An aircraft wing carbon fiber skin ultrasonic automated scanning system and method

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of aviation equipment maintenance, and particularly discloses an aircraft wing carbon fiber skin ultrasonic automatic scanning system and method, which comprises a movable gantry frame and an industrial mechanical arm. The movable gantry frame comprises a plurality of stands and two bed bodies, the plurality of stands are respectively arranged at the bottom ends of the two bed bodies, the top portions of the two bed bodies are jointly provided with a movable cross beam, the top portion of the movable cross beam is provided with a horizontal sliding table, the top portion of the horizontal sliding table is provided with a vertical sliding saddle, the industrial mechanical arm is arranged at the bottom end of the vertical sliding saddle, the bottom end of the industrial mechanical arm is provided with a scanning probe, a limiting mechanism and a transfer trolley are arranged below the movable cross beam, and a control box is arranged below one of the bed bodies. In the application, the automatic lifting type automatic loading and unloading of the composite material wing component is realized through the automatic control technical means of the detection rack and the movable platform, the manual lifting risk is reduced, the labor intensity of the personnel is greatly reduced, and the risk of occupational diseases is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aviation equipment maintenance technology, specifically to an automated ultrasonic scanning system and method for carbon fiber skin of aircraft wings, and more particularly to an automated scanning system and method for internal delamination and debonding defects based on trusses, robots, and phased array ultrasonic adaptive skin surfaces. Background Technology

[0002] Ultrasonic testing of carbon fiber skin on in-service aircraft wings differs significantly from skin testing during the aircraft manufacturing phase. During manufacturing, carbon fiber skin is typically inspected before assembling wings and other components; it's a single skin, primarily detecting manufacturing defects present during the carbon fiber forming process. No further inspection is conducted after assembly. After assembly, the skin, along with internal stringers and beams, forms the finished product. However, after aircraft manufacturing is completed and delivered to the relevant parties, and following a long service life and calendar lifespan, in-service aircraft require maintenance. At this stage, the carbon fiber skin on the in-service aircraft wings needs to be inspected while the entire aircraft is still assembled.

[0003] Currently, in the field of non-destructive testing (NDT) technology for carbon fiber composite components in in-service aircraft both domestically and internationally, ultrasonic testing of wing skin is typically conducted manually. The specific steps of this method are as follows: Inspectors use portable ultrasonic testing equipment, holding a small ultrasonic probe, to perform contact scanning of the composite material surface of the skin according to an experienced trajectory. During the scanning process, they visually observe the scanning results on the display screen, judge whether it is a defect or damage based on experience, and use a marker to make preliminary outline markings on the product surface. After scanning, the inspectors use a tape measure to measure the vertical distance from the damage point to the two nearest reference edges of the skin component, thus determining the approximate location of the damage. The damaged area is repeatedly inspected using a smaller diameter probe to determine the approximate size of the damage. Finally, an inspection report is written, recording the location, shape, and size of the damage for subsequent defect processing.

[0004] This testing method has several drawbacks: First, in traditional manual testing, the planning of the ultrasonic probe's scanning path and the determination of whether the skin scan has been completed depend on the inspector's personal experience. However, composite material skin components are large in size and the scanning path is long, making it easy to misscan or miss. Second, traditional manual testing mainly determines the damage location by manually measuring the perpendicular distance from the damage point to the two nearest reference edges of the skin component, and estimates the size of the damage by manually observing the test image. The test results rely on personal experience, and manual measurement is prone to measurement errors, resulting in low detection accuracy. Third, composite material skin components are large in size, and traditional manual testing is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Inspectors need to lie on the skin surface and hold the ultrasonic probe for a long time while scanning, which can easily cause physical injury and secondary hazards. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the problems of false positives and false negatives, high labor intensity, and low accuracy in manual non-destructive testing of carbon fiber composite skin components for in-service aircraft wings. This invention provides an ultrasonic automatic scanning and testing system for carbon fiber composite skin components of in-service aircraft wings, enabling rapid, comprehensive testing, precise defect location, and reduced labor intensity. It can automatically complete the processes of product loading, positioning, scanning, marking, and report generation.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: An automated ultrasonic scanning system for carbon fiber skin of an aircraft wing includes a movable gantry bridge and an industrial robotic arm. The movable gantry bridge comprises multiple columns and two beds. The columns are respectively installed at the bottom of the two beds. A movable crossbeam is slidably mounted on the top of the two beds. A horizontal slide is slidably mounted on the top of the movable crossbeam. A vertical slide is mounted on the top of the horizontal slide. The industrial robotic arm is mounted at the bottom of the vertical slide. A scanning probe for detecting the condition of the carbon fiber skin on the wing surface is installed at the bottom of the industrial robotic arm. A limiting mechanism for limiting and fixing the wing is provided below the movable crossbeam, as well as a transfer trolley for automatically handling and loading / unloading the wing. A control box for controlling the entire scanning system is located below one of the beds.

