Method for verifying the conformity of mechanical parts

Abstract

Method for verifying the conformity of mechanical parts Method (20) for verifying the conformity of a plurality of mechanical parts (PM1,…, PMn) with respect to specific certification requirements, the method (20) being implemented by computer and comprising: a) a step (21) of acquiring at least two coordinates (DIMENSION 1(i), DIMENSION 2(i)) for each of the mechanical parts (PM(i)), each coordinate (DIMENSION 1(i), DIMENSION 2(i)) corresponding to a deviation from a reference value of a distinct physical quantity; b) a step (22) of automatically calculating a convex hull (CV) as a function of the set of said coordinates (DIMENSION 1(1,…,n), DIMENSION 2(1,…,n) acquired); and c) a step (23) of automatically identifying each mechanical part whose coordinates form one of the extreme points of the convex hull (CV) in order to verify its conformity to said specific certification requirements. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 4

Description

Title of the invention: Method for verifying the conformity of mechanical parts FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of certification of mechanical parts, and more particularly the verification of the conformity of such mechanical parts with respect to specific certification requirements. TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of transport, whether air, sea, rail or automobile, the safety and reliability of vehicles, such as aircraft in air transport, are absolute priorities for their manufacturers. The operationality of mechanical parts, playing a critical role in the operation of these vehicles, must then be ensured throughout one or more journeys of each vehicle.

[0003] The certification of such mechanical parts aims in this sense to guarantee that each of these parts meets technical requirements, called certification requirements, established by the relevant regulatory authorities. This certification process requires a rigorous evaluation of the design, production and performance of such parts. Thus, only mechanical parts that meet these certification requirements can be used in the construction, maintenance and / or repair of these vehicles, thus helping to minimize operational risks and prevent potential accidents that could be caused by these vehicles.

[0004] It is however common for the mechanical parts produced to have variations (or deviations), for example dimensional, due to various factors such as the different successive manufacturing processes of the mechanical part, the materials used, the environmental conditions, etc. More specifically, such variations can become “critical” with respect to specific certification requirements making certain mechanical parts potentially non-compliant and therefore unusable.

[0005] For example, for an aeronautical type mechanical part such as a high pressure compressor disk for a turbomachine, it has been agreed that the reference thickness (or more generically a reference value of a physical quantity), considered as a specific certification requirement, of a defined zone of such a part, must have a value of 2.0 mm but that a tolerance deviation of + / - 0.1 mm is accepted by the aeronautical regulatory authorities. In other words, the high pressure compressor disk meets the specific aeronautical certification requirement relating to the thickness in said zone when its thickness in this same zone is included in a tolerance interval [1.9 mm - 2.1 mm]. Furthermore, the professional knows that these specific certification requirements in turn ensure compliance with other certification requirements, in particular lifetime certification.

[0006] When a human operator identifies that the thickness of the mechanical part in this defined area of ​​the mechanical part is not included in said tolerance interval admitted by the aeronautical regulatory authorities, the mechanical part concerned is excluded from the production or commissioning line for non-compliance. At this stage, it is then possible to check whether said mechanical part can still reintegrate the production or commissioning line by placing it "in derogation".

[0007] More specifically, the principle of granting a mechanical part a derogation consists firstly in identifying this part as being non-compliant with the certification requirements in order to analyse its mechanical and / or thermal behaviour, for example to determine its flight life when the part is of the aeronautical type, and finally to be able to check again whether the part is compliant or not. And, if the mechanical part is finally considered non-compliant, adjustments could possibly be applied to it to bring it back within the acceptable tolerance limits and thus make it compliant with the established requirements.

[0008] This verification step is all the more important when it comes to mechanical parts that are expensive to produce. Such a step then makes it possible not to destroy or exclude these parts immediately from the production or commissioning chain without additional analysis.

[0009] However, this verification step generally concerns several thousand mechanical parts whose mechanical and / or thermal behavior must be analyzed to decide on the conformity or not of the identified deviation.

