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 to 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 road, the safety and reliability of vehicles, such as aircraft in air transport, are absolute priorities for their manufacturers. The operational effectiveness of mechanical parts, which play a critical role in the functioning of these vehicles, must therefore be ensured throughout one or more journeys of each vehicle.

[0003] The certification of such mechanical parts aims to ensure that each of these parts meets technical requirements, known as 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 may be used in the construction, maintenance, and / or repair of these vehicles, thereby helping to minimize operational risks and prevent potential accidents that could be caused by these vehicles.

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

[0005] By way of example, for an aeronautical-type mechanical part such as a high-pressure compressor disc 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 area of ​​such a part, must be 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 disc meets the specific aeronautical certification requirement relating to the thickness in said area when its thickness in that same area is within a tolerance range of [1.9 mm - 2.1 mm]. Furthermore, the No one in the field knows that these specific certification requirements in turn help to 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 within the tolerance range permitted by the aviation regulatory authorities, the mechanical part in question is excluded from the production or commissioning line for non-conformity. At this stage, it is then possible to verify whether the mechanical part can nevertheless be reintegrated into the production or commissioning line by placing it under a "derogation" procedure.

[0007] More specifically, the principle of granting a deviation from a mechanical part consists first of identifying that part as non-compliant with certification requirements in order to analyze its mechanical and / or thermal behavior, for example, to determine its flight life when the part is of an aeronautical type, and finally to verify again whether the part is compliant or not. And, if the mechanical part is ultimately considered non-compliant, adjustments could possibly be made to bring it within acceptable tolerance limits and thus make it compliant with the established requirements.

[0008] This verification step is all the more important when dealing with mechanical parts that are expensive to produce. Such a step then makes it possible to avoid destroying or immediately excluding these parts from the production or commissioning line without further analysis.

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

[0010] Such a task must also be performed when a reference value is modified following experimental studies or new simulations, for example. More specifically, referring to the example described above, it is possible to demonstrate, following delivery of the mechanical part, that the latter, in this case the disc, actually has a shorter lifespan than initially planned or estimated. This therefore suggests the existence of a performance problem with 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 deviation (which allowed for a greater thickness, for example) is still acceptable with respect to the specific certification requirements.This involves ensuring that this deviation 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, if the estimated service life of the delivered and operational mechanical part, in this case the high-pressure compressor disc for a turbomachine, is reduced, it is important to adopt this new value as the reference. However, it is necessary to review and ensure compatibility with a previously granted deviation for excessive disc thickness. The objective is to maintain the acceptability of this deviation in accordance with all specific certification requirements even after the shorter service life of the mechanical part has been revealed.

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

[0013] This may imply that the measured deviation from the new reference value increases and therefore requires a new request to the operator to decide on the conformity or non-conformity of said mechanical part presenting this deviation.

[0014] In this respect, the operator must re-examine each mechanical part that was previously marked as non-compliant and then marked as compliant to ensure that it still complies with the change in the reference value. In other words, the operator verifies that each compliant mechanical part that was previously marked as non-compliant does not need to be marked as non-compliant again following the change in the reference value. However, such a task is particularly time-consuming, tedious, and lengthy to perform given the large number of mechanical parts to be processed.

[0015] One solution consists of retrieving as data at least two coordinates for each of the mechanical parts put in deviation 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 "derogation coverage" by determining the extreme coordinates, i.e., those furthest from the reference values, among all the collected coordinates, in order to identify the mechanical parts exhibiting such extreme coordinates. The operator can then reassess the conformity of these identified mechanical parts. Then, when these mechanical parts are again deemed compliant by the operator with the specific certification requirements, it is possible to consider as compliant any mechanical part exhibiting coordinates closer to the reference values ​​than the extreme coordinates.

[0017] However, when mechanical parts exhibiting these extreme coordinates are not again considered compliant with the specific certification requirements, the operator must first exclude these extreme coordinates from the data to be analyzed and then The determination of conformity is made for mechanical parts whose coordinates are closer to the reference values ​​than the excluded extreme coordinates, while being the furthest from the remaining coordinates. The scope of deviations therefore becomes increasingly smaller as more extreme coordinates are excluded from the coordinates collected by the operator.

[0018] Thus, establishing deviation coverage remains just as tedious and time-consuming for an operator, who, faced with a large amount of data to analyze, becomes susceptible to careless errors. Furthermore, since our cognition is limited to three-dimensional visualization, identifying mechanical parts involving more than three coordinates becomes a difficult task for a human operator to grasp. Moreover, it should also be noted that establishing such deviation coverage is generally subject to a lack of consistency and reproducibility. Indeed, two engineers working on the same deviation 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 deviation coverage and to mitigate the errors they are likely to make. More generally, this 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 description 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 deviation, each coordinate corresponding to a deviation from a reference value of a distinct physical quantity; b) an automatic calculation step of a convex hull as a function of the set 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 one 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) an automatic identification step for each mechanical part whose co ordered form one of the extreme envelope points of the first zone in order to verify the conformity of each mechanical part thus identified with respect to said specific certification requirements.

[0021] It is then proposed to retrieve 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 ​​being generally directly chosen by the relevant regulatory authorities 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 jth coordinate of the same mechanical part is a deviation from the jth 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 computing means designed to automatically calculate a convex hull, noting that the algorithms or mathematical methods for calculating a convex hull are known. Such a hull then allows the operator to verify the conformity of the mechanical parts whose coordinates form the hull points of the first zone. These hull 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 furthest from the reference values ​​is verified.

[0025] Thus, by automatically calculating the convex hull, the operator no longer has to establish a deviation coverage himself, for example, when dealing with mechanical parts subject to deviation, which is difficult, if not impossible, to establish from three coordinates for each mechanical part. The operator then only intervenes in the verification of certain mechanical parts, and this is done more efficiently and quickly thanks to the automated step c). The repetitive and time-consuming nature of the calculations performed by the operator is therefore greatly reduced, which leads to a decrease in the errors he is likely to make when performing 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) conform to 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-conforming to 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-conforming to the specific requirements. Only the coordinates of the mechanical parts that are not yet considered conforming or non-conforming are taken into account in the recalculation of the convex hull.

[0027] In other words, when the operator determines 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 re-identify, at each iteration, the mechanical parts whose coordinates form the envelope points of the first zone and thus verify their conformity to 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 envelope then shrinks as steps b) and c) are repeated.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the invention, the convex envelope comprises a second zone having 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 the mechanical parts identified in step c) are considered to comply with these same requirements.

[0031] In other words, mechanical parts exhibiting deviations smaller than the deviations forming the envelope points of the first zone are considered compliant with the specific certification requirements. In other words, envelope points located within the extreme envelope points are considered compliant. Therefore, it is no longer necessary for the operator to analyze them to determine their conformity if the mechanical parts whose coordinates form the envelope points of the first zone are considered compliant 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 of extreme envelopes), which makes 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 specifically a divide-and-conquer type algorithm, known to allow the calculation of the convex hull.

[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 area can correspond, for example, to a first physical quantity representing the height of a specific area and a second physical quantity representing the length of that same specific area. 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 are collected.

[0038] Furthermore, two physical quantities of identical dimensions in different areas of the mechanical part may correspond, for example, to a first physical quantity representing the height of a first specific area and a second physical quantity representing the height of a second specific area. 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 area and a second coordinate (or dimension here) relating to the height of the second specific area, which is different from the first specific area, are collected.

[0039] The expression "and / or" should 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, for example, into a first and second coordinate of identical dimensions relating respectively to a first specific zone and a second specific zone, and into a third coordinate of a different dimension from said identical dimensions but relating to the first or second specific zone.

