Device for spatially orienting at least two subgroup components and method

• US 9,132,924 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• 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, Brandt, Wolfgang, Schrickel, Jrg
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Yuhui R
• Application Number:
  US13/318,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20120130528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 700/114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A device for spatially aligning at least two large-format subassembly components, particularly at least one side shell, at least one upper shell, at least one lower shell and/or at least one floor structure, relative to each other for integrating a component, particularly a fuselage section of an aircraft, is provided which includes:

• at least two positioning devices for taking up in each case a subassembly component, particularly at least two side shell positioners, at least one upper shell positioner and/or at least one lower shell positioner,
• at least one measuring device for acquiring a multitude of measured data, particularly of positioning data relating to the subassembly components and/or to the positioning devices,
• at least one control and/or regulating device, particularly at least one CNC control system, and
• at least one neuronal network.

Moreover, a method for aligning the subassembly components is also provided.

Claims

1. A device for spatially aligning at least two 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 positioning device a large-format 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 data including positioning data relating to the large-format subassembly components and/or to the positioning devices;

c) at least one control and/or regulating device, including at least one CNC (Computer Numerical Control) control system for controlling a simultaneous linear traverse movement of the positioning devices of the large-format subassembly components until a desired position has been reached, wherein the desired position is a position for tacking and/or joining the at least two large-format subassembly components; and

d) at least one neuronal network for controlling a simultaneous movement of the positioning devices of the large-format subassembly components to assume a desired geometric shape which is predefined in a CAD (Computer Aided Design) component data.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein by means of the at least one measuring device a spatial position of the large format 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 large format 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 each of the positioning devices comprises at least one holding device for taking up and releasing at least one large format 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 large format subassembly components.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one joining device is provided in order to join the large format 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 large format 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 spatially aligning at least two large-format subassembly components relative to each other for integrating a fuselage section of an aircraft with at least two positioning devices, comprising the following steps:

a) inserting a large format subassembly component in each one of at least two positioning devices, 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) 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 which is predefined in a CAD (Computer Aided Design) component data has been reached;

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

d) aligning the at least two large-format subassembly components in a controlled manner by at least one control and/or regulating device including at least one CNC (Computer Numerical Control) control system by simultaneously moving the positioning devices through a linear traverse movement based on an actual position of each of the at least two large-format subassembly components acquired by the measuring device and/or by the measuring sensors until a desired position has been reached, wherein the desired position is a position for tacking and/or joining the at least two large format 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.