[0010] Such a task must further be carried out when a reference value is modified following experimental studies or new simulations for example. More particularly, referring to the example described above, it is possible to highlight, following delivery of the mechanical part, that the latter, here the disc, actually has a shorter lifespan than what had been initially planned or estimated. This therefore suggests the existence of a performance problem of the mechanical part. This new information on the shorter lifespan of the mechanical part constitutes a new reference value. It is therefore important to ensure that the previously granted exemption (which allowed a greater thickness for example) is still acceptable in relation to the specific certification requirements.This involves ensuring that this exemption does not compromise the quality or safety of the product in which the mechanical part is used, taking into account the new information.

[0011] In other words, in the event of a reduction in the estimated lifetime of the delivered and operational mechanical part, here the high-pressure compressor disc for a turbomachine, it is important to adopt this new value as a reference. However, it is appropriate to review and ensure compatibility with a previously granted exemption for excessive disc thickness. The objective is to maintain the acceptability of this exemption in accordance with all the specific certification requirements even after the shorter lifetime of the mechanical part has been highlighted.

[0012] However, certain mechanical parts which have been exempted and whose deviation from the previous reference value has been accepted by the operator (the controller or the design office) then see their deviation modified in relation to the new reference value.

[0013] This may imply that the deviation measured in relation to the new reference value increases and therefore requires a new request from the operator to decide on the conformity or not of said mechanical part presenting this deviation.

[0014] In this sense, the operator must again consider each mechanical part that was previously exempted and then indicated as compliant to ensure that it still complies with the modification of said reference value. In other words, the operator checks that each compliant mechanical part previously exempted must not be exempted again following the modification of the reference value. Such a task is, however, particularly time-consuming, tedious and long to carry out given the large number of mechanical parts to be processed.

[0015] One solution consists of recovering as data at least two coordinates for each of the mechanical parts placed in derogation and then considered compliant by the operator, the coordinate corresponding to a deviation, which may be of a dimensional nature, with a reference value of a physical quantity.

[0016] The operator then establishes a “coverage of derogations” by determining the extreme coordinates, i.e. the ones furthest from the reference values, among all the collected coordinates, in order to identify the mechanical parts having such extreme coordinates. The operator can then decide again on the conformity of these identified mechanical parts. Then, when these mechanical parts are again considered conforming by the operator to the specific certification requirements, it is possible to consider as conforming each mechanical part having coordinates less distant from the reference values ​​than the extreme coordinates.

[0017] However, when the mechanical parts having these extreme coordinates are not considered again to comply with the specific certification requirements, the operator must first exclude these extreme coordinates from the data to be analyzed and then rule on the conformity of mechanical parts presenting coordinates less distant from the reference values ​​than the excluded extreme coordinates, while being the furthest from the remaining coordinates. The coverage of exemptions therefore presents an increasingly reduced surface as extreme coordinates are excluded from the coordinates collected by the operator.

[0018] Thus, establishing a waiver coverage remains just as tedious and time-consuming for an operator, who, faced with a large amount of data to analyze, becomes likely to make careless errors. Moreover, as our cognition is limited to three-dimensional visualization, the identification of mechanical parts involving more than three coordinates becomes a difficult task for a human operator to grasp. Furthermore, it should also be noted that establishing such a waiver coverage is generally subject to a lack of consistency and reproducibility. Indeed, two engineers working on the same waiver coverage can obtain completely divergent results. It is therefore important in this case to simplify the study process, reduce the number of calculations required and obtain a consistent and reproducible solution.