[0040] The dimensions are given here by way of example and can each be replaced by any other geometric or physical dimension. Of course, each physical quantity is not limited to a dimension of the mechanical part but can also 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 specifically, 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 may be 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, pressure or dimensional measurement in a delimited area of ​​the mechanical part.

[0045] The present description 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 process 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; - computing means configured to calculate a convex hull as a function of the set of said acquired coordinates, said convex hull 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 one 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 exposition further relates to a computer program comprising instructions executable by a processor, which, when executed by the processor, implement the process defined above.

[0047] The computer program can be coded in any programming language and take the form of source code, object code, or interface code. an intermediary 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 carrier on which the computer program defined above is recorded.

[0049] Such a data carrier may be an internal or external hard drive, a USB flash drive, a CD-ROM, a memory card, or a cloud storage service. Of course, this list is not exhaustive and may include any other data carrier known to a person skilled in the art and not mentioned in this patent application. Brief description of the drawings

[0050] Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention given by way of non-limiting examples. This description refers to the accompanying figure pages, on which: - [Fig.1] Fig.1 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 implementation method of the invention; - [Fig.3] Fig.3 presents a first table containing data inputs intended for calculating a convex envelope according to a method of the invention; and - [Fig. 4] Fig. 4 illustrates the convex hull calculated as a function of such input data according to a mode of the invention.

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

[0052] Fig. 1 presents a block diagram of a device 10 whose function is to verify the conformity of a plurality of mechanical parts, preferably parts made available under derogation 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. More specifically, in the context of this invention, reference is made to mechanical parts that play 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 from an aircraft turbomachine.

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

[0055] As indicated above, the present exposition preferably concerns mechanical parts that have been previously granted a deviation. Granting a mechanical part a deviation consists first of identifying that part as non-compliant with certification requirements in order to analyze its mechanical and / or thermal behavior, for example, to determine its flight life when the part is of an aeronautical type, and finally to verify again whether the part is compliant or not. And, if the mechanical part is ultimately considered non-compliant, adjustments could possibly be made to bring it within acceptable tolerance limits and thus make it compliant with the established requirements.

[0056] However, such a verification generally concerns several thousand mechanical parts whose mechanical and / or thermal behavior must be analyzed to determine whether or not at least one identified deviation conforms to at least one reference value of a physical quantity considered as a specific certification requirement.

[0057] Whether the mechanical part is a non-conforming part or a part delivered for which a non-conformity has been granted, this task remains tedious and time-consuming for an operator. It is therefore proposed to automate the conformity verification process for parts, preferably non-conforming parts or parts for which a non-conformity has been granted, using device 10.

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

[0059] More specifically, the device 10 may include 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 a person 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 can be implemented. Alternatively, the device 10 may be coupled to an external memory for storing data, for example at least one computer program, which, when executed, implements said function.

[0061] By way of example, the memory can be of the ROM type (for "Read Only Memory"), 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 ordered for each of the mechanical parts, noting that each coordinate corresponds to a deviation from a reference value of a distinct physical quantity.

[0063] Physical quantities are considered distinct when each physical quantity is different within the same area of ​​the mechanical part or when they are identical but concern different areas of the mechanical part.

[0064] By way of example, when a physical quantity is relative to a dimension (often called "dimension") of the mechanical part, it can be representative of a physical dimension such as a length, a width or a height, or it can be representative of a geometric dimension such as a radius, a diameter or a perimeter.

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

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

[0067] The convex hull is a mathematical concept whose use in the verification process 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 furthest from the reference values. The operator then only intervenes in verifying the mechanical parts that 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 the said identified mechanical parts are considered to comply with these same requirements.

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

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

[0072] The calculation means 12 are thus also configured to recalculate the convex hull and then to transmit the data representing the new recalculated convex hull to the identification means 13 until all the mechanical parts identified by the identification means 13 conform to the specific requirements. Similarly, the operator can verify, at each iteration of the convex hull calculation, only the conformity of the mechanical parts, re-identified by the identification means 13, whose coordinates are furthest from the reference values.