[0007] Optionally, the movable gantry bridge adopts a crossbeam moving design. The movable crossbeam cooperates with the two beds to form a gantry structure. The movable crossbeam is equipped with a crossbeam servo drive component at one end near the two beds. The two crossbeam servo drive components can drive the movable crossbeam to move back and forth in the X-axis direction at the top of the two beds for adjustment.

[0008] Optionally, a slide servo drive assembly is installed on the top of the horizontal slide, which can drive the horizontal slide to move back and forth in the Y-axis direction at the top of the moving crossbeam.

[0009] Optionally, the vertical slide ram is equipped with a slide ram servo drive assembly, which can drive the vertical slide ram and the industrial robotic arm to move up and down in the Z-axis direction at the bottom of the horizontal slide.

[0010] Optionally, the scanning probe includes a wheel-type phased array ultrasonic probe, an industrial vision camera contour scanner, and a marker pen laser projection device; The wheel-type phased array ultrasonic probe is used to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals to the composite material wing skin under test in a contact scanning manner, and to collect ultrasonic test data. Industrial vision camera contour scanners are used to identify feature holes or fastener positions on the surface of an air wing, fit the actual spatial attitude of the product with theoretical coordinates, perform secondary correction on the detection path, and complete the confirmation of the spatial attitude of the air wing under test. The marker pen laser projection device is used to mark or project indications at the location of defects in the wing skin based on the scanning results.

[0011] Optionally, the industrial robotic arm is equipped with a mounting frame at its bottom end, a wheeled phased array ultrasonic probe is mounted at the bottom end of the mounting frame, and an industrial vision camera contour scanner and a marker pen laser projection device are respectively mounted at both ends of the mounting frame.

[0012] Optionally, the limiting mechanism includes two bases disposed below the moving crossbeam, each base having two telescopic cylinders mounted on its top end, and the telescopic ends of the two telescopic cylinders on the top of the same base being jointly mounted on a testing platform.

[0013] Optionally, a support plate is installed at the top of each of the two test stands, and a clamping device for pressing and fixing the wing is installed at both ends of the two support plates.

[0014] Optionally, the transfer trolley includes an omnidirectional moving platform and a telescopic column array. The omnidirectional moving platform is located on the top of the transfer trolley, and the telescopic column array is installed on the top of the omnidirectional moving platform. The telescopic column array consists of multiple telescopic columns, and each of the multiple telescopic columns has a vacuum suction cup installed on its top for adsorbing and fixing the wing.