[0019] There is therefore a need to make such processes, often characterized by their repetitive nature, faster and more reproducible, in order to assist the operator in quickly establishing a coverage of exemptions and in order to mitigate the errors that he is likely to make. More generally, the need extends to any process requiring verification of the conformity of a plurality of mechanical parts. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] To this end, the present disclosure relates to a method for verifying the conformity of a plurality of mechanical parts with respect to specific certification requirements, the method being implemented by computer and comprising: (a) a step of acquiring at least two coordinates for each of the mechanical parts subject to exemption, each coordinate corresponding to a deviation from a reference value of a distinct physical quantity; b) a step of automatically calculating a convex hull as a function of all of said acquired coordinates, said convex hull comprising: - a plurality of envelope points whose coordinates in the plane correspond to the coordinates acquired during the implementation of the preceding step a), each envelope point being representative of a mechanical part among said plurality of mechanical parts; and - a first zone delimiting the convex envelope by a series of segments connecting extreme envelope points among the set of envelope points; c) a step of automatic identification of each mechanical part whose co ordinates form one of the extreme envelope points of the first zone so as to verify the conformity of each mechanical part thus identified with respect to said specific certification requirements.

[0021] It is then proposed to recover for each mechanical part at least two coordinates, i.e. at least a first coordinate and a second coordinate, and therefore respectively at least a first deviation from a first reference value and a second deviation from a second reference value, the first and second reference values ​​generally being directly chosen by the regulatory authorities concerned or defined by the operator (the design office) in accordance with the specific certification requirements.

[0022] In this case, the set of first coordinates, in other words the first dimension of each mechanical part, each represents a deviation from the same first reference value. Conversely, the set of second coordinates, in other words the second coordinate of each mechanical part, each represents a deviation from the same second reference value. Thus, regardless of the number of coordinates acquired for each mechanical part, for example three or four coordinates, each j-th coordinate of the same mechanical part is a deviation from a j-th same reference value, j being a numerical value ranging from 1 up to the maximum number of coordinates acquired for each mechanical part.

[0023] These coordinates are then used as input data for calculation means intended to automatically calculate a convex envelope, noting that the algorithms or mathematical calculation methods of a convex envelope are known. Such an envelope then allows the operator to check the conformity of the mechanical parts whose coordinates form the envelope points of the first zone. These envelope points are called “extreme” because they correspond to the coordinates furthest from the reference values.

[0024] In other words, by selecting such mechanical parts, the operator can ensure that the conformity of mechanical parts whose coordinates are the furthest from the reference values ​​is verified.

[0025] Thus, by the automatic calculation of the convex envelope, the operator no longer has to establish a coverage of exemptions himself, when it comes to mechanical parts subject to exemption for example, which is otherwise difficult, or even impossible, to establish from three coordinates for each mechanical part. The operator then only intervenes in the verification of certain mechanical parts, and this more efficiently and more quickly thanks to the automated step c). The repetitive and time-consuming nature of the calculations carried out by the operator is therefore greatly reduced, which leads to a reduction in errors that he is likely to make when carrying out such calculations.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the invention, steps b) and c) are repeated until all the mechanical parts identified in step c) comply with the specific requirements, the convex hull being recalculated at each iteration based solely on the coordinates that are dissociated from the mechanical parts considered non-compliant with said specific requirements. Thus, the recalculation of the convex hull does not take into account the coordinates associated with the mechanical parts established as non-compliant with the specific requirements. Only the coordinates of the mechanical parts that are not yet considered compliant or non-compliant are taken into account in the recalculation of the convex hull.

[0027] In other words, when the operator decides that the coordinates of at least one of the mechanical parts identified in step c) make said at least one mechanical part non-compliant with the specific certification requirements, the operator can thus exclude this mechanical part and its coordinates from the calculation of the convex hull in step b). The convex hull is then recalculated at each iteration based solely on the remaining and therefore non-excluded coordinates.

[0028] The operator can identify again, at each iteration, the mechanical parts whose coordinates form the envelope points of the first zone and thus verify their conformity with said specific certification requirements. The operator therefore does not verify at each iteration the conformity of the mechanical parts whose coordinates are inside the envelope.

