Automated positioning and alignment method and system for aircraft structures using robots
First Claim
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1. A method for positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage or other aeronautical parts in relation to one another during structural assembly through use of a robot, an aeronautical part being supported by a support, the method comprising:
- structuring at least the support and the aeronautical part as a tool of the robot;
measuring points on the support or on the aeronautical part supported by the support;
in response to the measuring, establishing a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the aeronautical part based on the measured points and known specification information about the aeronautical part;
using at least one computer processor, using the geographical center point as a robot tool center point (TCP); and
using the at least one computer processor, using the robot TCP as a tooling alignment point to control the robot to automatically align the aeronautical part by controlling the robot to match the TCP of the aeronautical part driven by the robot and a center point of a further aeronautical part not driven by the robot to reach a best fit condition according to alignment tolerances.
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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.
66 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage or other aeronautical parts in relation to one another during structural assembly through use of a robot, an aeronautical part being supported by a support, the method comprising:
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structuring at least the support and the aeronautical part as a tool of the robot; measuring points on the support or on the aeronautical part supported by the support; in response to the measuring, establishing a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the aeronautical part based on the measured points and known specification information about the aeronautical part; using at least one computer processor, using the geographical center point as a robot tool center point (TCP); and using the at least one computer processor, using the robot TCP as a tooling alignment point to control the robot to automatically align the aeronautical part by controlling the robot to match the TCP of the aeronautical part driven by the robot and a center point of a further aeronautical part not driven by the robot to reach a best fit condition according to alignment tolerances. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A non-transitory storage medium for use in positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage or other aeronautical parts in relation to one another during structural assembly through use of a robot, an aeronautical 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 by at least one computer processor:
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measure points on the support or on the aeronautical part supported by the support; in response to the measuring, establish a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the aeronautical part based on the measured points and known specification information about the aeronautical part; use the geographical center point as the robot tool center point (TCP); and use the robot TCP as a tooling alignment point to control the robot to automatically align the aeronautical part by controlling the robot to match the TCP of the aeronautical part driven by the robot and a center point of a further aeronautical part not driven by the robot to reach a best fit condition according to alignment tolerances. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage or other aeronautical parts in relation to one another during structural assembly through use of a robot, an aeronautical part being supported by a support, the system comprising:
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a tool of the robot comprising at least the support and the aeronautical part; means for measuring points on the support or on the aeronautical part supported by the support; means responsive to the measuring means for establishing a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the aeronautical part based on the measured points and known specification information about the aeronautical part; means for using the geographical center point as the robot tool center point (TCP); and means for controlling the robot to use TCP as a tooling alignment point to automatically align the aeronautical part by controlling the robot to match the TCP of the aeronautical part driven by the robot and a center point of a further aeronautical part not driven by the robot to reach a best fit condition according to alignment tolerances.
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13. A system for positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage or other aeronautical parts in relation to one another during structural assembly, the system comprising:
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a six degree of freedom (6DOF) robot articulated arm; a support attached to the arm in place of a tool, the support being structured to engage the aeronautical part; a measuring device that measures points on the support or on the aeronautical part; and a computer processing arrangement coupled to the measuring device, the computer establishing a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the support or aeronautical part at least in part in response to the measured points and known specification information about the aeronautical part, and using the geographical center point as the robot tool center point (TCP); wherein the robot is structured to use the robot TCP as a tooling alignment point to automatically align the aeronautical part by controlling the robot to match the TCP of the aeronautical part driven by the robot and a center point of a further aeronautical part not driven by the robot to reach a best fit condition according to alignment tolerances. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification