A crossbeam unit rapid assembly method based on CATIA secondary development

Abstract

This application relates to the field of computer-aided manufacturing technology and discloses a rapid assembly method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development. This method first selects two assembly planes, A and B. Based on the selected assembly planes, it determines whether they are parallel. If parallel, it selects an assembly hole axis belonging to assembly plane A as an assembly element. Then, based on spatial coordinate system transformation, it calculates the distance between the two assembly planes. Next, it modifies the length parameters of the beam unit to be inserted and inserts the beam unit. Finally, it creates constraint relationships between the beam unit and assembly plane A and the assembly hole axis. Compared to traditional beam unit assembly methods, this application reduces the time spent measuring distances between planes and modifying component parameters. To complete the assembly of a beam unit, at most two assembly surface selection operations and one assembly hole selection operation are required, reducing labor costs and greatly improving the design efficiency of assembly jigs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of computer-aided manufacturing technology, particularly to the design of aerospace parts, and more specifically to a rapid assembly method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development. Background Technology

[0002] In the production processes of aviation, aerospace, and large equipment, various assembly jigs are often required to meet the assembly requirements of workers and equipment, especially during the aircraft sub-assembly and final assembly stages, where the demand for assembly jigs is enormous. The structure of an assembly jig typically includes a support platform, column units, beam units, slide rail units, and positioner assemblies. The support platform is the basic load-bearing structure of the entire jig, used to mount and support the column units. The slide rail units are mounted on the column units and are typical cantilever beam structures. The positioner assemblies are generally installed at the end of the slide rail units, thus placing high demands on the stability of the column units. To meet the requirements for product assembly positioning accuracy, the stability of the column unit installation position must be ensured. Therefore, connecting a sufficient number of beam units between the columns guarantees the stability of the jig structure.

[0003] Currently, in the traditional design method of using CATIA to design assembly jigs, after designing the support platform and column units, designers need to manually insert beam units, measure the distance between columns using the measurement tools provided by CATIA, manually modify the length parameters of the beam units, and then apply assembly constraints. Completing the assembly of a single beam unit requires at least three selection operations for assembly surfaces and one for assembly holes, one parameter calculation, and one modification operation. Therefore, when installing a large number of beam units, the entire process involves a significant amount of simple, repetitive, and tedious design work, resulting in low efficiency, high time consumption, and an inability to meet the needs of rapid product development. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems and shortcomings of the existing technologies, this application proposes a rapid assembly method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development, which enables rapid assembly design of beam units, thereby improving the modeling efficiency of assembly frame design.

[0005] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the technical solution of this application is as follows:

[0006] A rapid assembly method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development, wherein the secondary development in this method is carried out in the CATIA CAA secondary development environment, includes the following steps:

[0007] Step S1. First, arbitrarily select two assembly planes A and B. Based on the two selected assembly planes, determine whether they are parallel. If they are parallel, continue to select an assembly hole axis belonging to assembly plane A as an assembly element. If the two selected assembly planes are not parallel, you need to reselect assembly plane B until the two selected assembly planes are parallel to each other.

[0008] Step S2. Based on the spatial coordinate system transformation, calculate the distance between assembly plane A and assembly plane B;

[0009] Step S3. Based on the actual assembly environment and conditions, modify the length parameters of the beam unit to be inserted, then insert the beam unit, and finally create the constraint relationship between the beam unit and the assembly plane A and the axis of the assembly hole.

[0010] Compared with existing technologies, this application achieves rapid assembly of beam units through secondary development of CATIA. During the assembly process, the time spent measuring the distance between planes and modifying component parameters is reduced. To complete the assembly of a beam unit, at most two assembly surface selection operations and one assembly hole selection operation are required, which reduces labor costs, greatly improves the design efficiency of the assembly jig, and shortens the cycle for the research and development and production of new products.

[0011] Furthermore, the more specific method for this application is as follows:

[0012] Step S1 specifically includes:

[0013] Step S1.1. Select assembly plane A, and obtain spAsmPlaneA representing the assembly surface of assembly plane A, and the reference part spCATIProductRefpA to which assembly plane A belongs;

[0014] Step S1.2. Select assembly plane B, obtain spAsmPlaneB representing the assembly surface of assembly plane B, and the reference part spCATIProductRefpB to which assembly plane B belongs;

[0015] Step S1.3. Calculate the normal vectors planeVecA and planeVecB of spAsmPlaneA and spAsmPlaneB in the absolute coordinate system respectively, and calculate the cross product of the two normal vectors. If the cross product of the two vectors is equal to zero, it means that the two assembly planes are parallel to each other.

