System and method for assembling an aircraft

• US 6,230,382 B1
• Filed: 05/11/1998
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. (Triumph Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. (Triumph Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howard, James J., Mann, Thomas H II, Schreck, Alan D., Moore, Eric D., Koesters, James P., Cunningham, Clifton D., Leenhouts, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Echols, P. W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/081,720
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 294/070.4, 294/070.9, 294/070.1, 294/071, 294/64, 294/66, 297/09, 297/20, 298/972, 700/97, 700/98, 700/95, 700/96, 700/117, 700/118, 700/182, 700/197, 703/1, 332/86, 335/33, 336/13, 336/45, 332/88
• US Class Current: 29/407.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49769 Using optical instrument [excludes mere human eyeballing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 with aligning, guiding, or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4978 Assisting assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49899 by multiple cooperating aligning means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53039 with control means energized in response to activator stimulated by condition sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53087 with signal, scale, illuminator, or optical viewer

Abstract

A method for assembling an aircraft includes determining a three-dimensional representation of a first aircraft structure and a second aircraft structure using an optical positioning device. A predicted mate of the first aircraft structure and the second aircraft structure is generated from the three-dimensional representation of the first and second aircraft structures using a processor. The method further includes adjusting the predicted mate of the first and second aircraft structures to enhance performance characteristics of the aircraft using the processor.

Claims

1. A method for processing first and second aircraft structures, comprising:

determining a three-dimensional representation of the first and second aircraft structures using an optical positioning device;

generating a predicted mate of the first and second aircraft structures using a processor and the three-dimensional representations of the first and second aircraft structures; and

generating an adjusted mate of the first and second aircraft structures to enhance at least one performance characteristic of the aircraft by manipulating, in an electronic format, the three-dimensional representation of the second aircraft structure relative to the three-dimensional representation of the first aircraft structure using the processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises determining three-dimensional coordinates for the first and second aircraft structures using a plurality of reflectors located on the first and second aircraft structures.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of initiating a plurality of actuators coupled to the second aircraft structure in response to the adjusted mate.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a computer representation of the second aircraft structure in response to the adjusted mate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating a predicted mate comprises the following steps performed on a processor:

generating a first coordinate system for the first aircraft structure;

generating a second coordinate system for the second aircraft structure; and

aligning the first and second coordinate systems to generate the predicted mate.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising positioning the first and second aircraft structures for assembly using the adjusted mate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first aircraft structure comprises a first wing section;

the second aircraft structure comprises a second wing section; and

the at least one performance characteristic comprises a wing sweep differential, a wing twist differential, or a dihedral differential between the first and second wing sections.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein generating a predicted mate comprises the following steps performed on a processor:

generating a first predicted mate between the first aircraft structure and a center box; and

generating a second predicted mate between the second aircraft structure and the center box.

9. The method of claim 1, and further comprising generating tolerance ranges for interface control points on the first and second aircraft structures in response to the predicted mate using the processor.

10. The method of claim 1, and further comprising generating performance characteristics of the aircraft based on the predicted mate using the processor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises:

determining, using a first optical positioning device, a first portion of the three-dimensional representation;

determining, using a second optical positioning device, a second portion of the three-dimensional representation; and

aligning the first and second portions to create the three-dimensional representation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of aligning comprises:

determining, using the first optical positioning device, a three-dimensional coordinate of a first reflector;

determining, using the second optical positioning device, three-dimensional coordinates of a second and third reflector, the second reflector disposed a first predetermined distance from the first reflector, the third reflector disposed a second predetermined distance from the first reflector; and

aligning the first and second portions of the three-dimensional representation based on the first and second predetermined distances between the first reflector and the second and third reflectors.

13. The system of claim 1, and further comprising supporting the first and second aircraft structures to reflect a substantially 1G loaded position of the first and second aircraft structures while determining the three-dimensional representation.

14. A method for processing first and second structures, comprising:

determining a three-dimensional representation of the first and second structures using an optical positioning system;

generating a predicted mate of the first and second structures using a processor and the three-dimensional representations of the first and second structures;

generating interface control point information for the first and second structures based on the predicted mate; and

generating an adjusted mate for the first and second structures to coordinate interface control points on the first and second structures with interface control points on another structure by manipulating, in an electronic format, the three-dimensional representation of the second structure relative to the three-dimensional representation of the first structure using the processor.

15.The method of claim 14, further comprising physically manipulating the second structure using the adjusted mate.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining comprises determining three-dimensional coordinates for the first and second structures using a plurality of reflectors located on the first and second structures.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein generating a predicted mate comprises:

generating a first coordinate system for the first structure;

generating a second coordinate system for the second structure; and

aligning the first and second coordinate systems to generate the predicted mate.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating performance characteristics for the first and second structures based on the predicted mate of the first and second structures using the processor.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

physically manipulating the second structure relative to the first structure; and

generating another predicted mate of the first and second structures in response to physically manipulating the second structure relative to the first structure.