[0029] The extent of the convex hull then shrinks as steps b) and c) are repeated.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the invention, the convex envelope comprises a second zone comprising the envelope points located inside the convex envelope. Each mechanical part whose coordinates form one of the envelope points of the second zone is considered to comply with said specific certification requirements when all of the mechanical parts identified in step c) are considered to comply with these same requirements.

[0031] In other words, mechanical parts having deviations smaller than the deviations forming the envelope points of the first zone are considered to comply with the specific certification requirements. In other words, the envelope points located inside the extreme envelope points are considered to comply. It is therefore no longer necessary for the operator to analyze them to decide on their compliance if the mechanical parts whose coordinates form the envelope points of the first zone are considered to comply by the operator.

[0032] In other words, the operator can thus only check the conformity of the mechanical parts forming the envelope points of the first zone (i.e. the points extreme envelope), which makes the verification easier and faster to perform.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the invention, the convex envelope is calculated in step b) by implementing the Quickhull algorithm.

[0034] This is more particularly a divide and conquer type algorithm, known to allow the calculation of the convex envelope.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the invention, each mechanical part is composed of a plurality of part zones, the physical quantities being considered distinct by being different physical quantities within the same part zone and / or by being identical physical quantities in different part zones of the mechanical part.

[0036] A physical quantity corresponding for example to a dimension of the mechanical part can be a length, a width or a height, or a geometric dimension such as a radius, a diameter or a perimeter.

[0037] In this sense, two physical quantities of different dimensions within the same zone may correspond, for example, to a first physical quantity representative of the height of a specific zone and to a second physical quantity representative of the length of this same specific zone. In this case, for each mechanical part during the acquisition step a) a first coordinate (or dimension here) relating to said height and a second coordinate (or dimension here) relating to said length is collected.

[0038] Furthermore, two physical quantities of identical dimensions in different zones of the mechanical part may correspond, for example, to a first physical quantity representative of the height of a first specific zone and to a second physical quantity representative of the height of a second specific zone. In this case, for each mechanical part during the acquisition step a) a first coordinate (or dimension here) relating to the height of the first specific zone and a second coordinate (or dimension here) relating to the height of the second specific zone different from the first specific zone is collected.

[0039] The expression "and / or" must be interpreted here as corresponding to an inclusive "or". In other words, when at least three coordinates are collected during the acquisition step a), they can be decomposed by way of example into a first and second coordinates of identical dimensions relating respectively to a first specific zone and to a second specific zone, and into a third coordinate of dimension different from said identical dimensions but relating to the first or the second specific zone.

[0040] The dimensions are given here as an example and can each be replaced by any other geometric or physical dimension. Of course, each physical quantity is not limited to one dimension of the mechanical part but can cor respond to another physical quantity such as weight, temperature or pressure measured in an area of ​​the mechanical part as specified below.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the invention, the mechanical parts are of aeronautical type and / or the specific certification requirements are of aeronautical type.

[0042] More particularly, certification requirements here refer to the specific standards and criteria established by regulatory authorities to ensure the safety and conformity of mechanical parts present in systems and equipment used in the aeronautical industry.

[0043] Obviously, it is not excluded that the mechanical parts are of the automotive type or intended for the railway industry or any other type of industry requiring certification of the quality of mechanical parts, for example by authorized or competent authorities.

[0044] According to one embodiment, each coordinate corresponds to a temperature measurement, pressure measurement or a dimensional measurement in a delimited area of ​​the mechanical part.

[0045] The present disclosure also relates to a device for verifying the conformity of a plurality of mechanical parts with respect to specific certification requirements, the device being adapted to implement the above method and comprising: - acquisition means configured to acquire at least two coordinates for each of the mechanical parts, each coordinate corresponding to a deviation from a reference value of a distinct physical quantity; - calculation means configured to calculate a convex envelope as a function of all of said acquired coordinates, said convex envelope comprising: - a plurality of envelope points whose coordinates in the plane correspond to the coordinates acquired by the acquisition means, each envelope point being representative of a mechanical part among said plurality of mechanical parts; and - a first zone delimiting the convex envelope by a series of segments connecting extreme envelope points among the set of envelope points; - identification means configured to identify each mechanical part whose coordinates form one of the envelope points of the first zone so as to verify the conformity of each mechanical part thus identified with respect to said specific certification requirements.