[0073] Figure 2 illustrates a flowchart describing the various successive steps of the process 20 for verifying the conformity of mechanical parts subject to deviation, according to an example. This process can be carried out by the device 10 or by any other device suitable for implementing it.

[0074] The process 20 begins with an acquisition step 21 of at least two coordinates for each of the mechanical parts subject to deviation. Step 21 is here executed by the acquisition means 11. The set of coordinates then represents the input data for the computing means 12.

[0075] Such input data can take different forms. For example, the set of coordinates can 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 specifically, the table shown in [Fig. 3] has three columns, the first column Cl listing in each row 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 row i a first coordinate COTE 1 presenting a first deviation with a first reference value of a first physical quantity, and a third column C3 listing in each row i a second coordinate COTE 2 presenting a second deviation with 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 contain 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 process 20 then proceeds with an automatic calculation step 22 of a convex hull, using the calculation means 12, as a function of the set of said acquired coordinates. In this example, these are the dimensions DIMENSION 1 and DIMENSION 2 indicated in each line i of said table.

[0081] As stated 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 computing means 12 by implementing the Quickhull algorithm.

[0082] As illustrated in [Fig. 4], the convex envelope ENV comprises, within the scope 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 located inside the convex envelope ENV which are less in absolute values ​​than the envelope points Px forming the first zone ZI.

[0084] The process 20 concludes with a step 23 of automatic identification of certain mechanical parts, for example, identification of parts to be rechecked, by means of the identification means 13. More precisely, only the mechanical parts whose coordinates (here, more specifically, the dimensions) 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, the set of extreme envelope points Px constitutes here a non-exhaustive list of parts to be rechecked.

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

[0086] The operator may then choose to consider, when all the identified mechanical parts conform to the specific certification requirements, that the mechanical parts whose coordinates form the envelope points Pr are also considered to conform to these same requirements. The operator may, of course, choose to verify 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 conform to the specific certification requirements, they can search for the conforming mechanical parts themselves among the set n of mechanical parts, which can be lengthy and tedious. Alternatively, it is possible to reimplement the calculation means 12 to calculate the convex hull ENV by excluding from the input data the coordinates associated with the mechanical parts considered non-conforming.

[0088] More specifically, the operator can choose to automatically repeat steps 22 and 23 of process 20 until all mechanical parts identified at each iteration of step 23 are considered to conform to the specific requirements.

[0089] The convex hull 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 hull ENV preferentially 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. The convex hull ENV can therefore shrink at each iteration, which makes it possible to potentially, automatically but also rapidly, approach, as the iterations progress, the mechanical parts that are most likely to be considered compliant by the operator.

[0090] Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it is evident that modifications and changes can 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 a restrictive sense.

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

Claims

Demands

1. A 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; the method (20) being characterized in that it comprises: 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, said convex hull (CV) comprising: - a plurality of hull points (PI, ..., Pn) whose coordinates in the plane correspond to the coordinates acquired during the implementation of the previous 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) an automatic identification step (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, wherein steps b) and c) are repeated until all mechanical parts identified in step c) conform to the specific requirements, the convex envelope (ENV) being recalculated at each iteration based solely on the coordinates that are dissociated from the mechanical parts considered not to conform to said specific requirements.

3. A method (20) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the convex hull (ENV) comprises a second zone (Z2) having the hull points (Pr) located inside the convex hull, and wherein each mechanical part whose coordinates form one The envelope points (Pr) of the second zone (Z2) are considered to comply with said specific certification requirements when all 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, wherein 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, wherein the mechanical parts (PM1,...,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, wherein each coordinate (DIMENSION l(i), DIMENSION 2(i)) corresponds to a temperature, pressure or 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 (NE) as a function of the set of said coordinates (COTE 1(1,...,n), COTE 2(1,...,n)) acquired, said convex envelope (NE) 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 one. 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. A computer-readable data carrier on which the computer program according to claim 9 is recorded.

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