15. The method of claim 15, wherein physically manipulating comprises initiating an actuator coupled to the second structure using the adjusted mate.

20. A method for processing first and second aircraft structures, comprising:

determining a three-dimensional representation of the first and second aircraft structures using an optical positioning system;

generating a predicted mate of the first aircraft structure relative to the second aircraft structure using a processor and the three-dimensional representations of the first and second aircraft structures;

determining a performance characteristic of the aircraft based on the predicted mate; and

manipulating, in an electronic format, the three-dimensional representation of the second aircraft structure relative to the three-dimensional representation of the first aircraft structure to enhance the performance characteristic.

21. The method of claim 21, further comprising manipulating, in an electronic format, the second aircraft structure relative to the first aircraft structure to enhance the performance characteristic.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein generating the predicted mate comprises:

generating a first coordinate system for the first aircraft structure;

generating a second coordinate system for the second aircraft structure; and

aligning the first and second coordinate systems to generate the predicted mate.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein determining the three-dimensional representation comprises determining three-dimensional coordinates for the first and second aircraft structures using a plurality of reflectors located on the first and second aircraft structures.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the first aircraft structure comprises a first wing section,

the second aircraft structure comprises a second wing section; and

the performance characteristic comprises a wing sweep differential, a wing twist differential, or a dihedral differential between the first and second wing sections.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising manipulating, in an electronic format, the three dimensional representation of the second aircraft structure to maintain coordination of an interface control point on the second aircraft structure with an interface control point on another aircraft structure.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein generating the predicted mate comprises generating interface control point information for the first and second aircraft structures.

22. The method of claim 22, further comprising physically manipulating the second aircraft structure relative to the first aircraft structure using the electronic format manipulation.

28. A method for processing first and second structures, comprising:

determining a three-dimensional representation of the first and second structures using an optical positioning system;

generating a predicted mate of the first and second structures using a processor and the three-dimensional representations of the first and second structures;

determining a performance characteristic of the first and second structures based on the predicted mate;

determining whether the second structure requires manipulation relative to the first structure to enhance the performance characteristic; and

if manipulation of the second structure is required, manipulating, in an electronic format, the three-dimensional representation of the second structure relative to the three-dimensional representation of the first structure to enhance the performance characteristic using the processor.

29. The method of claim 29, further comprising generating an adjusted mate of the first and second structures usine the electronic format manipulation of the second structure.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising generating a computer representation of th e predicted mate of the first and second structures.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

determining interface control point information for interface control points of the first and second structures based on the predicted mate;

determining whether the second structure requires manipulation relative to the first structure to coordinate the interface control points of the first and second structures with interface control points of another structure; and

if manipulation of the second structure is required, manipulating, in an electronic format, the three-dimensional representation of the second structure relative to the three-dimensional representation of the first structure using the processor.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising initiating a plurality of actuators coupled to the second structure to physically manipulate the second structure using the electronic format manipulation.

33. A method for processing an assembled structure, comprising:

disposing a first structure on a first support;

disposing a second structure on a second support;

generating a three-dimensional representation of the first structure using an optical positioning system;

generating a three-dimensional representation of the second structure using the optical positioning system;

generating a predicted mate of the first structure relative to the second structure using the three-dimensional computer representations of the first and second structures; and

generating an adjusted mate of the first and second structures to enhance a performance characteristic of the assembled structure by manipulating, in an electronic format, the three-dimensional representation of the second structure relative to the three-dimensional representation of the first structure using the processor.

34. The method of claim 34, wherein disposing the second structure on the second support comprises coupling the second structure to an actuator, and further comprising initiating the actuator to move the second structure to a position corresponding to the adjusted mate.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

generating a value of the performance characteristic of the assembled structure using the predicted mate; and

determining a change in the value of the performance characteristic using the adjusted mate.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein generating the three-dimensional representations of the first and second structures comprises:

positioning a plurality of sensors at pre-targeted positions of the first and second structures;

emitting optical signals towards the pre-targeted positions of the sensors; and

acquiring three-dimensional coordinate information for the first and second structures from optical signals reflected from the sensors.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising determining interface control point information for interface control points of the first and second structures using the predicted mate.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

generating a tolerance range for an interface control point corresponding to the first and second structures using the predicted mate; and

manipulating, in an electronic format, the three-dimensional representation of the second structure relative to the three-dimensional representation of the first structure to position the interface control point within the tolerance range using the processor.