Aircraft component manufacturing method and apparatus

• US 8,954,183 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Kayani, Amir, Poad, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNN, DARRIN D
• Application Number:
  US13/150,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20110301741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 901/2, 901/14, 901/19, 901/27, 901/46, 901/50, 700/90, 700/114, 700/192, 700/213, 700/253, 700/258, 700/259
• 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 having a robot arm tool centre point,

providing a sensor,

providing a manufacturing system having a movable end effector having an effector tool centre point,

providing a workpiece,

attaching the workpiece to the robot arm,

identifying the workpiece to create workpiece identity data,

retrieving a local workpiece tool centre point specific to the workpiece from a database using the identity data,

using the sensor to create workpiece data indicative of global coordinates of the workpiece,

calculating a global workpiece tool centre point using the global coordinates of the workpiece and the local workpiece tool centre point, whereby the global workpiece tool centre point is offset from the robot arm tool centre point,

using the calculated global workpiece tool centre point as the robot arm tool centre point,

determining a starting point by moving the robot arm to align the global workpiece tool centre point and the robot arm tool centre point to the effector tool centre point to start the operation in a correct place, and

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 from said starting point.

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 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 8 in which the tag is visually readable.

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

11. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 10 in which the manufacturing system is a laser cutter.

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

13. A method of manufacturing an engineering component according to claim 1, wherein the robot arm comprises suction cups for attachment of a workpiece.

14. An engineering component manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a computer,

a robot arm having a robot arm tool centre point,

a sensor, and,

a manufacturing system comprising a movable end effector having an effector tool centre point,

wherein the sensor is arranged to create workpiece data indicative of at least one of the position and the orientation of a workpiece attached to the robot arm, and

wherein the computer is configured to retrieve a local workpiece tool centre point specific to the workpiece, calculate a global workpiece tool centre point using the workpiece data and the local workpiece tool centre point, whereby the global workpiece tool centre point is offset from the robot arm tool centre point, adjust the robot arm tool centre point to be aligned to the global workpiece tool centre point, and to control the robot arm to position the adjusted robot arm tool centre point to be in alignment with the effector tool centre point to define a starting point and to hold the workpiece stationary whilst the manufacturing system performs a manufacturing operation on the workpiece attached to the robot arm by moving the movable end effector from said starting point.

15. An engineering component manufacturing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the robot arm comprises suction cups for attachment of a workpiece.