[0046] The present disclosure further relates to a computer program comprising instructions executable by a processor, which, when executed by the processor, implement the method defined above.

[0047] The computer program may be coded in any programming language and take the form of source code, object code or interface code. mediator between source code and object code, such as a partially compiled form or any other desired form.

[0048] The present disclosure also relates to a computer-readable data medium, on which the computer program defined above is recorded.

[0049] Such a data medium may be an internal or external hard drive, a USB key, a CD-ROM, a memory card or a cloud (or "cloud"). Of course, this list is non-exhaustive and may include any other data medium known to the person skilled in the art and which is not cited in this patent application. Brief description of the drawings

[0050] Other aims, characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description given below of different embodiments of the invention given as non-limiting examples. This description refers to the pages of figures attached, in which: - [Fig.l] [Fig.l] schematically presents a device for verifying the conformity of a plurality of mechanical parts with respect to specific certification requirements according to an embodiment of the invention; - [Fig.2] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a method for verifying the conformity of such mechanical parts intended to be executed by said device according to an embodiment of the invention; - [Fig.3] [Fig.3] presents a first table including data input intended for the calculation of a convex hull according to a mode of the invention; and - [Fig.4] [Fig.4] illustrates the convex hull calculated based on such input data according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0051] It should be noted that in all the figures, the elements in common are identified by identical numerical references. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] [Fig.l] shows a block diagram of a device 10 which has the function of verifying the conformity of a plurality of mechanical parts, preferably parts exempted or delivered and therefore operational, with respect to specific certification requirements.

[0053] The term “mechanical part” means any component that can be used in the construction, assembly or operation of a mechanical system. Reference is more particularly made in the context of the invention to mechanical parts playing a critical role in the operation of a vehicle which can be any device capable of transporting people or objects from one place to another, such as a car or aircraft. These are typically mechanical parts of aircraft turbomachinery.

[0054] Thus, in the context of an aircraft as a vehicle, the mechanical part is of the aeronautical type and may for example refer to a high pressure compressor disc for a turbomachine.

[0055] As indicated above, the present disclosure preferably concerns mechanical parts which are previously exempted. The “exemption” of a mechanical part consists first of identifying this part as non-compliant with the certification requirements in order to thus analyze its mechanical and / or thermal behavior, for example to determine its flight life when the part is of aeronautical type, and finally to be able to check again whether the part is compliant or not. And, if the mechanical part is finally considered non-compliant, adjustments could possibly be applied to it to bring it back within the acceptable tolerance limits and thus make it compliant with the established requirements.

[0056] However, such verification generally concerns several thousand mechanical parts whose mechanical and / or thermal behavior must be analyzed to decide on the conformity or non-conformity of at least one identified deviation compared to at least one reference value of a physical quantity considered as a specific certification requirement.

[0057] Whether the mechanical part is a part subject to exemption, or a delivered part for which exemption has been granted, this task remains tedious and time-consuming to perform by an operator. It is then proposed to automate the process of verifying the conformity of parts, preferably subject to exemption or for which exemption has been granted, using the device 10.

[0058] To this end, the device 10 comprises acquisition means 11, calculation means 12 and identification means 13.

[0059] More particularly, the device 10 may comprise an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated or in a group), a combinational logic circuit, a memory executing one or more software programs and / or other components known to those skilled in the art and adapted to implement said function.

[0060] In this case, the memory may be in the form of an integrated circuit in which a computer program may be implemented. Alternatively, the device 10 may be coupled to an external memory intended to store data, for example at least one computer program, which, when executed, implements said function.

