System and method for manufacturing and after-market support using as-built data

• US 20050102050A1
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Richey, Michael C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/401 characterised by control arrangements for measuring, e.g. calibration and initialisation, measuring workpiece for machining purposes G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32014 Augmented reality assists operator in maintenance, repair, programming, assembly, use of head mounted display with 2-D 3-D display and voice feedback, voice and gesture command
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32189 Compare between original solid model and measured manufactured object
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37205 Compare measured, vision data with computer model, cad data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

An integrated manufacturing and a maintenance system include a metrology device and a CAD system which has access to parametric data from the metrology device, said “as-built” data being used by the CAD system to morph a CAD model reflecting the “as-built” data, which can be used in manufacturing and aftermarket support.

Claims

1. A system for manufacturing an assembly, comprising:

(a) a metrology device capable of measuring the location of at least one characteristic of the assembly and creating coordinate data regarding said location;

(b) a computer-readable storage medium storing a theoretical computer-aided design model for one of a part, assembly and installation authority model; and

(c) a computer-aided design system coupled to said metrology device and said computer-readable storage medium using a communications link;

wherein said computer-aided design system is capable of obtaining said data from said metrology device, and wherein said computer-aided design system is capable of creating an as-built computer-aided design model linking or importing conceptual data with said first theoretical computer-aided design model.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a statistical analyzer capable of determining at least one of the standard deviation and the linked conceptual variance of said data for a plurality of like assemblies based on pre-determined inputs.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said system does not contain a tooling fixture for quality assurance purposes.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a less complex holding fixture utilizing said as-build model to define authority for manufacturing.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer-aided design system is capable of comparing said second computer-aided design model with said first computer-aided design model to determine whether the location of said characteristic is within a tolerance.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer readable medium stores said theoretical computer aided design model in a relational database.

3. The system of claim 0, wherein said standard deviation or said linked conceptual variance is used to create a new as-built authority model for the part, assembly or installation.

8. A system for manufacturing an assembly, comprising:

(a) a metrology device capable of measuring the location of at least one characteristic of the assembly and creating parametric data regarding said location;

(b) a computer-readable storage medium storing a first computer-aided design model for one of the assembly and a theoretical authority model for the assembly; and

(c) a computer-aided design system coupled to said metrology device and said computer-readable storage medium using a unified contextual import interface;

wherein said computer-aided design system is capable of obtaining said data from said metrology device, and wherein said computer-aided design system is capable of morphing said first computer-aided design model to reflect said data.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a statistical analyzer capable of determining at least one of the standard deviation and the variance of said data for a plurality of like assemblies.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said standard deviation or said variance is used to create a new authority model for the assembly.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said system does not contain a large scale tooling fixture for quality assurance purposes.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said computer-aided design system is capable of comparing said modified first computer-aided design model parameters with said first computer-aided design model to determine whether the location of said characteristic is within a tolerance.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said computer-readable storage medium stores said first computer-aided design model in a relational database.

14. A maintenance system for an assembly, said system comprising:

(a) a storage medium containing a computer-aided as-built model of the assembly;

(b) a displaying means for displaying said computer-aided design model;

(c) a metrology device capable of measuring the location of at least one characteristic of the assembly and creating real-time data regarding said location;

(d) a replacing means for replacing a part of the assembly with a replacement part, wherein said replacing means is capable of determining in real time the destination for said replacement part on the assembly by analyzing said computer-aided design model and said data created by said metrology device.

15. The system of claim 14, where-in said computer-aided design model reflects as-built data created using said metrology device or a second metrology device capable of measuring the location of at least one characteristic of the assembly and creating data spacial orientation regarding said location.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said displaying means is an augmented-reality unified with phyicial part, assembly or installation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said augmented-reality mask displays the actual assembly, the actual part to be replaced in the assembly, and an special relationship of where the actual part should be placed within the assembly based on said integrated metrology and computer-aided as-built model.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said system does not contain a tooling fixture for quality assurance purposes.