[0016] Step S1.4. Select the assembly hole axis spAsmHoleAxis belonging to assembly plane A.

[0017] Step S2 specifically includes:

[0018] Step S2.1. Obtain the plane MathPlaneA of type CATMathPlaneA of spAsmPlaneA, and the origin PlaneAOrigin of type CATMathPoint of MathPlaneA in the local coordinate system;

[0019] Step S2.2. Obtain the transformation matrix TransPlaneA of type CATMathTransformation in the absolute coordinate system for spCATIProductRefpA, and then multiply the coordinates of PlaneAOrigin with TransPlaneA to obtain the origin coordinates PlaneAOriginAbs of the assembly plane A in the absolute coordinate system.

[0020] Step S2.3. Obtain the plane MathPlaneB of type CATMathPlane of spAsmPlaneB, and the origin PlaneBOrigin of type CATMathPoint of MathPlaneB in the local coordinate system;

[0021] Step S2.4. Obtain the transformation matrix TransPlaneB of type CATMathTransformation in the absolute coordinate system of spCATIProductRefpB, and then multiply the coordinates of PlaneBOrigin with TransPlaneB to obtain the origin coordinates PlaneBOriginAbs of the assembly plane B in the absolute coordinate system.

[0022] Step S2.5. Obtain the normal vector VectorPlaneB of MathPlaneB, and construct two CATMathPoint type points PlaneNormalPtO and PlaneNormalPt, where PlaneNormalPtO = (0,0,0), and the coordinates of PlaneNormalPt are the same as those of VectorPlaneB;

[0023] Step S2.6. Multiply the coordinates of PlaneNormalPtO and PlaneNormalPt by TransPlaneB respectively to obtain the point coordinates PlaneNormalPtOAbs and PlaneNormalPtAbs in the absolute coordinate system, and construct a straight line LineNormalAbs with PlaneNormalPtOAbs and PlaneNormalPtAbs, and obtain the direction vector VectorNormalAbs of the straight line LineNormalAbs.

[0024] Step S2.7. Construct a plane PlaneBAbs of type CATMathPlane using the absolute coordinate system origin PlaneBOriginAbs and the absolute coordinate system direction vector VectorNormalAbs;

[0025] Step S2.8. Calculate the distance from PlaneBAbs to PlaneAOriginAbs. This distance is the distance between assembly plane A and assembly plane B in the absolute coordinate system.

[0026] In step S2.1 above, the local coordinate system refers to the coordinate system of CATIProduct to which spAsmPlaneA belongs, that is, the coordinate system of the product to which assembly plane A belongs.

[0027] In step S2.3 above, the local coordinate system refers to the coordinate system of CATIProduct to which spAsmPlaneB belongs, that is, the coordinate system of the product to which assembly plane B belongs.

[0028] Step S3 specifically includes:

[0029] Step S3.1. Obtain the parameter list of the beam element to be inserted, and then obtain the length parameter ParamLen of the beam element. Modify the value of ParamLen to modify the length of the beam element.

[0030] Step S3.2. Create a matching constraint between the assembly hole axis of the beam element and the assembly hole axis AsmHoleAxis of the assembly plane A.

[0031] Step S3.3. Create the matching constraint between the assembly surface of the beam element and the assembly plane A;

[0032] Step S3.4. Update constraints and display the digital model.

[0033] The beneficial effects of this application are:

[0034] This application provides a rapid assembly design method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development, which reduces the time spent measuring the distance between planes and modifying component parameters. To complete the assembly of a beam unit, a maximum of two assembly surface selection operations and one assembly hole selection operation are required, which reduces labor costs, greatly improves the design efficiency of assembly jigs, shortens the cycle for the research and development and production of new products, and promotes the improvement of the company's market competitiveness. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The foregoing and hereinafter detailed description of this application becomes clearer when read in conjunction with the following figures, in which:

[0036] Figure 1This is a flowchart of the method in this application;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the beam element used in this application;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the effect after inserting the beam element in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the following will further illustrate the technical solutions for achieving the inventive objectives of this application through several specific embodiments. It should be noted that the technical solutions claimed in this application include, but are not limited to, the following embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] Currently, in the traditional design method of using CATIA to design assembly jigs, after designing the support platform and column units, designers need to manually insert beam units, measure the distance between columns using the measurement tools provided by CATIA, manually modify the length parameters of the beam units, and then apply assembly constraints. Completing the assembly of a single beam unit requires at least three selection operations for assembly surfaces and one for assembly holes, one parameter calculation, and one modification operation. Therefore, when installing a large number of beam units, the entire process involves a significant amount of simple, repetitive, and tedious design work, resulting in low efficiency, high time and labor costs, and failing to meet the needs of rapid product development.