[0015] Optionally, an automated ultrasonic scanning method for carbon fiber skin of an aircraft wing, wherein the automated scanning method is applied to the aforementioned automated ultrasonic scanning system, and the automated scanning method further includes the following steps: Step 1: Product loading. First, place the wing to be tested using a trestle support and control the telescopic column array on the top of the transfer trolley to be in the retracted state. Move the transfer trolley to the underside of the wing and control the telescopic columns of the telescopic column array to extend upwards, causing multiple vacuum suction cups to contact and adhere to the underside of the wing. After removing the trestle, move the transfer trolley carrying the wing to the top of the two testing stands to complete the automatic loading of the wing to be tested. Step 2: Product positioning. After the transfer trolley moves the wing above the two testing platforms, it controls the extension ends of the four telescopic cylinders to extend upwards together, so that the support plate supports the bottom of the wing. Finally, it controls the four clamps to press down on the upper surface of the wing together, completing the stable clamping of the wing. Step 3: Trajectory planning. The electrical and software control system inside the control box controls the moving gantry bridge to move the industrial robotic arm sequentially in the X, Y, and Z axes, as well as the multi-axis coordinated movement of the industrial robotic arm itself. This moves the scanning probes sequentially to the feature holes or fasteners near the wing. Then, the industrial vision camera contour scanner identifies the position information of the feature holes or fasteners on the wing surface. The actual spatial attitude of the product is fitted with the theoretical coordinates, and the detection path is corrected a second time to complete the confirmation of the spatial attitude of the wing to be inspected. Step 4: Inspection and scanning. The electrical and software control systems automatically plan the path through offline programming software, complete simulation verification, generate robot inspection program, drive the mobile gantry bridge and industrial robotic arm to make relevant movements, and manipulate the wheeled phased array ultrasonic probe on the scanning probe to contact the surface of the wing to be tested and scan according to the planned path trajectory. Step 5: Processing defect information and analyzing reports. After the wheeled phased array ultrasonic probe in Step 4 scans the surface of the wing according to the planned path trajectory, the electrical and software control system analyzes the scanning results and generates defect locations and detection reports. Step Six: Defect Projection Marking. After the electrical and software control systems in Step Five generate the defect location and inspection report, they simultaneously use a marking pen and laser projection device to mark the defect on the wing, thus completing the inspection of the wing skin condition. Step 7: Product unloading. After inspection, control the transfer trolley to move under the wing again, control the telescopic ends of multiple telescopic columns in the telescopic column array to extend upwards together, causing multiple vacuum suction cups to contact and adhere to the lower surface of the wing again. Then, control the four clamps to release the clamps on the upper surface of the wing, control the telescopic ends of the four telescopic cylinders to retract downwards together, causing the two support plates to detach from the wing. Finally, control the transfer trolley to remove the wing from the inspection system, completing the automatic unloading of the inspected wing.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. This invention relates to an automated ultrasonic scanning system and method for in-service aircraft wing carbon fiber skin assembly, used to automate high-resolution ultrasonic imaging detection and quantitative evaluation of defects such as delamination and debonding within the composite material of in-service aircraft wing carbon fiber skin assembly. Compared with traditional manual ultrasonic testing, this invention has the following main advantages: First, through automated control technology of the testing bench and moving platform, it achieves automated loading and unloading of composite wing components, reducing the risks of manual hoisting; Second, through multi-axis cooperative motion control and servo drive technology, it achieves precise positioning and trajectory movement of the ultrasonic scanning probe, improving scanning accuracy; Third, through machine vision technology, it achieves automatic calibration of the spatial attitude of in-service aircraft composite wing components, reducing product loading requirements; Fourth, through offline programming and simulation technology, it achieves automatic planning and simulation of the scanning path, avoiding erroneous or missed scans; Fifth, it achieves automatic identification of the location of internal defects in composite wing components, facilitating defect assessment and repair; Sixth, it significantly reduces the labor intensity of inspection personnel and lowers the risk of occupational hazards.

[0017] 2. Compared with traditional automated ultrasonic testing systems for composite materials in the aerospace manufacturing stage, this invention has the following advantages: First, through offline programming and simulation technology, and using the contact reflection method, it realizes automatic detection of the in-service state of the assembled wing structure; Second, through multi-region distributed feature point cloud registration technology, it realizes the spatial positioning and attitude correction of the assembled wing structure, reducing the requirements for product loading; Third, by fitting a three-dimensional curved surface to establish multiple coordinate axes, it realizes the three-dimensional measurement of defect size and relative reference object position, and realizes the automated output of defect position and size; Fourth, through the defect projection marking technology of three-dimensional curved surface correction, it realizes the accurate projection and rapid annotation of the three-dimensional curved surface of the defect. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system composition structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the gantry cable tray of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the driving unit of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning probe of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the mounting and dismounting of the wing of an in-service aircraft according to the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Mobile gantry bridge; 2. Industrial robotic arm; 3. Scanning probe; 31. Wheeled phased array ultrasonic probe; 32. Industrial vision camera contour scanner; 33. Marking pen laser projection device; 4. Inspection stand; 41. Base; 42. Telescopic cylinder; 43. Support plate; 44. Clamping device; 5. Transfer trolley; 51. Omnidirectional moving platform; 52. Telescopic column array; 6. Control box; 7. Wing; 11. Column; 12. Bed; 13. Moving crossbeam; 131. Crossbeam servo drive assembly; 14. Horizontal slide; 141. Slide servo drive assembly; 15. Vertical slide; 151. Slide servo drive assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] Reference Figures 1-5 An automated ultrasonic scanning system for carbon fiber skin of an aircraft wing includes a movable gantry bridge 1 and an industrial robotic arm 2. The movable gantry bridge 1 includes multiple columns 11 and two beds 12. The columns 11 are respectively installed at the bottom of the two beds 12. A movable crossbeam 13 is slidably installed on the top of the two beds 12. A horizontal slide table 14 is slidably installed on the top of the movable crossbeam 13. A vertical slide block 15 is installed on the top of the horizontal slide table 14. The industrial robotic arm 2 is installed at the bottom of the vertical slide block 15. A scanning probe 3 for detecting the condition of the carbon fiber skin on the surface of the wing 7 is installed at the bottom of the industrial robotic arm 2. A limiting mechanism for limiting and fixing the wing 7 and a transfer trolley 5 for automatically handling and loading / unloading the wing 7 are provided below the movable crossbeam 13. A control box 6 for controlling the entire scanning system is located below one of the beds 12. An electrical and software control system is pre-installed inside the control box 6 to realize the function of controlling the entire scanning system.

