METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING PART VERIFICATION

• US 20180104818A1
• Filed: 10/16/2017
• Published: 04/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Component Aerospace Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Component Aerospace Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Huat, Sia Chin, Poh, Max, Ng, Felix, Shankar, Kanakala, Mohan, Thangavel
• Granted Patent: US 10,625,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/285 Temporary support structures, e.g. for testing, assembling, installing, repairing; Assembly methods using such structures
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/83 Testing, e.g. methods, components or tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39157 Collectively grasping object to be transported
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/44 inspection

Abstract

A system includes a set of automated arms. Each automated arm includes a holder configured to support a portion of a part, with the set including a quantity of automated arms and holders sufficient for verifying a complex geometry of the part. The automated arms are configured to move the holders into respective verification positions. The system also includes a computing device that includes memory that stores a plurality of predefined automated arm configurations. Each automated arm configuration includes holder verification positions to support portions of a part having a respective complex geometry. The computing device is configured to manipulate the set of automated arms to implement the holder verification positions of a selected one of the automated arm configurations.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a set of automated arms, each comprising a holder configured to support a specific portion of a part, the set including a quantity of automated arms and holders sufficient for verifying a complex geometry of the part, the automated arms being configured to move the holders into respective verification positions; and

a computing device comprising memory that stores a plurality of predefined automated arm configurations, each of which comprises holder verification positions to support specific portions of a part having a respective complex geometry, the computing device being configured to manipulate the set of automated arms to implement the holder verification positions of a selected one of the automated arm configurations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the part is a tube, and each holder comprises a groove or pin configured to support a respective portion of the tube.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising:

an electronic display operable to display a user interface for receiving automated arm configuration selections from a user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the automated arms comprises a base and a series of arm segments and joints that connect the base to the holder, and each automated arm configuration comprises a desired rotational angle for the joints of each of the automated arms.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the computing device is configured to record a rotational angle of the joints of each of the automated arms as a new automated arm configuration after one or more of the automated arms have been manually manipulated.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory also stores a default automated arm configuration for each of the automated arms, and wherein the computing device is configured to return each of the automated arms to the default automated arm configuration prior to implementing the selected automated arm configuration.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of automated arms comprises eight automated arms.

8. The system of claim 1:

wherein the set of automated arms includes six automated arms that are situated in an enclosure comprising opposing first and second walls; and

wherein three of the six arms are mounted to the first wall, and three of the six arms are mounted to the second wall.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the automated arms is operable to move its holder with six degrees of freedom.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the holder of each automated arm is situated at a first end of the automated arm, and a base of the automated arm is situated at an opposite, second end of the automated arm.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the part is a component of a gas turbine engine.

12. A method of facilitating inspection of a part having a complex geometry, the method comprising:

determining a selected one of a plurality of predefined automated arm configurations, each of which comprises automated arm positions for a respective part having a complex geometry; and

controlling a set of automated arms, each of which comprises a holder configured to support a portion of a part for verification, to situate their respective holders in verification positions based on the automated arm positions of the selected automated arm configuration, wherein the set includes a quantity of automated arms and holders that is sufficient for verifying the complex geometry of the part.

13. The method of claim 12:

wherein each automated arm comprises a base and a series of arm segments and joints that connect the base to the holder; and

wherein the controlling comprises determining desired rotational angles for the joints of each automated arm based on the selected automated arm configuration, and articulating the joints of each automated arm to implement the desired rotational angles.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein articulating the joints of each automated arm to implement the desired rotational angles comprises staggering movement of the automated arms such that one or more of the automated arms is stationary while one or more other of the automated arms is moving.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein staggering movement of the automated arms comprises advancing each of the automated arms to their respective desired rotational angles in stages, and keeping individual ones of the automated arms stationary between their respective stages.

16. The method of claim 13, comprising:

recording a rotational angle of each of the series of joints as a new automated arm configuration after one or more of the automated arms have been manually manipulated.

17. The method of claim 12:

wherein the set of automated arms includes six automated arms that are situated in an enclosure comprising opposing first and second walls; and

wherein three of the six automated arms are mounted to the first wall, and three of the six automated arms are mounted to the second wall.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the controlling comprises:

returning each of the automated arms from an initial automated arm configuration to a default automated arm configuration prior to implementing the selected automated arm configuration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the automated arm configurations comprises a respective predefined movement path for each holder to follow from the default automated arm configuration to implement the selected automated arm configuration.

20. The method of claim 12, comprising:

placing a part into position on at least one of the holders that is in its respective verification position for the selected automated arm configuration; and

verifying whether the part complies with the complex geometry of the selected automated arm configuration based on the placing.