[0061] For example, the memory may be of the ROM (for “Read Only Memory”) type, in the form of a CD ROM or in the form of magnetic storage means such as a floppy disk or a hard disk.

[0062] The acquisition means 11 are configured to acquire at least two co ordinates for each of the mechanical parts, noting that each coordinate corresponds to a deviation from a reference value of a distinct physical quantity.

[0063] The physical quantities are considered distinct when each physical quantity is different within the same zone of the mechanical part or when they are identical but concern different zones of the mechanical part.

[0064] For example, when a physical quantity relates to a dimension (often called a “rating”) of the mechanical part, it may be representative of a physical dimension such as a length, a width or a height, or may be representative of a geometric dimension such as a radius, a diameter or a perimeter.

[0065] The acquisition means 11 may be implemented partially or completely as a hardware element of the device 10 or as software intended to be executed via the device 10.

[0066] The calculation means 12 are configured to calculate a convex hull as a function of all of said acquired coordinates. Such calculation means 12 may be implemented partially or completely as a hardware element of the device 10 or as software intended to be executed via the device 10.

[0067] The convex hull is a mathematical concept whose use in the verification method will be detailed below.

[0068] The identification means 13 are configured to identify each mechanical part whose coordinates form one of the extreme envelope points, so as to verify the conformity of the mechanical part with respect to said specific certification requirements. In other words, at the output of the identification means 13, the operator has the mechanical parts whose coordinates are the furthest from the reference values. The operator then only intervenes in the verification of the mechanical parts which are identified by the device 10 and more particularly by the identification means 13.

[0069] Thus, mechanical parts having coordinates less distant from the corresponding reference value can also be considered to comply with the specific certification requirements when said identified mechanical parts are considered to comply with these same requirements.

[0070] It should be noted that the identification means 13 may be implemented partially or completely as a hardware element of the device 10 or as software intended to be executed via the device 10.

[0071] Furthermore, if the operator considers that the mechanical parts identified by the identification means 13 are non-compliant with the specific certification requirements, it would be advantageous to exclude them as well as their respective coordinates from the set of acquired coordinates in order to recalculate the convex envelope in function of the remaining coordinates and therefore not excluded.

[0072] The calculation means 12 are thus also configured to recalculate the convex envelope and then to transmit the data representative of the new recalculated convex envelope to the identification means 13 until all the mechanical parts identified by the identification means 13 comply with the specific requirements. In the same way, the operator can verify, at each iteration of calculation of the convex envelope, only the conformity of the mechanical parts, identified again by the identification means 13 and whose coordinates are the furthest from the reference values.

[0073] [Fig.2] illustrates a flowchart describing the various successive steps of the method 20 for verifying the conformity of the mechanical parts subject to exemption according to an example. This method can be executed by the device 10 or by any other device capable of implementing it.

[0074] The method 20 begins with a step 21 of acquiring at least two coordinates for each of the mechanical parts subject to exemption. Step 21 is here executed by the acquisition means 11. All of the coordinates then represent the input data of the calculation means 12.

[0075] Such input data may take various forms. For example, the set of coordinates may be presented in the form of a table, as illustrated in [Fig. 3], in which each coordinate is associated with the corresponding mechanical part.

[0076] More precisely, the table presented in [Fig.3] has three columns, including a first column Cl listing in each line i the mechanical parts PM one by one, i being between 1 and n which is the total number of mechanical parts. Each mechanical part is also characterized by a unique numerical identifier i.

[0077] The table further comprises a second column C2 listing in each line i a first coordinate COTE 1 having a first deviation from a first reference value of a first physical quantity, and a third column C3 listing in each line i a second coordinate COTE 2 having a second deviation from a second reference value of a second physical quantity distinct from the first physical quantity.

[0078] In other words, each line i presents one of the mechanical parts PMi of the set of mechanical parts, its first coordinate COTE 1 (i) as well as its second coordinate COTE 2(i).