[0041] Based on this, the embodiments of this application propose a rapid assembly method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development, which reduces the time spent measuring the distance between planes and modifying component parameters. To complete the assembly of a beam unit, at most two assembly surface selection operations and one assembly hole selection operation are required, which reduces labor costs, greatly improves the design efficiency of assembly jigs, shortens the cycle for the research and development and production of new products, and promotes the improvement of the company's market competitiveness.

[0042] In this embodiment, it should first be noted that the CATIA secondary development of this application is carried out in the CAT IA C AA secondary development environment.

[0043] This embodiment discloses a rapid assembly method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development, as detailed in the attached manual. Figure 1 , Figure 1 The following is a flowchart of the method described in this application:

[0044] Step S1. Manually select two assembly planes A and B. The secondary development program automatically determines whether the two selected planes are parallel. If they are parallel, select an assembly hole axis belonging to assembly plane A as the assembly element. If the secondary development program determines that the two assembly planes selected by the designer are not parallel, the designer needs to select a new assembly plane as assembly plane B. The secondary development program then determines whether the two selected planes are parallel again. Repeat the above operation until the two selected assembly planes are parallel to each other.

[0045] Step S1.1. Pick assembly plane A. In the CATIA CATIA secondary development environment, obtain spAsmPlaneA, which represents the assembly surface of plane A, through the IID_CATPlane interface. Then, obtain the reference part spCATIProductRefpA to which plane A belongs through the IID_CATIProduct interface and the Search() function.

[0046] Step S1.2. Pick plane B, obtain spAsmPlaneB representing the assembly surface of plane B through the IID_CATPlane interface, and then obtain the reference part spCATIProductRefpB to which plane B belongs through the IID_CATIProduct interface and the Search() function.

[0047] Step S1.3. The secondary development program calculates the normal vectors planeVecA and planeVecB of spAsmPlaneA and spAsmPlaneB in the absolute coordinate system, respectively. Then, it calculates the outer product vector wedgeVec of planeVecA and planeVecB using the operator^ operator. If the wedgeVec of both planes is equal to [0,0,0], then it proves that plane A and plane B are parallel to each other.

[0048] Step S1.4. The designer picks the assembly hole axis spAsmHoleAxis belonging to assembly plane A.

[0049] In this embodiment, it should be noted that the device performing the picking operation can be a mouse or a stylus or other hardware device connected to a computer.

[0050] In this embodiment, it should be noted that spAsmPlaneA represents an assembly plane A object of type CATISpecObject_var; spCATIProductRefpA represents the CATIProduct_var to which assembly plane A belongs.

[0051] In this embodiment, it should be noted that assembly plane A and assembly plane B are merely codes for two assembly planes selected during the picking operation, and are not two specific planes.

[0052] In this embodiment, it should also be noted that when manually selecting two assembly planes and assembly hole axes, since the position of the column unit of the assembly frame is closely connected with the external structure of the product, for the column units at different positions already designed on the frame, the designer needs to first roughly determine the installation position of the beam unit, and then find suitable assembly planes and assembly holes near that position to meet the actual working conditions.

[0053] Step S2. Based on the spatial coordinate system transformation, the secondary development program automatically calculates the distance between assembly plane A and assembly plane B.

[0054] Step S2.1. Obtain the plane MathPlaneA of type CATMathPlaneA of spAsmPlaneA through the GetAxis() function, and obtain the origin PlaneAOrigin of type CATMathPoint of MathPlaneA in the local coordinate system through GetOrigin().

[0055] In this step, the local coordinate system refers to the coordinate system of the CATIProduct to which spAsmPlaneA belongs.

[0056] Step S2.2. Obtain the transformation matrix TransPlaneA of type CATMathTransformation in the absolute coordinate system by using the GetAbsPosition() function. Then multiply the coordinates of PlaneAOrigin with TransPlaneA to obtain the origin coordinates PlaneAOriginAbs of the assembly plane A in the absolute coordinate system.

[0057] Step S2.3. Obtain the plane MathPlaneB of type CATMathPlaneB from spAsmPlaneB using the GetAxis() function, and obtain the origin PlaneBOrigin of type CATMathPoint in the local coordinate system from MathPlaneB using GetOrigin().

