Flexible reconfigurable tool for final assembly of helicopter fuselage structure

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of helicopter body structure assembly, and discloses a flexible reconfigurable tool for helicopter body structure assembly. The movable cross beam is mounted at the top of the frame; the movement module is mounted on the movable cross beam; a positioner and a drill jig are mounted on the movement module; the modularized bracket and all the sections of the fuselage are kept in a positioning state after the frame is taken off in the previous working procedure; the digital positioners are used for bearing the modularized brackets, and the multiple digital positioners can be linked to complete butt joint of all sections of the machine body; and the AGV is used for unloading and transferring all the sections of the machine body. The frame for general assembly of the fuselage solves the problems that a traditional frame for general assembly of the fuselage is complex in structure and low in flexibility and automation degree, can be quickly used for general assembly of fuselage structures of different models, effectively improves the utilization rate of tools, and has good market prospects and economic benefits.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of helicopter fuselage structure assembly technology, and in particular relates to a tooling device used for the final assembly of a helicopter fuselage structure. Background Art

[0002] The final assembly of helicopter fuselage structure is an important link in the helicopter manufacturing process, which directly affects the overall manufacturing quality of the helicopter. The final assembly of the fuselage structure mainly includes the docking of major sections, the positioning and installation of various brackets and joints, and the preparation of holes on the outer side of the skin. In order to meet the high quality requirements of the final assembly of the fuselage structure, a fuselage final assembly jig with a rigid frame structure is usually set up for the positioning, support and preparation of holes of various components, assemblies and parts during the final assembly process. Due to the small size of the helicopter fuselage structure and the excessive concentration of the final assembly work, the fuselage final assembly jig structure is complex, the number of positioners is large, and the operating space in the frame is small. The existing fuselage final assembly jig has a low degree of automation, and the loading and unloading, positioning of the product, disassembly and assembly of the tooling positioner and the inspection during the process are almost completely completed by hand, which makes assembly and adjustment difficult, the workload is large, and the labor intensity is high. In addition, the existing fuselage final assembly jig basically adopts a "one-to-one" assembly mode, that is, each type of helicopter uses a special tooling for the final assembly of the fuselage structure, which leads to problems such as a long process preparation cycle in the model development stage, slow development progress, and high development cost investment.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a flexible and reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the technical problems of the traditional fuselage assembly jig structure being complex, having low flexibility and automation, having a narrow operating space, high labor intensity, a long model development cycle, and high cost.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is achieved in this way:

[0006] A flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure final assembly, comprising:

[0007] frame;

[0008] A moving beam mounted on top of the frame, which can move in the X direction;

[0009] A motion module mounted on the moving crossbeam, which can move in the Y direction, and the motion module itself can move in the Z direction; a positioner and a drilling jig are mounted on the motion module;

[0010] Modular brackets, which keep the fuselage sections in place after they are removed from the previous process;

[0011] A digital positioner, which carries the modular bracket, can be used to connect the fuselage sections together;

[0012] AGV vehicle is used for unloading and transferring various parts of the fuselage.

[0013] As a further solution of the present invention: a sliding positioning component is also installed on the frame, which can move along the Y direction, and a force sensor is installed on the sliding positioning component.

[0014] As a further solution of the present invention: the modular bracket is provided with a zero-point positioning module and a process ball head module, the zero-point positioning module is a positioning interface between the modular bracket and the tooling of the previous process, and the process ball head module is a positioning interface with the digital positioner.

[0015] As a further solution of the present invention: the zero-point positioning module and the process ball head module are precisely adjusted to ensure the coordinated interchangeability between the modular bracket and each tooling.

[0016] As a further solution of the present invention: the modular bracket includes a front modular bracket, a middle modular bracket and a rear modular bracket, which are respectively the common parts of the front, middle and rear parts of the fuselage in the previous process tooling before final assembly.

[0017] As a further solution of the present invention: a laser tracker is integrated on the frame to measure the coordinate values ​​of measurement points set at the front, middle and rear of the fuselage.

[0018] As a further solution of the present invention: the sliding positioning assembly is connected to the frame through a slide rail and is driven by a servo motor to move along the Y direction.

[0019] As a further solution of the present invention: a flexible working platform is provided on the frame, which is composed of a fixed part, multiple sets of telescopic parts and a waste channel, and surrounds the upper part, both sides and the rear part of the fuselage structure for auxiliary operation.

[0020] As a further solution of the present invention: the telescopic part is driven by a rotating mechanism to be retracted and evacuated during the process of the fuselage sections being put on the shelf and the fuselage being taken off the shelf, and is extended for use during operation.

