Fastener Lifecycle Management via 3D Process Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manufacturing process planning for complex products like aircraft is not intuitive for non-experts and lacks effective visualization of fastener locations and operations, making it difficult to manage the manufacturing lifecycle of fasteners and integrate with numerical control programming.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that generate graphical views merging fastener locations from engineering design data into manufacturing process plans, allowing for intuitive process planning and integration with NC programming, including a graphic-generation system, NC programming system, and importation system to manage the lifecycle of fasteners and automate machinery programming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional manufacturing process planning methods are used, then process planning can be completed, but the process is not intuitive for non-expert users and lacks effective visualization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms traditional 2D manufacturing process plans into 3D visual representations. Fastener locations, process operations, and component relationships are displayed in three-dimensional space, allowing non-expert users to intuitively understand the manufacturing process without requiring specialized knowledge of process planning notation or abstract symbols.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates visual copies or representations of the actual manufacturing process. Instead of using abstract text descriptions, the patent generates graphical models that replicate the physical arrangement of fasteners, components, and process steps, making the information accessible and understandable to users without expert training.
2Reliability
If comprehensive manufacturing process plans are created with detailed fastener information, then complete process documentation is achieved, but integration with NC programming becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the manufacturing process planning system with the NC programming system into an integrated workflow. The same 3D graphical representation that documents fastener locations and process operations also serves as the input for NC program generation. This unified approach eliminates the need for separate documentation and programming steps, reducing complexity while maintaining completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The 3D graphical model serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both the process documentation for manufacturing planning and the data source for NC program generation. This multi-functional approach allows a single system to handle both comprehensive process documentation and automated programming without requiring separate complex interfaces.
3Measurement precision
If detailed fastener lifecycle management is implemented, then accurate tracking of fastener operations is achieved, but the time required to create machine control data increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and pre-organizing fastener location data and process operation information in the 3D graphical model before NC program generation. Fastener lifecycles, locations, and associated operations are defined and visualized in advance, allowing the NC programming system to automatically generate machine control data without requiring time-consuming manual data preparation or verification steps.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system is provided that is configured to receive a manufacturing process plan (104) for a product including a plurality of component parts joined by fasteners, with the manufacturing process plan (104) including process definitions that describe process operations in which component parts are worked to manufacture of the product. The system is configured to generate graphical views for respective process operations of the manufacturing process plan (104) in which fastener locations are worked for installation of respective fasteners to join component parts of the product, and output the graphical views. The graphical view of a process operation may graphically depict one or more component parts and only those of the fastener locations on the one or more component parts worked during the process operation, with any others of the fastener locations on the same or other component parts being hidden from the graphical view.