Metrology-based system for operating a flexible manufacturing system

• US 10,046,381 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Oberoi, Harinder S., Dorsey-Palmateer, John Willard, Hu, Yuanxin Charles, Sarh, Branko, Barrick, Kevin Marion, Findlay, Melissa Ann, Arriaga, Jorge Alberto, Gudzinski, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Vincent
• Application Number:
  US14/559,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20160008981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• 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 positioning an end effector relative to a fuselage assembly. A configuration of the fuselage assembly may be determined. The end effector may be positioned relative to the fuselage assembly based on the configuration determined. A set of actual reference locations may be identified for a set of reference points on the fuselage assembly. The end effector may be positioned at an operation location based on the set of actual reference locations identified.

Claims

1. A method for positioning an end effector relative to a fuselage assembly, the method comprising:

identifying fuselage target locations for fuselage laser targets attached to the fuselage assembly thereby to determine a configuration of the fuselage assembly;

defining a set of reference points, wherein each reference point in the set of reference points comprises a point on a reference fastener located at a reference location on the fuselage assembly;

positioning the end effector relative to a set of expected reference locations for the set of reference points on the fuselage assembly based on the configuration determined;

identifying a set of actual reference locations for the set of reference points on the fuselage assembly using imaging data from an imaging system, wherein each of the set of actual reference locations is a computed value of each of the set of reference points with respect to the configuration; and

positioning the end effector at an operation location based on the set of actual reference locations identified.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the end effector relative to the fuselage assembly comprises:

meso-positioning the end effector relative to the fuselage assembly.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a current position of the end effector relative to the configuration of the fuselage assembly.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

identifying the set of expected reference locations for the set of reference points based on the configuration of the fuselage assembly.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein positioning the end effector relative to the fuselage assembly comprises:

positioning the end effector relative to one of the set of expected reference locations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the fuselage target locations comprises:

receiving laser measurement data from a set of laser tracking devices; and

identifying the fuselage target locations for the fuselage laser targets using the laser measurement data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the set of actual reference locations for the set of reference points comprises:

generating the imaging data of a reference point of the set of reference points; and

computing an actual reference location for the reference point based on the imaging data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the imaging data comprises:

generating the imaging data using the imaging system while the end effector is positioned relative to an expected reference location for the reference point.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

computing the operation location based on the set of actual reference locations identified.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the end effector at the operation location comprises:

micro-positioning the end effector at the operation location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the end effector relative to the fuselage assembly comprises:

meso-positioning the end effector relative to an expected reference location for a reference point.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

macro-positioning the end effector relative to the fuselage assembly.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein macro-positioning the end effector comprises:

macro-positioning a base of a mobile platform with which the end effector is associated relative to the fuselage assembly.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

driving a base of a mobile platform with which the end effector is associated autonomously into a position relative to one of an interior and an exterior of the fuselage assembly.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

driving a base of a mobile platform with which the end effector is associated using a platform movement system associated with the base based on radar data received from a set of radar sensors associated with at least one of the platform movement system or the base.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

driving a base of a mobile platform with which the end effector is associated inside the fuselage assembly.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein driving the base comprises:

driving the base of the mobile platform across a floor within an interior of the fuselage assembly.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein driving the base comprises:

driving the base of the mobile platform from a home position on a tower onto a floor inside the fuselage assembly.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the end effector relative to the fuselage assembly comprises:

moving the end effector from a current position to a position relative to an expected reference location for a reference point of the set of reference points.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the end effector relative to the fuselage assembly comprises:

moving the end effector from a default position with respect to a base of a mobile platform with which the end effector is associated to a position relative to an expected reference location for a reference point of the set of reference points.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting at least three of fuselage laser targets associated with the fuselage assembly; and

identifying fuselage target locations for the fuselage laser targets based on detecting the at least three of the fuselage laser targets.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining the configuration comprises:

determining the configuration of the fuselage assembly based on the fuselage target locations identified.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the end effector relative to the operation location comprises:

micro-positioning a tool center point located at an end of the end effector relative to the operation location.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the end effector relative to the fuselage assembly comprises:

meso-positioning the end effector relative to each of the set of expected reference locations for the set of reference points on the fuselage assembly.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein identifying the set of actual reference locations comprises:

generating the imaging data for a reference point of the set of reference points when the end effector is positioned relative to the reference point; and

computing the set of actual reference locations for the set of reference points using the imaging data.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein positioning the end effector relative to the operation location comprises:

computing the operation location based on the set of actual reference locations for the set of reference points; and

positioning the end effector relative to the operation location.

27. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing an assembly operation at the operation location using a number of tools associated with the end effector.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing a fastening process at the operation location on the fuselage assembly using a number of tools associated with the end effector.

29. An apparatus comprising:

a laser tracking system comprising a set of laser tracking devices, fuselage laser targets associated with a fuselage assembly, and platform laser targets associated with a mobile platform;

an imaging system configured to generate imaging data; and

a control system that is configured to control positioning of an end effector relative to a set of expected reference locations for a set of defined reference points on the fuselage assembly based on laser measurement data generated by the set of laser tracking devices, wherein each reference point in the set of reference points is a point on a reference fastener located at a reference location on the fuselage assembly, to identify a set of actual reference locations for the set of reference points on the fuselage assembly using the imaging data after positioning the end effector relative to the set of expected reference locations, wherein each of the set of actual reference locations is a computed value of each of the set of reference points with respect to the configuration, and to position the end effector at an operation location based on the set of actual reference locations identified.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the platform laser targets comprises external platform laser targets located on an external mobile platform.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the platform laser targets comprises internal platform laser targets located on an internal mobile platform.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein each of the fuselage laser targets is associated with one of a panel and a member of the fuselage assembly.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the control system controls macro-positioning of the end effector, meso-positioning of the end effector, and micro-positioning of the end effector.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the set of laser tracking devices is associated with a tower.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the control system comprises:

a set of controllers, wherein at least one of the set of controllers is associated with the tower.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the tower is one of an operator tower and a robotics tower.

37. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the platform laser targets are associated with at least one of a base, a robotic base, a robotic device, or a supporting structure of the mobile platform.

38. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising:

a vision system.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the vision system comprises:

the imaging system associated with at least one of a robotic device associated with the mobile platform or the end effector associated with the mobile platform.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the imaging system has a field of view configured to capture a reference point on the fuselage assembly when the end effector is positioned relative to an expected reference location on the fuselage assembly for the reference point.