[0021] As a further solution of the present invention: the frame is also integrated with an intelligent lifting device, which can move along the Y direction to assist in completing the lifting and assembly work.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this application are:

[0023] 1. Innovatively integrate the traditional fuselage assembly jig with advanced automation and digital technologies to improve the automation level of the helicopter fuselage structure assembly process, increase the operating space, reduce the labor intensity of operators, improve the assembly quality, and meet the assembly needs of other models through rapid reconstruction.

[0024] 2. The tooling has the ability to be flexibly and quickly reconstructed. Through recalibration of the digital positioner, replacement or modification of the modular bracket, replacement of the positioner and the drill jig, and the movement combination of the mobile beam and the motion module, it can be quickly used for the assembly of other types of fuselage structures, effectively improving the utilization rate of the tooling, shortening the helicopter development cycle, and reducing the development cost.

[0025] 3. Through the combination of laser tracker and digital locator, the fuselage sections can be docked in the best condition, effectively reducing assembly stress and improving docking quality.

[0026] 4. Through the effective combination of the mobile beam, motion module, positioner and drilling jig, the upper structure of the tooling is effectively simplified. After the operation is completed, the mobile beam and motion module can be quickly transferred and avoided, greatly increasing the operating space.

[0027] 5. Through the effective combination of sensors and sliding positioning components, the degree of fit between products can be judged more accurately, further improving the quality of product assembly.

[0028] 6. Integrating the laser tracker with the frame can quickly complete the establishment of the coordinate system and automatic measurement. Through the flexible working platform, simple operations can meet the use requirements of helicopters of different shapes.

[0029] 7. The combined application of AGV vehicles, digital positioners, servo motors, laser trackers, and intelligent lifting devices has improved the overall automation level of tooling, replacing traditional manual lifting, positioning, docking, installation, movement, and testing, effectively reducing the labor intensity of operators. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the flexible reconfigurable tooling used for the final assembly of helicopter fuselage structure of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the sliding positioning assembly;

[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle and rear modular bracket;

[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the medium flexible working platform.

[0034] The accompanying drawings are marked as: digital locator 1, frame 2, laser tracker 3, moving beam 4, motion module 5, locator 6, drilling jig 7, sliding positioning assembly 8, AGV vehicle 9, front modular bracket 10, middle modular bracket 11, rear modular bracket 12, process ball head module 13, zero point positioning module 14, force sensor 15, slide rail 16, servo motor 17, flexible working platform 18, fixed part 19, telescopic part 20, rotating mechanism 21, waste channel 22, intelligent lifting device 23. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The technical solution of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments.

[0036] Figures 1 to 4 It is a schematic diagram for explaining an embodiment of the flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly according to the present invention.

[0037] Among them, Figure 1 As shown, the direction along the arrow is the X direction; the front-to-back direction perpendicular to the X direction is the Y direction; and the up-down direction perpendicular to the X direction is the Z direction.

[0038] A flexible and reconfigurable tooling for the assembly of a helicopter fuselage structure mainly consists of a digital positioner 1, a frame 2, a laser tracker 3, a moving beam 4, a motion module 5, a positioner 6, a drilling jig 7, a sliding positioning assembly 8, an AGV vehicle 9, a modular bracket, a process ball head module 13, a zero point positioning module 14, a force sensor 15, a slide rail 16, a servo motor 17, a flexible working platform 18, an intelligent lifting device 23, etc.

[0039] The front, middle and rear modular brackets 12 are respectively the common parts of the front, middle and rear parts of the fuselage before final assembly in the previous process tooling, and their quantity can be set according to production requirements. Each section remains in the positioning state after being unloaded from the previous process and is unloaded together with the modular bracket. The positioning interface between each modular bracket and the tooling of the previous process is the zero-point positioning module 14, and the positioning interface with the digital positioner 1 is the process ball head module 13. The zero-point positioning module 14 and the process ball head module 13 are precisely adjusted to ensure the coordination and interchangeability between the modular bracket and each tooling.

[0040] The AGV vehicle 9 is used to remove the modular bracket together with the fuselage components from the previous process, and automatically transfer them to the corresponding digital locator 1 to complete the positioning of the modular bracket and the digital locator 1; after the fuselage structure is assembled, the modular bracket is transferred together with the assembled fuselage structure.

[0041] The laser tracker 3 is integrated with the frame 2, and a coordinate system is established based on the reference points on the frame 2, which is used to measure the coordinate values ​​of the measurement points set at the front, middle and rear of the fuselage; before the fuselage is taken off the shelf, the fuselage structure is digitally inspected as needed.

