DEVICE FOR SPATIALLY ORIENTING AT LEAST TWO SUBGROUP COMPONENTS AND METHOD

• US 20120130528A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Stark, Ulrich, Schrickel, Jörg, Brandt, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 9,132,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/114
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/10 Aligning parts to be fitted together
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/01 Aircraft parts
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for spatially aligning at least two large-format subassembly components, in particular at least one side shell 7, 8, at least one upper shell 12, at least one lower shell 11 and/or at least one floor structure, relative to each other for integrating a component, in particular a fuselage section of an aircraft, comprising:

• a) at least two positioning devices for taking up in each case a subassembly component, in particular at least two side shell positioners 2, 3, at least one upper shell positioner 5 and/or at least one lower shell positioner 4,
• b) at least one measuring device for acquiring a multitude of measured data, in particular of positioning data relating to the subassembly components and/or to the positioning devices,
• c) at least one control and/or regulating device 19, in particular at least one CNC control system, and
• d) at least one neuronal network 20.

The neuronal network 20 integrated according to the invention in the device makes it possible by simultaneous moving of the positioning devices to bring the subassembly components in a very short time and with high accuracy to assume a predetermined desired geometric shape. The control and/or regulating device 19 is preferably used for the subsequent alignment of the subassembly components relative to each other by means of simultaneously carried out linear traverse movements of the positioners.

Moreover, the invention relates to a method for aligning subassembly components.

Claims

1. A device for spatially aligning large-format subassembly components, relative to each other for integrating a fuselage section of an aircraft, comprising:

a) at least two positioning devices for taking up in each case a subassembly component, the at least two positioning devices selected from the group consisting of at least two side shell positioners, at least one upper shell positioner, at least one lower shell positioner, and combinations thereof;

b) at least one measuring device for acquiring a multitude of measured data, the measured date including positioning data relating to the subassembly components and/or to the positioning devices;

c) at least one control and/or regulating device, including at least one CNC control system; and

d) at least one neuronal network.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein by means of the at least one measuring device a spatial position of the subassembly components and/or of the positioning devices can be acquired.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one measuring device comprises at least one laser tracker and/or at least one photogrammetric system.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the neuronal network is designed so as to be hardware-based and/or software-based, within the at least one control and/or regulating device.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the positioning data relating to the subassembly components, which positioning data has been acquired by the at least one measuring device, is conveyed to the control and/or regulating device and to the neuronal network.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the positioning devices in each case comprise at least one holding device for taking up and releasing at least one subassembly component, wherein the at least one holding device is controllable by means of the control and/or regulating device and/or the neuronal network.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the positioning devices are controllable by means of a manual control device.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one tacking device is provided in order to fix the mutual relative positions of the at least two subassembly components.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one joining device is provided in order to join the subassembly components.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein in the region of the at least one positioning device at least one measuring sensor is arranged for determining further measured data, which measuring sensor is connected to the at least one control and/or regulating device and to the at least one neuronal network.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one measuring sensor is selected from the group consisting of a force transducer, for acquiring deformation relating to the subassembly components;

a displacement transducer, for acquiring positioning data relating to the positioning devices;

an angle of rotation transducer;

a velocity transducer;

an acceleration transducer;

a temperature transducer; and

/or an atmospheric humidity sensor.

12. A method for aligning at least two subassembly components relative to each other for integrating a component with at least two positioning devices by means of a device according to claim 1, comprising the following steps:

a) inserting a subassembly component in each case in one of the at least two positioning devices, the at least two positioning devices selected from the group consisting of at least one side shell positioner, at least one upper shell positioner at least one lower shell positioner, and combinations thereof;

b) simultaneously moving the positioning devices under control of at least one neuronal network and of at least one measuring device until a predetermined desired geometric shape has been reached;

c) acquiring positioning data of the at least two subassembly components and/or of the positioning devices by means of the measuring device to determine an actual position; and

d) aligning the subassembly components in a controlled manner by the at least one control and/or regulating device and/or by the at least one neuronal network by simultaneously moving the positioning devices based on an actual position in each case acquired by the measuring device and/or by the measuring sensors until a desired position has been reached that is suitable for tacking and/or joining the subassembly components.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a trial phase teaching of the at least one neuronal network takes place until the neuronal network achieves adequate correctness of its statements and an initial data set for a first method-related procedure with the neuronal network is generated.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein an initial data set during the method-related process is improved step by step by continuous feed-in, to the at least one neuronal network, of position data determined by the at least one measuring device, and/or by the measured data determined by the at least one measuring sensor.