19. A method of manufacturing an assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring the location of at least one parametric feature of the assembly and creating data regarding said location;

(b) storing a first computer-aided design model for one of the assembly and a theoretical authority model for the assembly; and

(c) obtaining said data from said metrology device, and morphing said first computer-aided design model to reflect said data.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of determining at least one of the standard deviation and the variance of said data for a plurality of like assemblies.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of using said standard deviation or said variance to create a new authority model for the assembly.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said method is performed without using a tooling fixture for quality assurance purposes.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of comparing said modified first computer-aided design model with said first computer-aided design model to determine whether the location of said characteristic is within a tolerance.

24. A method of manufacturing an assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring the location of at least one characteristic of the assembly and creating data regarding said location;

(b) storing a first computer-aided design model for one of the assembly and a theoretical authority model for the assembly; and

(c) obtaining said data from said metrology device, and creating a second computer-aided design model reflecting said data and said first computer-aided design model.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of determining at least one of the standard deviation and the variance of said data for a plurality of like assemblies.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of using said standard deviation or said variance to create a new theoretical authority model for the assembly.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said method is performed without using a tooling fixture for quality assurance purposes.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of comparing said second computer-aided design model with said first computer-aided design model to determine whether the location of said characteristic is within a tolerance.

29. A method of maintenance for an assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a as-built computer-aided design model of the assembly;

(b) displaying said computer-aided design model;

(c) measuring the location of at least one characteristic of the assembly using a metrology device and creating data regarding said location; and

(d) replacing a part of the assembly with a replacement part by determining the destination for said replacement part on the assembly by analyzing said computer-aided design model and said data created by said metrology device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said computer-aided design model reflects as-built data created using said metrology device or a second metrology device capable of measuring the location of at least one characteristic of the assembly and creating data regarding said location.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said displaying step is performed using an augmented-reality mask.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said augmented-reality mask displays the actual assembly, the actual part to be replaced in the assembly, and an indication of where the actual part should be placed within the assembly based on said computer-aided design model.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said method is performed without a tooling fixture for quality assurance purposes.

34. A computer-readable medium comprising code executable by a computer for performing the steps of:

(a) storing a first computer-aided design model for one of an assembly and a theoretical authority model for said assembly; and

(b) obtaining parametric data from said metrology device reflecting the location of at least one characteristic of said assembly, and morphing said first computer-aided design model to reflect said data.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, further comprising code executable by a computer for performing the step of determining at least one of the standard deviation and the variance of said data for a plurality of like assemblies.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, further comprising code executable by a computer for performing the step of using said standard deviation or said variance to create a new theoretical authority model for the assembly.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, further comprising code executable by a computer for performing the step of comparing said modified first computer-aided design model with said first computer-aided design model to determine whether the location of said characteristic is within a tolerance.

38. A computer-readable medium comprising code executable by a computer for performing the steps of:

(a) storing a first computer-aided design model for one of an assembly and a theoretical authority model for said assembly; and

(b) obtaining parametric data from said metrology device reflecting the location of at least one characteristic of said assembly, and morphing a second computer-aided design model to reflect said data and said first computer-aided design model.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, further comprising code executable by a computer for performing the step of determining at least one of the standard deviation and the variance of said data for a plurality of like assemblies.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, further comprising code executable by a computer for performing the step of using said standard deviation or said variance to create a new theoretical authority model for the assembly.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, further comprising code executable by a computer for performing the step of comparing said second computer-aided design model with said first computer-aided design model to determine whether the location of said characteristic is within a tolerance.

42. A computer-readable medium comprising code executable by a computer for performing the steps of:

(a) storing a computer-aided design model of an assembly;

(b) displaying said computer-aided design model; and

(c) determining the special orientation for a replacement part for said assembly on said assembly by analyzing said computer-aided design model and data created by a metrology device.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein said computer-aided design model reflects as-built data created using said metrology device or a second metrology device capable of measuring the location of at least one characteristic of the assembly and creating data regarding said location.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein said code for performing said step of displaying performs said step using an augmented-reality mask.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 44, wherein said augmented-reality mask displays the special orientation of the actual assembly, the phycial part to be replaced in the assembly, and an indication of where the actual part should be placed based on said computer-aided as-built model.