[0058] In this step, the local coordinate system refers to the coordinate system of the CATIProduct to which spAsmPlaneB belongs.

[0059] Step S2.4. Obtain the transformation matrix TransPlaneB of type CATMathTransformation in the absolute coordinate system of spCATIProductRefpB using the GetAbsPosition() function. Then multiply the coordinates of PlaneBOrigin with TransPlaneB to obtain the origin coordinates PlaneBOriginAbs of the assembly surface B in the absolute coordinate system.

[0060] Step S2.5. Obtain the normal vector VectorPlaneB of MathPlaneB using the GetNormal() function, and construct two CATMathPoint type points PlaneNormalPtO and PlaneNormalPt, where PlaneNormalPtO = (0,0,0), and the coordinates of PlaneNormalPt are the same as those of VectorPlaneB.

[0061] Step S2.6. By multiplying the coordinates of PlaneNormalPtO and PlaneNormalPt by TransPlaneB respectively, the point coordinates PlaneNormalPtOAbs and PlaneNormalPtAbs in the absolute coordinate system are obtained. A straight line LineNormalAbs is constructed using PlaneNormalPtOAbs and PlaneNormalPtAbs. The direction vector VectorNormalAbs of the straight line LineNormalAbs is obtained by using the GetDirection() function.

[0062] Step S2.7. Construct a plane PlaneBAbs of type CATMathPlane using the origin PlaneBOriginAbs and the direction vector VectorNormalAbs in the absolute coordinate system.

[0063] Step S2.8. Calculate the distance from PlaneBAbs to PlaneAOriginAbs using the DistanceTo() function, which is the distance between assembly plane A and assembly plane B in the absolute coordinate system.

[0064] Step S3. After selecting assembly plane A, assembly plane B and assembly hole axis, add the beam unit to be inserted to the background environment and display the calculated distance between the planes. According to the installation environment of the beam unit, modify the length parameter of the beam unit to be inserted and then insert the beam unit. Then create the constraint relationship between the beam unit and assembly plane A and assembly hole axis.

[0065] Step S3.1. Obtain the parameter list of the beam element to be inserted through the IID_CATIParmPublisher interface and the GetAllChildren() function, and obtain the length parameter ParamLen of the beam element according to the parameter name. Then, modify the value of ParamLen through the Valuate() method to finally modify the length of the beam element, and then insert the beam element.

[0066] In this embodiment, it should be noted that after selecting the assembly surfaces A and B and the axis of the assembly holes, the beam unit to be inserted needs to be added to the background environment, and the calculated interplane distance needs to be displayed. The length of the beam unit needs to be adjusted and modified according to the actual installation situation. For example, during installation, the thickness of the welding plates at both ends needs to be subtracted to obtain the length parameter of the beam unit to be inserted. In the parameter list of the beam unit, find the parameter name representing the length parameter of the beam unit, and then modify the length parameter value of the beam unit to the corrected value.

[0067] Step S3.2. Create the matching constraint between the assembly hole axis of the beam element and spAsmHoleAxis.

[0068] Step S3.3. Create the matching constraint between the assembly surface of the beam element and the assembly plane A.

[0069] Step S3.4. Perform the Update() operation on the constraint interface and display interface of the digital model to display the final effect. Refer to the appendix of the instruction manual. Figure 3 .

[0070] In this embodiment, it should be noted that the creation of conformity constraints is a technical means known to those skilled in the art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0071] In this embodiment, it should be noted that the beam element is a standardized digital model, as shown in the appendix of the specification. Figure 2 The data model is stored in the software's installation path and can be directly accessed. After accessing the model, it is first stored in the background. Once the length calculation is complete, the length parameters of the model are modified, and then the subsequent constraint relationships are created.

[0072] In this application, the selection of the assembly plane and the assembly hole axis must follow the rule that the selected assembly hole axis and the assembly plane must be in the same CATIProduct. For example, after selecting assembly plane A, the assembly hole axis to which assembly plane A belongs must be selected as the assembly element. Finally, corresponding matching constraints are established between assembly plane A, the assembly hole axis to which assembly plane A belongs, and the beam unit.

[0073] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as an obstacle to the scope of protection of this application.

[0074] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0075] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to hinder this application in any way. Any simple modifications or equivalent changes made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of this application shall fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A rapid assembly method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development, characterized in that, Specifically, the following steps are included: Step S1. Select two assembly planes A and B. Determine whether the two selected assembly planes are parallel. If they are parallel, select an assembly hole axis belonging to assembly plane A as an assembly element. If the two selected assembly planes are not parallel, reselect assembly plane B until the two selected assembly planes are parallel to each other. Step S2. Based on the spatial coordinate system transformation, calculate the distance between assembly plane A and assembly plane B; Step S2.

