving a component; and securing each pickup device to the frame such that a position and orientation relative to the reference structure of each receiving element is the same as a position and orientation at which a component is to be supported.

Claims

1. A method of producing an assembly tool for assembling at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage, the at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage comprising one or more airframe components, the at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage being for attachment to at least part of an aircraft fore section, the method comprising:

for each component, determining a position and orientation relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section that that component would have if the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage were attached to the at least part of the aircraft fore section;

for each component, using the determined position and orientation of that component relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section, determining one or more positions and orientations relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section at which that component is to be supported;

providing a jig frame;

attaching, to the jig frame, a single reference structure that is a replica of the at least part of the aircraft fore section to which the airframe of the aft fuselage is to be attached;

providing a plurality of pickup devices each pickup device having a receiving element for receiving a respective component of the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage;

securing each pickup device to the jig frame;

measuring a position and orientation of each of the receiving elements relative to the single reference structure; and

ensuring that each receiving element is at a predetermined position and orientation relative to the single reference structure that will position its respective component at the determined position and orientation relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section at which the respective component of the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage is to be supported.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of ensuring comprises, for each receiving element:

setting that respective receiving element approximately in its predetermined position and orientation relative to the reference structure; and

until that receiving element is located at its predetermined position and orientation, iterating the steps of;

measuring an actual position and orientation of that receiving element relative to the reference structure; and

moving that receiving element towards its predetermined position and orientation.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the measurement of the actual position and orientation of each receiving element is performed using a laser tracking device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the positions and orientations of the components relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section is performed using computer aided design data for the components and the at least part of the aircraft fore section.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the positions and orientations of the components relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section at which the components are to be supported is performed using computer aided design data for the components.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein each airframe component is selected from a group of airframe components consisting of frames, longerons, keels, and beams.

7. An assembly process for assembling at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage, the at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage comprising one or more airframe components, the at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage being for attachment to at least part of an aircraft fore section, the process comprising:

producing an assembly tool according to the method of claim 1;

providing a plurality of airframe components;

mounting the plurality of components on to the receiving elements of the assembly tool; and

thereafter, performing an assembly operation on the multiple components.

8. A process according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the components is provided by performing a method comprising:

providing a workpiece from which the component is to be produced, the workpiece comprising a plurality of attachment features for attaching the workpiece to a machining fixture;

determining a datum, the datum being dependent upon relative positions of the attachment features;

measuring a surface of the workpiece with respect to the datum;

providing the machining fixture;

attaching, using the attachment features, the workpiece to the machining fixture;

providing a digital model specifying the component including the attachment features; and

thereafter, using the measurements of the workpiece surface and the digital model, controlling machining apparatus with respect to the datum to machine the workpiece so as to produce the component as specified by the digital model.

9. A process according to claim 8, wherein, for a component from among the plurality of airframe components that includes an attachment feature for attaching the component to a machining fixture, the step of mounting that component to the assembly tool comprises attaching the attachment feature of that component to a respective receiving element of the assembly tool.

10. A process according to claim 8, wherein providing a machining fixture comprises:

providing an initial machining fixture comprising a plurality of further receiving elements for receiving the workpiece to be machined, the relative positions of the further receiving elements being dependent on the relative positions of the attachment features;

determining positions and orientations of one or more reference surfaces with respect to the datum;

measuring the surface of the initial machining fixture with respect to the datum; and

thereafter, controlling the machining apparatus with respect to the datum to machine the initial machining fixture to form the one or more reference surfaces, thereby producing the machining fixture.

11. A process according to claim 10, wherein

each reference surface of the machining fixture is associated with a respective feature of the component;

and

machining the workpiece comprises, for each reference surface;

locating at least part of the machining apparatus against that reference surface; and

controlling the machining apparatus to move away from that reference surface with respect to the datum to machine the workpiece so as to form the component feature associated with that reference surface.

12. A process according to claim 11, wherein

each of the component features is a landing for receiving a further component;

and

the assembly operation comprises each of the landings receiving a further component.

15. An assembly tool for assembling at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage, the at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage comprising one or more airframe components, the at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage being for attachment to at least part of an aircraft fore section, the assembly tool having been produced using the method of claim 1.

13. An apparatus for producing an assembly tool, the assembly tool being suitable for assembling at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage comprising a plurality of airframe components, the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage being configured for attachment to at least part of a fore section of the aircraft, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors configured to, for each component of the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage;

determine a position and orientation relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section that that component would have if the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage were attached to the at least part of the aircraft fore section; and

using the determined position and orientation of that component relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section, determine one or more positions and orientations relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section at which that component is to be supported;

a production apparatus suitable for producing a frame;

an attachment apparatus suitable for attaching, to the frame, a single reference structure that is a replica of the at least part of the aircraft fore section to which the airframe of the aft fuselage is to be attached;

a securing apparatus suitable for securing a plurality of pickup devices to the frame, wherein each pickup device comprises a receiving element for receiving a component of the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage; and

a measurement device configured to measure a position and orientation of each of the receiving elements relative to the reference structure, wherein securing the pickup devices to the frame can be performed such that a position and orientation relative to the reference structure of each receiving element, as measured by the measurement device, is the same as a respective determined position and orientation relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section at which a component of the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage is to be supported.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein each airframe component is selected from a group of airframe components consisting of frames, longerons, keels, and beams.