AIRCRAFT COMPONENT MANUFACTURING METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20110301741A1
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: KAYANI, Amir, POAD, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/114
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/03 Observing, e.g. monitoring, the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/04 Automatically aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam, e.g. using the back-scattered light
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0861 in at least in three axial directions
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/361 for deburring or mechanical trimming B23K26/351 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/362 Laser etching
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0055 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1612 characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37555 Camera detects orientation, position workpiece, points of workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37558 Optical sensor, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39517 Control orientation and position of object in hand, roll between plates

Abstract

A method of manufacturing in which a robot arm is used to pick up a workpiece which is subsequently scanned by a scanner and positioned relative to a manufacturing system for manufacturing in order to eliminate the use of a bespoke jig.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an engineering component comprising the steps of:

providing a robot arm,

providing a sensor,

providing a manufacturing system having a movable end effector,

providing a workpiece,

attaching the workpiece to the robot arm,

using the sensor to create position and/or orientation data indicative of the position and/or orientation of the workpiece,

using the robot arm to position the workpiece at a desired position and/or orientation relative to the manufacturing system using the position and/or orientation data,

holding the workpiece in a stationary position whilst using the manufacturing system to perform a manufacturing operation on the workpiece held by the robot arm by moving the movable end effector.

2. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 1 in which the movable end effector is moved across the surface of the workpiece.

3. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 1 comprising the steps of:

identifying the workpiece to create workpiece identity data,

retrieving reference data specific to the workpiece from a database using the identity data,

using the reference data to position the workpiece.

4. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 1 comprising the steps of:

identifying the workpiece to create workpiece identity data, and, providing the manufacturing system with the identity data, such that the step of using the manufacturing system includes the step of performing a manufacturing operation dependent upon the identity data.

5. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 3 in which the step of identifying the workpiece includes the step of using the sensor to identify the workpiece using dimensional characteristics of the workpiece.

6. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 3 in which the workpiece is provided with a tag comprising the identity data, and the step of identifying the workpiece includes the step of reading the tag.

7. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 6 in which the tag is visually readable.

8. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 1 in which the manufacturing system is a non-contact system.

9. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 8 in which the manufacturing system is a laser cutter.

10. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 1 in which the sensor is a line scanner.

12. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 4 in which the step of identifying the workpiece includes the step of using the sensor to identify the workpiece using dimensional characteristics of the workpiece.

13. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 4 in which the workpiece is provided with a tag comprising the identity data, and the step of identifying the workpiece includes the step of reading the tag.

11. An engineering component manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a robot arm,

a sensor, and,

a manufacturing system comprising a movable end effector,

wherein the sensor is arranged to create data concerning the position of a workpiece attached to the robot arm, the robot arm is configured to orient a workpiece attached thereto relative to the manufacturing system using the data and hold the workpiece stationary whilst the manufacturing system performs a manufacturing operation on a workpiece attached to the robot arm by moving the movable end effector.