Automated Positioning and Alignment Method and System for Aircraft Structures Using Robots

• US 20110282483A1
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ita-Instituto Tecnologico de Aeronautica
• Original Assignee: Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronã¡Utica SA, Ita-Instituto Tecnologico de Aeronautica
• Inventors: Simonetti, Marcos Leandro, Trabasso, Luis Gonzaga
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/114
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/402 characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31068 Relative positioning of assembled parts with small geometric deviations
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40032 Peg and hole insertion, mating and joining, remote center compliance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Automated positioning and alignment methods and systems for aircraft structures use anthropomorphous robots with six degrees of freedom to carry the aero structure parts during the positioning and alignment. The parts and structures (if any) supporting the parts are treated as robot tools.

Claims

1. A method for positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage and/or other aero parts in relation to one another during structural assembly through use of a robot, said aero part being supported by a support, the method comprising:

structuring at least the support as the tool of the robot;

measuring a point(s) on the support and/or on a part supported by the support;

in response to the measuring, establishing a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the support and/or part;

converting the geographical center point into a robot tool center point (TCP); and

using the robot TCP as a tooling alignment point to control the robot to automatically align the part.

2. The method of claim 1 further including using closed loop control to control the robot.

3. The method of claim 1 further including metrologically measuring geometry of a further, stationary part and using closed loop control to control the robot to align the part to the further part.

4. The method of claim 1 further including controlling the robot to move in 6DOF.

5. The method of claim 1 further including controlling the robot to match the TCP of the support and/or part driven and the center point of a further part not driven by the robot to reach a best fit condition.

6. The method of claim 1 further including measuring geometry of the support and/or part using at least one item selected from the group consisting of optical devices, laser projections, laser trackers, and indoor GPS by radio or laser and/or photogrammetry.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the structuring includes structuring the support together with the part supported by the support as a unique tool for the robot.

8. A non-transitory storage medium for use in positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage and/or other aero parts in relation to one another during structural assembly through use of a robot, said aero part being supported by a support, at least said support being structured as the tool of the robot, said storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that perform the following instructions when executed:

measure a point(s) on the support and/or on a part supported by the support;

in response to the measuring, establish a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the support and/or part;

convert the geographical center point into a robot tool center point (TCP); and

use the robot TCP as a tooling alignment point to control the robot to automatically align the part.

9. The storage medium of claim 8 wherein the storage medium further stores instructions that when executed use closed loop control to control the robot.

10. The storage medium of claim 8 wherein the storage medium further stores instructions that receive metrologically measuring geometry of a further, stationary part and use closed loop control to control the robot to align the part to the further part.

11. The storage medium of claim 8 wherein said instructions automatically control the robot to move in 6DOF.

12. The storage medium of claim 8 wherein the storage medium stores instructions that automatically control the robot to match the TCP of the support and/or part and a center point of a further part not driven by the robot to reach a best fit condition.

13. The storage medium of claim 8 wherein the storage medium stores further instructions that receive measured geometry of the support and/or part based on optical, laser projection, laser tracking, and/or indoor GPS by radio or laser and/or photogrammetry.

14. A system for positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage and/or other aero parts in relation to one another during structural assembly through use of a robot, said aero part being supported by a support, the system comprising:

means for structuring at least the support as the tool of the robot;

means for measuring a point(s) on the support and/or on a part supported by the support;

means responsive to the measuring means for establishing a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the support and/or the part;

means for converting the geographical center point into a robot tool center point (TCP); and

means for controlling the robot to use TCP as a tooling alignment point to automatically align the part.

15. A system for positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage and/or other aero parts in relation to one another during structural assembly, the system comprising:

a 6DOF robot articulated arm;

a support attached to the arm in place of a tool, the support being structured to engage the part;

a measuring device that measures a point(s) on the support and/or on the part; and

a computer arrangement coupled to the measuring device, the computer establishing a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the support and/or part at least in part in response to the measured point(s) and converting the geographical center point into a robot tool center point (TCP);

wherein the robot is structured to use the robot TCP as a tooling alignment point to automatically align the part.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the computer arrangement is further structured to use closed loop control to control the robot.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the measuring device metrologically measures geometry of a further, stationary part and the computer arrangement is further structured to use closed loop control to control the robot to align the part to the further part.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the computer arrangement is further structured to control the robot to match the TCP of the support and/or part with the center point of a further part to reach a best fit condition.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the measuring device is selected from the group consisting of an optical device, a laser projection, a laser tracker, and an indoor GPS by radio or laser and/or photogrammetry.