[0042] The digital positioner 1 can realize movement in the X, Y, and Z directions, and multiple digital positioners 1 can be linked. The digital positioner 1 carries a modular bracket and can accurately move to the set position along the X direction according to the program to automatically complete the docking of the fuselage sections; it can also realize the six-degree-of-freedom adjustment of the fuselage sections. After the system analyzes the measurement data of the laser tracker 3, the digital positioner 1 adjusts the fuselage sections to the optimal posture according to the system posture adjustment instructions, and automatically completes the docking of each section. The digital positioner 1 and the process ball head module 13 have locking, anti-escape and unlocking functions.

[0043] The moving beam 4 is connected to the frame 2 through a slide rail and can move in the X direction when driven by a servo motor 17; the motion module 5 is connected to the moving beam 4 through a slide rail and can move in the Y direction when driven by a servo motor 17. The motion module 5 itself can move in the Z direction when driven by a servo motor 17. The positioner 6, the drilling jig 7 and the motion module 5 are connected through a standard interface. The moving beam 4 and the motion module 5 can be moved arbitrarily under the control of the system to meet the connection requirements of the positioner 6 and the drilling jig 7 at different positions. The positioning or hole making requirements of products at different positions can also be achieved by quickly replacing the positioner 6 and the drilling jig 7.

[0044] The sliding positioning assembly 8 is connected to the frame 2 through the slide rail 16 and can move along the Y direction driven by the servo motor 17. A force sensor 15 is installed inside the sliding positioning assembly 8. When the product is positioned, the fit and stress state between the products are analyzed through the numerical value feedback from the sensor, and the servo motor 17 is controlled by the system to drive the sliding positioning assembly 8 to move along the slide rail 16. After reaching the optimal state, the product positioning and locking are completed, which replaces the original positioning assembly that needs to set the theoretical position and fix it through the positioning pin, and can quickly meet different positioning requirements.

[0045] The digital positioner 1, the moving beam 4, the motion module 5, etc. are all provided with grating rulers, which can display their motion positions in real time.

[0046] The flexible working platform 18 is composed of a fixed part 19, multiple groups of telescopic parts 20 and a waste channel 22, which surrounds the upper part, both sides and the rear of the fuselage structure and is used for auxiliary operation. The telescopic part 20 is driven by the rotating mechanism 21 to retract and avoid during the process of putting the fuselage sections on the shelves and unloading the fuselage, and is extended for use during work. The extension distance and effective combination of each group of telescopic parts 20 can be controlled to meet the use requirements of helicopter structures with different shapes; through the waste channel 22, the operator can put the waste into the trash can on the ground at any time.

[0047] An intelligent lifting device 23 is integrated on the frame 2, and the intelligent lifting device 23 is used to replace manual lifting of the detachable large-mass installation and positioning tooling, and assist in completing other assembly work. The intelligent lifting device 23 can move in the Y direction along the guide rail to meet the lifting requirements of different positions.

[0048] The main workflow of this program is as follows:

[0049] (1) After the front, middle and rear parts of the fuselage are assembled in the previous process, they are kept in positioning connection with the front modular bracket 10, the middle modular bracket 11 and the rear modular bracket 12, and the zero-point positioning module 14 is disengaged and lifted off the shelves by the AGV vehicle 9. The moving beam 4, the motion module 5 together with the positioner 6, the drilling jig 7, the sliding positioning assembly 8 and the rotating mechanism 21 drive the telescopic part 20 to move to the avoidance position;

[0050] (2) The AGV vehicle 9 transports the rear modular bracket 12 together with the rear section of the fuselage to the corresponding digital positioner 1. The rear modular bracket 12 is positioned by the process ball head module 13 and the digital positioner 1. After confirmation, the digital positioner 1 and the process ball head module 13 are locked;

[0051] (3) The AGV vehicle 9 transports the middle modular bracket 11 together with the middle section of the fuselage to the corresponding digital locator 1. The middle modular bracket 11 is positioned by the process ball head module 13 and the digital locator 1. After confirmation, the digital locator 1 and the process ball head module 13 are locked;

[0052] (4) The AGV vehicle 9 transfers the front modular bracket 10 together with the middle section of the fuselage to the corresponding digital locator 1. The front modular bracket is positioned by the process ball head module 13 and the digital locator 1. After confirmation, the digital locator 1 and the process ball head module 13 are locked;