[0023] As a technical optimization of the present invention, the mobile gantry bridge 1 adopts a crossbeam moving design. The moving crossbeam 13 cooperates with the two beds 12 to form a gantry structure. The moving crossbeam 13 has a crossbeam servo drive assembly 131 installed inside one end near the two beds 12. The two crossbeam servo drive assemblies 131 can drive the moving crossbeam 13 to move back and forth in the X-axis direction at the top of the two beds 12. The two crossbeam servo drive assemblies 131 are respectively installed inside the two ends of the moving crossbeam 13, and are dedicated power drive units for the moving crossbeam 13 to move back and forth in the X-axis direction. They have built-in servo motors, servo drivers, ball screw transmission mechanisms and linear guide mechanisms. After receiving the system control command, the servo motor outputs rotational power, which is converted into linear driving force by the ball screw. Supported and guided by the linear guide rails on the beds 12, the moving crossbeam 13 is synchronously driven to move smoothly back and forth in the X-axis direction and adjust its position precisely, providing the X-axis stroke motion basis for the large-scale lateral scanning of the industrial robotic arm 2.

[0024] As a technical optimization of the present invention, a slide servo drive assembly 141 is installed on the top of the horizontal slide 14. The slide servo drive assembly 141 can drive the horizontal slide 14 to move back and forth in the Y-axis direction at the top of the moving crossbeam 13. The slide servo drive assembly 141 is mounted on the top of the horizontal slide 14 and is a dedicated power drive unit for the horizontal slide 14 to move back and forth in the Y-axis direction at the top of the moving crossbeam 13. This assembly is also composed of a servo motor, a servo driver, a ball screw, and a linear guide mechanism. It is fixed on the moving crossbeam 13 as an installation reference. The motor drives the ball screw to drive the horizontal slide 14 to slide in a directional manner based on the guide rail structure at the top of the moving crossbeam 13. This enables the horizontal slide 14 and the industrial robotic arm 2 and the scanning probe 3 mounted below to move back and forth in the Y-axis direction and make fine adjustments to their positions, thus completing the precise feed of the longitudinal stroke of the scanning probe 3 along the scanning path.

[0025] As a technical optimization of the present invention, a ram servo drive assembly 151 is installed inside the vertical ram 15. The ram servo drive assembly 151 can drive the vertical ram 15 and the industrial robotic arm 2 to move up and down in the Z-axis direction at the bottom of the horizontal slide table 14. The ram servo drive assembly 151 is built into the vertical ram 15 and is a drive unit for the vertical lifting and lowering of the vertical ram 15 and the industrial robotic arm 2 in the Z-axis direction inside the horizontal slide table 14. The assembly adopts a transmission and guiding structure of servo motor, ball screw, and vertical linear guide. Utilizing the closed-loop position control characteristics of the servo motor, the rotational motion is converted into vertical linear thrust, driving the vertical ram 15 together with the industrial robotic arm 2 and the scanning probe 3 to move up and down in the Z-axis direction. The height of the scanning probe 3 can be adaptively adjusted according to the curved height and ground clearance of the carbon fiber skin of the wing 7 to ensure that the scanning probe 3 is stably and properly fitted to the skin surface.

[0026] The beam servo drive assembly 131, slide table servo drive assembly 141, and ram servo drive assembly 151 mentioned above have the same structural composition. They are all precision servo linear drive units, and the standard configuration includes: servo motor, servo driver, precision ball screw pair, linear guide rail guiding mechanism, coupling, and limit sensor components. The electrical and software control system set inside the control box 6 issues position and motion commands. The servo driver drives the servo motor to run, and the transmission is transmitted to the ball screw through the coupling, converting the motor rotational motion into linear reciprocating motion. With the help of the linear guide rail, it achieves stable load bearing and high-precision guidance, thereby accurately driving the corresponding structure to move back and forth and position at a uniform speed along the set axis, realizing three-axis independent controllable translation. With the help of the moving gantry bridge 1 and the industrial robotic arm 2, it completes the automatic scanning path movement of the carbon fiber skin of the wing 7 across the entire area and all curved surfaces.

