Mobile platforms for performing operations along an exterior of a fuselage assembly

• US 10,016,805 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Oberoi, Harinder S., Reese, IV, Richard Griffith, Barrick, Kevin Marion, Do, Quang T., Miller, Jeffrey Lawrence, Stojanoski, Vanco
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US15/352,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20170066044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/02 Riveting procedures
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/10 Riveting machines electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/142 Aerospace structures
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/28 Control devices specially adapted to riveting machines not restricted to one of the preceding subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/32 Devices for inserting or holding rivets in position with or without feeding arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/40 for forming rivet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/10 Aligning parts to be fitted together
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/002 the units stationary whilst being composed
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/00 Indexing scheme relating to the articles being treated, e.g. manufactured, repaired, assembled, connected or other operations covered in the subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/01 Aircraft parts
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 5/163 Jaws or jaw attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/005 Manipulators for mechanical processing tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/007 Riveting
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1687 Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14368 holes with means for anchoring the injected material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/0081 before shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/026 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/10 : incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. casting around inserts or for coating articles coating a surface by casting in general B05D1/30, B29C39/126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/123 : Making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/22 : Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14336 : Coating a portion of the article, e.g. the edge of the article B29C45/14573 and B29C45/14598 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/70 : by moulding using a particular moulding technique, see the relevant technique , e.g. by injection B29C45/14467
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2715/00 : Condition, form or state of preformed parts, e.g. inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/748 : Machines or parts thereof not otherwise provided for conveyor belts B29L2031/7092; driving belts B29L2031/7094; bearings B29L2031/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/143 : on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/418 : Bearings, e.g. ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/8207 : by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/60 : Vehicles using regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/145 : the arm forming the axle housing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/001 : Suspension arms, e.g. constructional features B60G7/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/008 : Attaching arms to unsprung part of vehicle B60G7/005, B60G7/006 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/025 : the object being a shop, cafeteria or display the object being a theatre or stagethe object being a workshop B60P3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/00 : Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/06 : Frames; Stringers; Longerons ; Fuselage sections
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/068 : Fuselage sections
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/069 : Joining arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 : Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/50 : Handling or transporting aircraft components
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 19/06 : Solid rivets made in one piece
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41805 : characterised by assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45071 : Aircraft, airplane, ship cleaning manipulator, paint stripping
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 3/12 : using feedback
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 : Arm motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 : Tool

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing an assembly operation. A tool may be macro-positioned relative to an exterior of a fuselage assembly. The tool may be micro-positioned relative to a particular location on the exterior of the fuselage assembly. An end effector is removably associated with an external robotic device associated with an external mobile platform. The tool is removably associated with the end effector. An assembly operation may be performed at the particular location on the panel using the tool.

Claims

1. A method for performing an assembly operation, the method comprising:

using a controller to perform the steps of;

macro-positioning a tool relative to an exterior of an assembly, wherein macro-positioning comprises;

driving an assembly fixture to a position using an autonomous vehicle, and

driving, using the autonomous vehicle, an external mobile platform having a tool, into a position relative to the assembly fixture such that the tool is positioned relative to the exterior of the assembly;

micro-positioning the tool relative to a particular location on the exterior of the assembly;

performing the assembly operation at the particular location using the tool.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

exchanging the tool with another one of a number of tools being held by a tool magazine station associated with a platform base of the external mobile platform.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

removably associating an end effector with an external robotic device associated with the external mobile platform;

removably associating the tool with the end effector; and

exchanging the end effector with another one of a number of end effectors being held in an end effector storage associated with a platform base of the external mobile platform.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a macro-positioning system associated with an external mobile platform, the external mobile platform comprising a platform base, wherein the macro-positioning system comprises;

an autonomous vehicle configured to drive an assembly fixture to a position, and

the external mobile platform having a tool that is configured to be driven, using the autonomous vehicle, into a position relative to the assembly fixture such that the tool is positioned relative to an exterior of an assembly;

a micro-positioning system associated with the external mobile platform; and

an external robotic device associated with the external mobile platform, wherein the tool is associated with the external robotic device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

an end effector that is removably associated with the external robotic device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

the tool that is removably associated with the end effector.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the tool is selected from one of an external riveting tool for performing a riveting operation, a drilling tool for performing a drilling operation, a fastener insertion tool for performing a fastener insertion operation, and a fastener installation tool for performing a fastener installation operation.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the external riveting tool is a hammer.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the micro-positioning system comprises a movement system comprising at least one of an actuator device, a motor, a rail system, a track system, a slide system, a roller, a wheel, an elbow movement system, a wrist movement system, a swivel system, or an X-Y table.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the external mobile platform comprises:

a coupling unit that is coupleable to a corresponding coupling unit associated with a cradle fixture, wherein the coupling unit comprises;

a number of utility connections for a number of utilities.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the number of utilities include at least one of power, air, communications, water, or hydraulic fluid.

12. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

a tool exchange station associated with the external mobile platform.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the tool exchange station retains a number of tools.

14. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

an end effector storage associated with the external mobile platform.

15. An external mobile platform comprising:

a platform base;

a macro-positioning system associated with the platform base, wherein the macro-positioning system comprises;

an autonomous vehicle configured to drive an assembly fixture to a position, and

the external mobile platform having a tool that is configured to be driven, using the autonomous vehicle, into a position relative to the assembly fixture such that the tool is positioned relative to an exterior of an assembly; and

a micro-positioning system associated with the platform base.

16. The external mobile platform of claim 15, wherein the macro-positioning system comprises:

the autonomous vehicle that is fixedly associated with the platform base.

17. The external mobile platform of claim 15, wherein the micro-positioning system comprises at least one of an external robotic device or a movement system.

18. The external mobile platform of claim 17, wherein the movement system comprises at least one of an actuator device, a motor, a rail system, a track system, a slide system, a roller, a wheel, an elbow movement system, a wrist movement system, a swivel system, or an X-Y table.

19. The external mobile platform of claim 18 further comprising:

an end effector storage, wherein an end effector is exchangeable with one of a number of end effectors stored in the end effector storage.

20. The external mobile platform of claim 15 further comprising:

a tool exchange station, wherein the tool is exchangeable with one of a number of tools retained by the tool exchange station.

21. A method for performing fastening processes using an external mobile platform, the method comprising:

driving an assembly fixture to a position using an autonomous vehicle;

driving, using the autonomous vehicle, the external mobile platform into a position relative to a panel of an assembly on the assembly fixture;

identifying a set of locations on the panel for performing a fastening process; and

performing the fastening process at each of the set of locations.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein identifying the set of locations comprises:

locating a first temporary fastener installed in the panel;

locating a second temporary fastener installed in the panel; and

identifying the set of locations between the first temporary fastener and the second temporary fastener.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein locating the first temporary fastener comprises:

identifying a first location of the first temporary fastener with respect to a reference coordinate system using an imaging system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein locating the second temporary fastener comprises:

moving the imaging system in a translational direction until the second temporary fastener enters a field of view of the imaging system; and

identifying a second location of the second temporary fastener with respect to the reference coordinate system using the imaging system.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein driving the external mobile platform into the position relative to the panel of the assembly comprises:

driving the autonomous vehicle fixedly associated with the external mobile platform to position the external mobile platform at the panel of the assembly.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein performing the fastening processes comprises:

positioning a tool at a particular location in the set of locations; and

performing an operation of the fastening processes at the particular location.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein performing the fastening processes further comprises:

exchanging the tool for a different tool; and

performing another operation of the fastening processes at the particular location using the different tool.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein performing the fastening processes comprises:

performing a drilling operation at a particular location using a drilling tool;

performing a fastener insertion operation at the particular location using a fastener insertion tool; and

performing a fastener installation operation at the particular location using a fastener installation tool.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein performing the fastener installation operation comprises:

performing a two-stage riveting process using a first riveting tool of the external mobile platform at the particular location on an exterior of the assembly and a second riveting tool of an internal mobile platform at the particular location on an interior of the assembly.

30. A method for performing an assembly operation, the method comprising:

using a controller to perform the steps of;

macro-positioning a tool relative to an exterior of an assembly, wherein macro-positioning comprises;

driving an assembly fixture to a position using an autonomous vehicle, and

driving, using the autonomous vehicle, an external mobile platform having a tool, into a position relative to the assembly fixture such that the tool is positioned relative to the exterior of the assembly;

micro-positioning the tool relative to a particular location on the exterior of the assembly;

removably coupling an end effector with an external robotic device attached to an external mobile platform;

removably coupling the tool with the end effector; and

performing the assembly operation at the particular location using the tool.