[0053] (5) A control system, in which the digital positioner 1 carries the rear modular bracket 12 and the front modular bracket 10 and moves along the X direction to complete the docking of the front and rear parts of the fuselage with the middle part of the fuselage; or a control system, in which the laser tracker 3 establishes a coordinate system based on the reference point on the frame 2 and measures the front, middle and rear parts of the fuselage. The system automatically adjusts the front and rear parts of the fuselage to the optimal posture based on the measurement results and completes the docking with the middle part of the fuselage;

[0054] (6) The rotating mechanism 21 drives the telescopic part 20 to extend to the working position, and the moving beam 4, the motion module 5 together with the positioner 6 and the drilling jig 7 are driven by the servo motor 17 to move to the set position in sequence according to the program setting, completing the corresponding positioning installation and hole making work;

[0055] (7) The sliding positioning assembly 8 and the product parts are driven by the servo motor 17 to move along the slide rail 16. The stop position is determined according to the force value feedback of the force sensor 15 to complete the positioning work;

[0056] (8) The detachable large-mass installation and positioning tooling is lifted by the intelligent lifting device 23 to assist in completing other assembly work.

[0057] (9) During the final assembly of the fuselage structure and before it is removed from the rack, a laser tracker 3 can be used to perform digital inspection of relevant requirements as needed;

[0058] (10) The operator on the working platform can put the waste into the garbage bin on the ground through the waste channel 22 at any time.

[0059] (11) Move the crossbeam 4, the motion module 5 together with the positioner 6, the drilling jig 7, the sliding positioning assembly 8 and the telescopic part 20 to the avoidance position. Loosen the positioning connection between the fuselage structure and the front modular bracket 10, disconnect its process ball head module 13 from the digital positioner 1, and lift the front modular bracket 10 out of the rack by the AGV vehicle 9;

[0060] (12) Release the positioning connection between the fuselage structure and the rear modular bracket 12, maintain the positioning connection between the fuselage structure and the middle modular bracket 11, disconnect the process ball head module 13 of the rear modular bracket 12 and the front modular bracket 10 from the digital positioner 1, and use the AGV vehicle 9 to lift the middle modular bracket 11 together with the fuselage structure out of the rack to complete the fuselage structure assembly tooling.

[0061] This type of tooling used for helicopter fuselage structure assembly has a high degree of automation, stable and reliable quality, and overall flexible and reconfigurable capabilities. It has been promoted and applied in helicopter fuselage structure assembly, and it has been verified that this type of fuselage structure assembly tooling has a good application effect.

[0062] So far, the purpose of the present invention has been achieved.

[0063] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly, characterized in that: include: frame; A moving beam mounted on top of the frame, which can move in the X direction; A motion module mounted on the moving crossbeam, which can move in the Y direction, and the motion module itself can move in the Z direction; a positioner and a drilling jig are mounted on the motion module; Modular brackets, which keep the fuselage sections in place after they are removed from the previous process; A digital positioner, which carries the modular bracket, can be used to connect the fuselage sections together; AGV vehicle is used for unloading and transferring various parts of the fuselage.

2. The flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame is also provided with a sliding positioning assembly which can move along the Y direction, and a force sensor is provided on the sliding positioning assembly.

3. The flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The modular bracket is provided with a zero-point positioning module and a process ball head module. The zero-point positioning module is a positioning interface between the modular bracket and the tooling of the previous process, and the process ball head module is a positioning interface with a digital positioner.

4. The flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The zero-point positioning module and the process ball head module are precisely adjusted to ensure the coordinated interchangeability between the modular bracket and each tooling.

5. The flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The modular bracket includes a front modular bracket, a middle modular bracket and a rear modular bracket, which are respectively the common parts of the front, middle and rear parts of the fuselage in the previous process tooling before final assembly.

6. The flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The frame is integrated with a laser tracker for measuring the coordinate values ​​of measurement points set at the front, middle and rear of the fuselage.

7. The flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The sliding positioning assembly is connected to the frame via a slide rail and can be driven by a servo motor to move along the Y direction.

8. The flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The frame is provided with a flexible working platform, which is composed of a fixed part, multiple sets of telescopic parts and a waste channel, and surrounds the upper part, both sides and the rear part of the fuselage structure for auxiliary operation.

9. The flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The telescopic part is driven by the rotating mechanism to be retracted and evacuated during the process of the sections of the fuselage being put on the rack or the fuselage being taken off the rack, and is extended for use during operation.

10. The flexible reconfigurable tooling for helicopter fuselage structure assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: The frame is also integrated with an intelligent lifting device, which can move along the Y direction to assist in completing the lifting and assembly work.

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