ALIGNING PARTS USING MULTI-PART SCANNING AND FEATURE BASED COORDINATE SYSTEMS

• US 20170216981A1
• Filed: 02/03/2016
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Lee, Byungwoo, Wang, Michael Yee-Chih
• Granted Patent: US 10,556,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/04 for holding or positioning work
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 11/005 by expanding or crimping
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/10 Aligning parts to be fitted together
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/01 Aircraft parts
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/08 by means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/03 by measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/26 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes

Abstract

Provided are methods and systems for aligning multiple parts using simultaneous scanning of features of different parts and using feature-based coordinate systems for determining relative positions of these. Specifically, a feature-based coordinate system may be constructed using one or more critical dimensions between features of different parts. The scanner may be specifically positioned to capture each of these critical dimensions precisely. The feature-based coordinate system is used to compare the critical dimensions to specified ranges. The position of at least one part may be adjusted based on results of this comparison using, for example, a robotic manipulator. The process may be repeated until all critical dimensions are within their specified ranges. In some embodiments, multiple sets of features from different parts are used such that each set uses its own feature-based coordinate system. The part adjustment may be performed based on the collective output from these multiple sets.

Claims

1. A method of aligning a first part relative to a second part, the method comprising:

selecting a first feature of the first part and a second feature of the second part;

constructing a feature-based coordinate system based on one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature;

positioning the first part relative to the second part such that a first feature of the first part and a second feature of the second part are within a field of view of a scanner;

determining position of the first feature relative to the second feature using the scanner by simultaneously scanning the first feature and the second feature; and

comparing the position of the first feature relative to the second feature in the feature-based coordinate system based on the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature; and

if any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature in the feature-based coordinate system is outside of a corresponding range, adjusting position of the first part relative to the second part to bring the any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature in the feature-based coordinate system into the corresponding range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first feature of the first part and the second feature of the second part are selected based on expected orientation of the first feature and the second feature and simultaneous detectability of the first feature and the second feature using the scanner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature-based coordinate system is further constructed based on expected orientation of the first feature and the second feature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the first part relative to the second part is performed based on referencing a part-based coordinate system of the first part to a part-based coordinate system of the second part.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first part or the second part is deformed relative to a nominal shape after positioning the first part relative to the second part.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the first part relative to the second part is performed using a robotic manipulator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanner is a three 3D photogrammetry scanner.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of the first feature relative to the second feature determined by the scanner is at least 5-axis error measurement of the first feature relative to the second feature in the feature-based coordinate system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first feature and the second feature is selected from the group consisting of an edge, a plane, and a contoured feature.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first feature and the second feature is a geometrically constructed feature based on one or more of physical features.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining position of a third feature of the first part relative to a fourth feature of the second part using the scanner;

comparing the position of the third feature relative to the fourth feature based on the one or more specified dimensions between the third feature and the fourth feature; and

if any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the third feature and the fourth feature is outside of a corresponding range, adjusting position of the first part relative to the second part to bring the any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the third feature and the fourth feature into the corresponding range.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein comparing the position of the third feature relative to the fourth feature is performed using the feature-based coordinate system constructed based on the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein comparing the position of the third feature relative to the fourth feature is performed using an additional feature-based coordinate system constructed based on the one or more specified dimensions between the third feature and the fourth feature.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting position the first part relative to the second part to bring the any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature into the corresponding range and to bring the any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the third feature and the fourth feature into the corresponding range is performed simultaneously.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting position the first part relative to second part to bring the any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the third feature and the fourth feature into the corresponding range is performed after adjusting position the first part relative to second part to bring the any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature into the corresponding range.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, after adjusting position the first part relative to second part to bring the any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the third feature and the fourth feature into the corresponding range, repeating:

determining position of the first feature relative to the second feature;

comparing the position of the first feature relative to the second feature; and

if any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature in the feature-based coordinate system is outside of a corresponding range, adjusting position of the first part relative to the second part to bring the any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature in the feature-based coordinate system into the corresponding range.

17. The method of claim 1, the first part and the second part are aircraft components.

18. A method of joining a first part and a second part, the method comprising:

determining position of a first feature of a first part relative to a second feature of a second part using a scanner by simultaneously scanning the first feature and the second feature; and

comparing the position of the first feature relative to the second feature in a feature-based coordinate system based on one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature within the feature-based coordinate system; and

if any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature in the feature-based coordinate system is outside of a corresponding range, adjusting position of the first part relative to the second part to bring the any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature in the feature-based coordinate system into the corresponding range; and

joining the first part and the second part

19. The method of claim 18, wherein joining comprising a technique selected from the group consisting of welding, soldering, crimping, bolting, and adhering.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising repeating, while joining the first part and the second part:

determining position of the first feature relative to the second feature;

comparing the position of the first feature relative to the second feature; and

if any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature in the feature-based coordinate system is outside of a corresponding range, adjusting position the first part relative to the second part to bring the any one of the one or more specified dimensions between the first feature and the second feature in the feature-based coordinate system into the corresponding range.