1. Obtain the plane MathPlaneA of type CATMathPlaneA of spAsmPlaneA, and the origin PlaneAOrigin of type CATMathPoint of MathPlaneA in the local coordinate system; where spAsmPlaneA represents the assembly plane A object of type CATISpecObject_var; Step S2.

2. Obtain the transformation matrix TransPlaneA of type CATMathTransformation in the absolute coordinate system for spCATIProductRefpA, and then multiply the coordinates of PlaneAOrigin with TransPlaneA to obtain the origin coordinates PlaneAOriginAbs of the assembly plane A in the absolute coordinate system; where spCATIProductRefpA represents the CATIProduct_var to which the assembly plane A belongs. Step S2.

3. Obtain the CATMathPlane type plane MathPlaneB of spAsmPlaneB, and the origin PlaneBOrigin of MathPlaneB in the local coordinate system of CATMathPoint type; where spAsmPlaneB represents the assembly plane B object of type CATISpecObject_var; Step S2.

4. Obtain the transformation matrix TransPlaneB of type CATMathTransformation in the absolute coordinate system of spCATIProductRefpB, and then multiply the coordinates of PlaneBOrigin with TransPlaneB to obtain the origin coordinates of assembly plane B in the absolute coordinate system PlaneBOriginAbs; where spCATIProductRefpB represents the CATIProduct_var to which assembly plane B belongs. Step S2.

5. Obtain the normal vector VectorPlaneB of MathPlaneB, and construct two CATMathPoint type points PlaneNormalPtO and PlaneNormalPt, where PlaneNormalPtO=(0, 0, 0), and the coordinates of PlaneNormalPt are the same as those of VectorPlaneB; Step S2.

6. Multiply the coordinates of PlaneNormalPtO and PlaneNormalPt by TransPlaneB respectively to obtain the point coordinates PlaneNormalPtOAbs and PlaneNormalPtAbs in the absolute coordinate system, and construct a straight line LineNormalAbs with PlaneNormalPtOAbs and PlaneNormalPtAbs, and obtain the direction vector VectorNormalAbs of the straight line LineNormalAbs. Step S2.

7. Construct a plane PlaneBAbs of type CATMathPlane using the absolute coordinate system origin PlaneBOriginAbs and the absolute coordinate system direction vector VectorNormalAbs; Step S2.

8. Calculate the distance from PlaneBAbs to PlaneAOriginAbs. This distance is the distance between assembly plane A and assembly plane B in the absolute coordinate system. Step S3. After modifying the length parameter of the beam element to be inserted, insert the beam element, and then create the constraint relationship between the beam element and the assembly plane A and the axis of the assembly hole.

2. The rapid assembly method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S1 specifically includes: Step S1.

1. Select assembly plane A, and obtain spAsmPlaneA representing the assembly surface of assembly plane A, and the reference part spCATIProductRefpA to which assembly plane A belongs; Step S1.

2. Select assembly plane B, obtain spAsmPlaneB representing the assembly surface of assembly plane B, and the reference part spCATIProductRefpB to which assembly plane B belongs; Step S1.

3. Calculate the normal vectors planeVecA and planeVecB of spAsmPlaneA and spAsmPlaneB in the absolute coordinate system respectively, and calculate the cross product of the two normal vectors. If the cross product of the two vectors is equal to zero, it means that the two assembly planes are parallel to each other. Step S1.

4. Select the assembly hole axis spAsmHoleAxis belonging to assembly plane A.

3. The rapid assembly method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S3 specifically includes: Step S3.

1. Obtain the parameter list of the beam element to be inserted, and then obtain the length parameter ParamLen of the beam element. Modify the value of ParamLen to modify the length of the beam element. Step S3.

2. Create a matching constraint between the assembly hole axis of the beam element and the assembly hole axis AsmHoleAxis of the assembly plane A. Step S3.

3. Create the matching constraint between the assembly surface of the beam element and the assembly plane A; Step S3.

4. Update constraints and display the digital model.

4. The rapid assembly method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2.1, the local coordinate system refers to the coordinate system of the CATIProduct to which spAsmPlaneA belongs.

5. The rapid assembly method for beam units based on CATIA secondary development according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2.3, the local coordinate system refers to the coordinate system of the CATIProduct to which spAsmPlaneB belongs.

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