[0079] Of course, the input data, in this case the table, may include more than two coordinates for each mechanical part. In other words, the acquisition means 11 are configured to acquire at least two coordinates for each of the mechanical parts.

[0080] The method 20 then continues with a step 22 of automatic calculation of a convex envelope, by the calculation means 12, as a function of all of said acquired coordinates. In this example, these are dimensions COTE 1 and COTE 2 indicated in each line i of said table.

[0081] As indicated above, the convex hull illustrated in [Fig.4] and referenced ENV is a mathematical concept. The convex hull ENV can for example be calculated by the calculation means 12 by implementing the Quickhull algorithm.

[0082] As illustrated in [Fig.4], the convex envelope ENV comprises, within the framework of the invention, a plurality of envelope points Pi. Each envelope point Pi corresponds to an intersection between the dimensions COTE l(i) and COTE 2(i) associated with the same mechanical part PMi among said plurality of mechanical parts. In other words, the convex envelope ENV comprises a plurality of envelope points whose coordinates in the plane correspond to the coordinates acquired during the implementation of the acquisition step. Each envelope point is representative of a mechanical part.

[0083] The convex envelope ENV further comprises a first zone ZI delimiting it by a series of segments connecting the extreme envelope points Px among the set of envelope points PI, ..., Pn, as well as a second zone Z2 corresponding to the extent of the convex envelope ENV and comprising the envelope points Pr situated inside the convex envelope ENV which are lower in absolute values ​​than the envelope points Px forming the first zone ZI.

[0084] The method 20 ends with a step 23 of automatic identification of certain mechanical parts, for example an identification of parts to be re-verified, by the identification means 13. More precisely, only the mechanical parts whose coordinates (here the dimensions more specifically) form the extreme envelope points Px of the first zone ZI are indicated to the operator so that he can verify their conformity to said specific certification requirements. Thus, all of the extreme envelope points Px constitute here a non-exhaustive list of the parts to be re-verified.

[0085] By way of example, the identification means 13 automatically deliver output data to the operator in the form of a list enumerating the identifiers of the mechanical parts whose dimensions form the extreme envelope points Px.

[0086] The operator can then choose to consider, when all the identified mechanical parts comply with the specific certification requirements, that the mechanical parts whose coordinates form the envelope points Pr are also considered to comply with these same requirements. The operator can of course choose to check the conformity of some or all of the mechanical parts whose coordinates form the envelope points Pr.

[0087] However, when the operator considers that at least one of the identified mechanical parts does not comply with the specific certification requirements, he can search for the compliant mechanical parts himself among the set n of mechanical parts, which can be long and tedious. Alternatively, it is possible to implement the calculation means 12 again to calculate the convex envelope ENV by excluding from the input data the coordinates associated with said mechanical parts considered non-compliant.

[0088] More particularly, the operator may choose to automatically repeat steps 22 and 23 of method 20 until all mechanical parts identified at each iteration of step 23 are considered to comply with the specific requirements.

[0089] The convex envelope ENV is then automatically recalculated by the calculation means 12 at each iteration of step 22 based solely on the coordinates that are dissociated from the mechanical parts considered non-compliant with said specific requirements. Thus, the recalculation of the convex envelope ENV preferably does not take into account the coordinates associated with the mechanical parts established as non-compliant with the specific requirements. Only the coordinates of the mechanical parts that are not yet considered compliant or non-compliant are taken into account in the recalculation of the convex envelope. The convex envelope ENV can therefore shrink at each iteration, which makes it possible to potentially approach, automatically but also quickly, as the iterations progress, the mechanical parts that have the greatest chance of being considered compliant by the operator.

[0090] Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it is obvious that modifications and changes may be made to these examples without departing from the general scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description and drawings should be considered in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.

[0091] It is also obvious that all the characteristics described with reference to a device are transposable, alone or in combination, to a method and vice versa.