[0027] As a technical optimization of the present invention, the scanning probe 3 includes a wheel-type phased array ultrasonic probe 31, an industrial vision camera contour scanner 32, and a marker pen laser projection device 33. The wheel-type phased array ultrasonic probe 31 is used to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals to the composite material wing skin 7 under test in a contact scanning manner, and to collect ultrasonic test data. The industrial vision camera contour scanner 32 is used to identify the surface feature holes or fastener positions of the wing 7, fit the actual spatial attitude of the product with the theoretical coordinates, perform secondary correction on the detection path, and complete the spatial attitude confirmation of the wing 7 under test. The marker pen laser projection device 33 is used to mark or project indications at the location of defects in the wing skin 7 based on the scanning results.

[0028] As a technical optimization of the present invention, the bottom end of the industrial robotic arm 2 is equipped with a mounting frame, the wheeled phased array ultrasonic probe 31 is mounted at the bottom end of the mounting frame, and the industrial vision camera contour scanner 32 and the marker pen laser projection device 33 are respectively mounted at both ends of the mounting frame.

[0029] As a technical optimization of the present invention, the limiting mechanism includes two bases 41 disposed below the moving crossbeam 13. Two telescopic cylinders 42 are mounted on the top of each base 41, and the telescopic ends of the two telescopic cylinders 42 on the top of the same base 41 are jointly mounted on the testing platform 4. During the telescopic process of the two telescopic cylinders 42, they can drive the testing platform 4 and other components to move up and down together for adjustment.

[0030] As a technical optimization of the present invention, support plates 43 are installed at the top of both testing stands 4, and clamping devices 44 for pressing and fixing the wing 7 are installed at both ends of the two support plates 43. The clamping devices 44 at both ends of the two support plates 43 are mainly used to flexibly press and position the upper surface of the wing 7 placed on top of the two support plates 43. The clamping device 44 (a use of prior art) uses a cylinder as a power source and consists of a cylinder body, a transmission swing arm or direct pressure connecting rod, a clamping end, and a mounting bracket. In normal standby mode, the cylinder is in a retracted state, driving the clamping end to rise to a clearance position, leaving sufficient operating space for the installation and alignment of the wing 7. After the wing 7 is placed on top of the two support plates 43, the control box 6 controls the cylinder piston rod to extend outward, driving the transmission mechanism to slowly move the clamping end downward, so that the clamping end smoothly fits and presses against the preset clamping point on the upper surface of the wing 7 skin. Relying on the pressure stabilization characteristics of the pneumatic system, a constant clamping force is continuously output, which can form a reliable clamping constraint on the wing 7, effectively avoiding displacement, slight shaking or attitude deviation of the wing 7 during subsequent industrial vision contour scanning, attitude secondary correction and ultrasonic automatic scanning, ensuring the stability of the detection coordinate reference. At the same time, the clamping end can adapt to the local curved surface shape of the wing 7, adopting a flexible contact method to avoid surface damage, dents or interlayer damage to the carbon fiber skin caused by rigid compression. After completing all the processes of ultrasonic scanning, defect marking and data detection of the skin condition of the wing 7 surface, the control cylinder piston rod retracts and resets, driving the clamping end to lift upward and detach from the upper surface of the wing 7, releasing the clamping constraint, restoring the initial avoidance state, and facilitating the unloading of the wing 7.

[0031] As a technical optimization of the present invention, the transfer cart 5 includes an omnidirectional moving platform 51 and a telescopic column array 52. ​​The omnidirectional moving platform 51 is located on top of the transfer cart 5, and the telescopic column array 52 is installed on top of the omnidirectional moving platform 51. The telescopic column array 52 consists of multiple telescopic columns, and each of the telescopic columns has a vacuum suction cup installed at its top for adsorbing and fixing the wing 7. The transfer cart 5, in conjunction with the omnidirectional moving platform 51 and the telescopic column array 52, can be used to transport the wing 7 and, in conjunction with the testing platform 4, to automatically mount and unmount the wing 7 to be tested. The vacuum suction cups installed on the tops of the multiple telescopic columns all adopt a centralized vacuum pump-driven air supply mode. During operation, the vacuum pump continuously extracts air from the vacuum circuit, creating a negative pressure vacuum environment at the adsorption end face of each vacuum suction cup, relying on atmospheric pressure to complete the adsorption and fixing of the bottom of the wing 7. Multiple vacuum suction cups share a single vacuum pump power source, which can synchronously drive multiple sets of vacuum suction cups to operate simultaneously. The adsorption force and negative pressure are uniformly adjusted and controlled by the vacuum pump host, synchronously completing the adsorption and release actions.

