Articulated Arm Machining for Precise Wing Inspection Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machining installations for aeroplane wings are inefficient and complex in positioning and processing multiple inspection holes, requiring precise and repetitive movements, which slows down the machining process while compromising on quality.
Innovation Solution
An articulated arm-based machine tool installation with a housing, bearers, an attachment system, position sensors, and a control system that calculates movement instructions for precise positioning and machining, allowing for faster and more accurate machining of aeroplane wing inspection holes by adapting to the surface shape and orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the machine tool is fixed with respect to the workshop housing and the wing is moved to position each inspection hole, then the machining precision can be maintained, but the positioning complexity increases and the machining time increases due to multiple movements
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the wing to bring each inspection hole to the fixed machine tool, the invention inverts the approach by moving the machine tool itself to each inspection hole location. The articulated arm enables the machine tool to be repositioned dynamically, eliminating the need for complex wing positioning and multiple setup operations while maintaining machining precision through real-time coordinate updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transforms the static machine tool configuration into a dynamic one by mounting it on an articulated arm with multiple degrees of freedom. This allows the machine tool to adapt its position and orientation dynamically to match the complex geometry of the wing surface, enabling precise machining of inspection holes at various locations without requiring the wing to be moved or repositioned multiple times.
2Device complexity
If the machine tool is moved to machine each inspection hole, then the positioning complexity is reduced, but the machining precision may be compromised due to repeated positioning operations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates a camera positioned on the articulated arm to continuously capture images of the inspection hole and surrounding area. These images are processed in real-time to determine the precise coordinates and orientation of each inspection hole, providing feedback that updates the machine tool's positioning and movement paths. This closed-loop feedback system ensures that machining precision is maintained even as the machine tool moves to different locations on the wing.
3Productivity
If the wing is moved multiple times to process all inspection holes, then all holes can be machined, but the total machining time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the traditional workflow by keeping the wing stationary and moving the machine tool to each inspection hole location using the articulated arm. This eliminates the time-consuming operations of moving, positioning, and resecuring the wing multiple times, while still enabling all inspection holes to be machined. The machine tool's mobility allows it to access each hole sequentially without interrupting the wing's fixed position.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulated arm enables continuous movement of the machine tool between inspection holes without requiring interruption to move the wing. The system maintains continuous useful action by seamlessly transitioning the machine tool from one machining location to the next, eliminating idle positioning time and keeping the machining process flowing continuously throughout the entire inspection hole series.
Data Source
AI summary
A machining apparatus is borne by an articulated arm and includes: a casing defining an opening to be placed by the articulated arm in a machining position so the opening faces the surface to be machined; at least three bearers attached to the casing to rest against the surface to be machined in the machining position; an attachment system fixing the casing to the surface to be machined; at least one support mounted to move with respect to the casing, and a machine-tool mounted on the support; and at least one position sensor providing position parameters representing a relative position of the surface to be machined with respect to the casing. Also included is a control system operating the support and to move the machine-tool with respect to the casing according to a movement instruction, the control system being designed to calculate the movement instruction using the position parameters.