Claims

Claims

1. Method (20) for verifying the conformity of a plurality of mechanical parts (PMI, ..PMn) with respect to specific certification requirements, the method (20) being implemented by computer and comprising: a) a step (21) of acquiring at least two coordinates (COTE l(i), COTE 2(i)) for each of the mechanical parts (PM(i)), each coordinate (COTE l(i), COTE 2(i)) corresponding to a deviation from a reference value of a distinct physical quantity; the method (20) being characterized in that it comprises: b) a step (22) of automatically calculating a convex envelope (ENV) as a function of all of said coordinates (COTE 1(1,...,n), COTE 2(1,...,n)) acquired, said convex envelope (ENV) comprising: - a plurality of envelope points (PI, ..., Pn) whose coordinates in the plane correspond to the coordinates acquired during the implementation of the preceding step a), each envelope point being representative of a mechanical part among said plurality of mechanical parts (PMI,..., PMn); and - a first zone (Zl) delimiting the convex envelope (ENV) by a series of segments connecting extreme envelope points (Px) among the set of envelope points (PI,..., Pn); c) a step of automatic identification (23) of each mechanical part whose coordinates form one of the extreme envelope points (Px) of the first zone (Zl), so as to verify the conformity of each mechanical part thus identified with respect to said specific certification requirements.

2. Method (20) according to claim 1, in which steps b) and c) are repeated until all the mechanical parts identified in step c) comply with the specific requirements, the convex hull (ENV) being recalculated at each iteration based only on the coordinates which are dissociated from the mechanical parts considered not to comply with said specific requirements.

3. Method (20) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the convex envelope (ENV) comprises a second zone (Z2) comprising the envelope points (Pr) located inside the convex envelope, and in which each mechanical part whose coordinates form one of the envelope points (Pr) of the second zone (Z2) is considered to comply with said specific certification requirements when all of the mechanical parts identified in step c) are considered to comply with these same requirements.

4. Method (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the convex hull (ENV) is calculated in step b) by implementing the Quickhull algorithm.

5. Method (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which each mechanical part is composed of a plurality of part zones, the physical quantities being considered distinct by being different physical quantities within the same part zone and / or by being identical physical quantities in different part zones of the mechanical part.

6. Method (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the mechanical parts (PMl,...,PMn) are of aeronautical type and / or the specific certification requirements are of aeronautical type.

7. Method (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which each coordinate (COTE l(i), COTE 2(i)) corresponds to a temperature measurement, pressure measurement or a dimensional measurement in a delimited area of ​​the mechanical part.

8. Device (10) for verifying the conformity of a plurality of mechanical parts (PMI,.. .,PMn) with respect to specific certification requirements, the device (10) being adapted to implement a method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and comprising: - acquisition means (11) configured to acquire at least two coordinates (COTE l(i), COTE 2(i)) for each of the mechanical parts (PM(i)), each coordinate (COTE l(i), COTE 2(i)) corresponding to a deviation from a reference value of a distinct physical quantity; the device (10) being characterized in that it comprises: - calculation means (12) configured to calculate a convex envelope (ENV) as a function of all of said coordinates (COTE 1(1,...,n), COTE 2(1,...,n)) acquired, said convex envelope (ENV) comprising: - a plurality of envelope points (PI,..., Pn) whose coordinates in the plane correspond to the coordinates acquired by the acquisition means (11), each envelope point being representative of a. mechanical part (PM(i)) among said plurality of mechanical parts (PMI, PMn); and - a first zone (Zl) delimiting the convex envelope (ENV) by a series of segments connecting extreme envelope points (Px) among the set of envelope points (PI,..., Pn); - identification means (13) configured to identify each mechanical part whose coordinates form one of the envelope points (Px) of the first zone (Zl) so as to verify the conformity of each mechanical part thus identified with respect to said specific certification requirements.

9. A computer program comprising instructions executable by a processor, which, when executed by the processor, implement the method (20) according to claims 1 to 7.

10. Computer-readable data carrier, on which the computer program according to claim 9 is recorded.

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