[0032] As a technical optimization of the present invention, an automatic ultrasonic scanning method for carbon fiber skin of an aircraft wing is provided. This automatic scanning method is applied to the aforementioned automatic ultrasonic scanning system, and the automatic scanning method further includes the following steps: Step 1: Product loading. First, place the wing 7 to be tested using a trestle for support, and control the telescopic column array 52 on the top of the transfer trolley 5 to be in the retracted state. Control the transfer trolley 5 to move to the bottom of the wing 7, and control the telescopic columns of the telescopic column array 52 to extend upwards, causing multiple vacuum suction cups to contact and adsorb the lower surface of the wing 7. After removing the trestle, control the transfer trolley 5 to move the wing 7 to the top of the two testing stands 4, completing the automatic loading of the wing 7 to be tested. Step 2: Product positioning. After the transfer trolley 5 moves the wing 7 above the two testing stands 4, it controls the extension ends of the four telescopic cylinders 42 to extend upward together, so that the support plate 43 supports the bottom of the wing 7. Finally, it controls the four clamps 44 to press down together to clamp the upper surface of the wing 7, thus completing the stable clamping of the wing 7. Step 3: Trajectory planning. The electrical and software control system inside the control box 6 controls the moving gantry bridge 1 to move the industrial robotic arm 2 in the X, Y and Z axis directions in sequence, as well as the multi-axis coordinated movement of the industrial robotic arm 2 itself, to move the scanning probe 3 in sequence to the feature holes or feature fasteners close to the wing 7. Then, the industrial vision camera contour scanner 32 identifies the feature hole position information or feature fastener position information on the surface of the wing 7, fits the actual spatial attitude of the product with the theoretical coordinates, performs secondary correction on the detection path, and completes the confirmation of the spatial attitude of the wing 7 to be inspected. Step 4: Inspection and scanning. The electrical and software control systems automatically plan the path through offline programming software, complete the simulation verification, generate the robot inspection program, drive the mobile gantry bridge 1 and industrial robotic arm 2 to make relevant movements, and manipulate the wheeled phased array ultrasonic probe 31 on the scanning probe 3 to contact the surface of the wing 7 to be tested, and scan according to the planned path trajectory. Step 5: Processing defect information and analyzing reports. After the wheeled phased array ultrasonic probe 31 in Step 4 finishes scanning the surface of the wing 7 according to the planned path trajectory, the electrical and software control system analyzes the scanning results and generates defect locations and detection reports. Step Six: Defect Projection Marking. After the electrical and software control system in Step Five generates the defect location and inspection report, it simultaneously uses the marking pen laser projection device 33 to mark the defect on the wing 7, thus completing the inspection of the skin condition of the wing 7. Step 7: Product unloading. After inspection, control the transfer trolley 5 to move again to the underside of the wing 7. Control the telescopic ends of multiple telescopic columns of the telescopic column array 52 to extend upwards together, causing multiple vacuum suction cups to contact and adhere to the lower surface of the wing 7 again. Then, control the four clamps 44 to release the clamping on the upper surface of the wing 7, and control the telescopic ends of the four telescopic cylinders 42 to retract downwards together, causing the two support plates 43 to detach from the wing 7. Finally, control the transfer trolley 5 to remove the wing 7 from the inspection system, completing the automatic unloading of the inspected wing 7.

[0033] The ultrasonic automated inspection process for the carbon fiber skin assembly status of wing 7 in this invention is as follows: product loading → product positioning → trajectory planning → inspection and scanning → processing defect information and analyzing reports → defect projection marking → product unloading. The specific inspection process is as follows: During operation, the wing 7 to be tested is first placed on top of the trestle, and the telescopic ends of the telescopic column array 52 on the transfer trolley 5 are all in the retracted state. Then, the transfer trolley 5 is moved to the underside of the wing 7, and the telescopic ends of each telescopic column of the telescopic column array 52 are extended upward together, causing multiple vacuum suction cups to contact the lower surface of the wing 7 and adhere to it. After that, the trestle is removed from under the wing 7, and the transfer trolley 5 carrying the wing 7 to be tested is moved to the top of the two testing stands 4.

[0034] Next, control the telescopic ends of the two telescopic cylinders 42 at the top of the two bases 41 to extend upward together, so that the support plate 43 supports the wing 7 to be tested. Control the clamps 44 at both ends of the two support plates 43 to press the upper surface of the wing 7 under the drive of the cylinder, so as to achieve stable clamping of the wing 7.

[0035] The control box 6 controls the moving gantry bridge 1 to drive the industrial robotic arm 2 to move sequentially in the X, Y, and Z axes, as well as the multi-axis coordinated movement of the industrial robotic arm 2 itself, driving the scanning probe 3 to move sequentially to the feature holes or feature fasteners of the wing 7. The industrial vision camera contour scanner 32 installed at the bottom of the industrial robotic arm 2 identifies the positional information of feature holes or feature fasteners on the surface of the composite material wing 7, fits the actual spatial posture of the product with the theoretical coordinates, achieves secondary correction, and completes the confirmation of the spatial posture of the product under test.

[0036] The electrical and software control system automatically plans the path using offline programming software, completes simulation verification, generates a robot inspection program, drives the moving gantry bridge 1 and industrial robotic arm 2, and manipulates the wheeled phased array ultrasonic probe 31 on the scanning probe 3 to contact the surface to be tested and scan according to the planned path trajectory. After the scan is completed, the system analyzes the scan results and generates the defect location and inspection report. At the same time, the laser projection device 33 on the scanning probe 3 marks the defects on the wing skin 7.

[0037] After the inspection of wing 7 is completed, the transfer trolley 5 is moved to the underside of wing 7. Then, the telescopic ends of each telescopic column of the telescopic column array 52 are extended upwards together, causing multiple vacuum suction cups to contact and adhere to the lower surface of wing 7. The four clamps 44 are released, releasing the clamping limit on the upper surface of wing 7. Finally, the telescopic ends of the four telescopic cylinders 42 are retracted downwards to reset, causing the two support plates 43 to detach from wing 7. The transfer trolley 5 then carries wing 7 and removes it from the inspection system, completing the automatic unloading of the inspected wing 7.

[0038] The preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely illustrative of the invention. These preferred embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementations described. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize the invention. The invention is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic automated scanning system for aircraft wing carbon fibre skin, comprising a mobile gantry (1) and an industrial robot arm (2), characterised in that, The mobile gantry bridge (1) includes multiple columns (11) and two beds (12). The multiple columns (11) are respectively installed at the bottom of the two beds (12). A moving crossbeam (13) is slidably installed on the top of the two beds (12). A horizontal slide (14) is slidably installed on the top of the moving crossbeam (13). A vertical slide (15) is installed on the top of the horizontal slide (14). An industrial robotic arm (2) is installed at the bottom of the vertical slide (15). A scanning probe (3) for detecting the carbon fiber skin condition on the surface of the wing (7) is installed at the bottom of the industrial robotic arm (2). A limiting mechanism for limiting and fixing the wing (7) is provided below the moving crossbeam (13), as well as a transfer trolley (5) for automatically transporting and loading / unloading the wing (7). A control box (6) for controlling the entire scanning system is provided below one of the beds (12).

2. An ultrasonic automated scanning system for aircraft wing carbon fibre skin according to claim 1, wherein, The movable gantry bridge (1) adopts a crossbeam moving design. The movable crossbeam (13) and the two beds (12) cooperate to form a gantry structure. The movable crossbeam (13) is equipped with a crossbeam servo drive assembly (131) at one end near the two beds (12). The two crossbeam servo drive assemblies (131) can drive the movable crossbeam (13) to move back and forth in the X-axis direction at the top of the two beds (12).

3. An ultrasonic automated scanning system for aircraft wing carbon fiber skin according to claim 1, wherein, The top of the horizontal slide (14) is equipped with a slide servo drive assembly (141), which can drive the horizontal slide (14) to move back and forth in the Y-axis direction at the top of the moving crossbeam (13).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a robotic arm. The vertical slide (15) is equipped with a slide servo drive assembly (151), which can drive the vertical slide (15) and the industrial robotic arm (2) to move up and down in the Z-axis direction at the bottom of the horizontal slide (14).

5. The automatic ultrasonic scanning system for carbon fiber skin of aircraft wings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The scanning probe (3) includes a wheel-type phased array ultrasonic probe (31), an industrial vision camera contour scanner (32), and a marker pen laser projection device (33). The wheel-type phased array ultrasonic probe (31) is used to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals to the skin of the composite material wing (7) under test in a contact scanning manner, and to collect ultrasonic test data; The industrial vision camera contour scanner (32) is used to identify the feature holes or fastener positions on the surface of the wing (7), fit the actual spatial attitude of the product with the theoretical coordinates, perform secondary correction on the detection path, and complete the spatial attitude confirmation of the wing (7) under test. The marker pen laser projection device (33) is used to mark or project indications at the location of defects in the wing (7) skin based on the scanning results.

6. An ultrasonic automated scanning system for aircraft wing carbon fibre skin according to claim 5, wherein, The industrial robotic arm (2) is mounted on a mounting frame at its bottom end. A wheeled phased array ultrasonic probe (31) is mounted on the bottom end of the mounting frame. An industrial vision camera contour scanner (32) and a marker pen laser projection device (33) are mounted on both ends of the mounting frame, respectively.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a robotic arm. The limiting mechanism includes two bases (41) set below the moving crossbeam (13). Two telescopic cylinders (42) are installed at the top of each of the two bases (41). The telescopic ends of the two telescopic cylinders (42) at the top of the same base (41) are jointly installed with a test stand (4).

8. The automatic ultrasonic scanning system for carbon fiber skin of an aircraft wing according to claim 7, characterized in that, The top of each of the two test stands (4) is equipped with a support plate (43), and both ends of the two support plates (43) are equipped with a clamp (44) for pressing and fixing the wing (7).

9. The automatic ultrasonic scanning system for carbon fiber skin of aircraft wings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transfer trolley (5) includes an omnidirectional moving platform (51) and a telescopic column array (52). The omnidirectional moving platform (51) is located on the top of the transfer trolley (5), and the telescopic column array (52) is installed on the top of the omnidirectional moving platform (51). The telescopic column array (52) consists of multiple telescopic columns, and the top of each telescopic column is equipped with a vacuum suction cup for adsorbing and fixing the wing (7).

10. A method for automatic ultrasonic scanning of carbon fiber skin for aircraft wings, characterized in that, The automatic scanning method is applied to the ultrasonic automatic scanning system according to any one of claims 1-9, and the automatic scanning method further includes the following steps: Step 1: Product loading. First, place the wing (7) to be tested using a trestle and control the telescopic column array (52) on the top of the transfer trolley (5) to be in the retracted state. Control the transfer trolley (5) to move to the bottom of the wing (7) and control the telescopic columns of the telescopic column array (52) to extend upwards, causing multiple vacuum suction cups to contact and adsorb the lower surface of the wing (7). After removing the trestle, control the transfer trolley (5) to move the wing (7) above the two testing stands (4) to complete the automatic loading of the wing (7) to be tested. Step 2: Product positioning. After the transfer trolley (5) moves the wing (7) above the two testing stands (4), it controls the extension ends of the four telescopic cylinders (42) to extend upward together, so that the support plate (43) supports the bottom of the wing (7). Finally, it controls the four clamps (44) to press down on the upper surface of the wing (7) together, thus completing the stable clamping of the wing (7). Step 3: Trajectory planning. The electrical and software control system inside the control box (6) controls the moving gantry bridge (1) to drive the industrial robotic arm (2) to move in the X, Y and Z axes in sequence, and the multi-axis coordinated movement of the industrial robotic arm (2) itself drives the scanning probe (3) to move in sequence to the feature holes or feature fasteners close to the wing (7). Then, the industrial vision camera contour scanner (32) identifies the feature hole position information or feature fastener position information on the surface of the wing (7), fits the actual spatial posture of the product with the theoretical coordinates, performs secondary correction on the detection path, and completes the spatial posture confirmation of the wing (7) to be inspected. Step 4: Inspection and scanning. The electrical and software control systems automatically plan the path through offline programming software and complete the simulation verification. They generate a robot inspection program, drive the mobile gantry bridge (1) and industrial robotic arm (2) to move, and manipulate the wheeled phased array ultrasonic probe (31) on the scanning probe (3) to contact the surface of the wing (7) to be tested, and scan according to the planned path trajectory. Step 5: Processing defect information and analyzing reports. After the wheeled phased array ultrasonic probe (31) in step 4 scans the surface of the wing (7) according to the planned path trajectory, the electrical and software control system analyzes the scanning results and generates defect location and detection report. Step 6: Defect projection marking. After the electrical and software control system in step 5 generates the defect location and inspection report, it simultaneously uses the marking pen laser projection device (33) to mark the defect on the wing (7) to complete the inspection of the skin condition of the wing (7). Step 7: Product unloading. After the inspection is completed, control the transfer trolley (5) to move to the bottom of the wing (7) again, control the telescopic ends of multiple telescopic columns of the telescopic column array (52) to extend upward together, causing multiple vacuum suction cups to contact and adsorb the lower surface of the wing (7) again. Then control the four clamps (44) to release the clamping on the upper surface of the wing (7), control the telescopic ends of the four telescopic cylinders (42) to retract downward together, causing the two support plates (43) to separate from the wing (7). Finally, control the transfer trolley (5) to remove the wing (7) from the inspection system, completing the automatic unloading of the inspected wing (7).

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