Fuselage Component Reshaping Using Measurement-Based Assembly Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuselage sections often deform during transport and assembly, leading to misalignments and reduced aerodynamic efficiency, which current methods address through custom supports or manual reshaping, increasing costs and time.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that use as-fabricated and as-mounted measurements to determine deformation parameters, applying correction displacements via a positioning device to reshape deformed components, allowing concurrent reshaping and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If custom support structures are constructed to ensure components regain their initial shape, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital copy (3D model) of the deformed component and uses measurement data to generate correction displacements. Instead of physical custom supports, a virtual model is used to calculate and apply corrections through the positioning device, eliminating the need for custom-made physical support structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical custom support structure system with a measurement-and-correction system. Laser scanners or measurement devices capture deformation data, which is then processed to generate control signals for the positioning device, substituting physical mechanical supports with a digital-measurement-control approach.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual reshaping procedures are used before assembly, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to added manpower and time
Solution Approach 1:
The deformed component is reshaped automatically by the positioning device based on measurement feedback. The system performs self-correction by applying correction displacements to the positioning device, which automatically reshapes the component without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining precision while improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The reshaping process is integrated into the assembly workflow, allowing deformation correction to occur continuously as part of the positioning and assembly operations. Instead of separate manual reshaping steps, the correction is performed automatically during the assembly process itself, eliminating downtime and maintaining continuous production flow.
3Productivity
If deformed components are used without correction, then productivity is maintained, but manufacturing precision deteriorates leading to misalignments
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs measurement and correction of deformation before the final assembly operation. By detecting deformation early and applying correction displacements to the positioning device in advance, the component is properly aligned before assembly begins, ensuring precision without compromising assembly speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses measurement data from laser scanners or measurement devices to detect component deformation, processes this feedback information to calculate correction displacements, and applies these corrections through the positioning device. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures alignment precision while maintaining productivity through automated real-time correction.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is described a method and system for reshaping a component for assembly that may have been deformed pre-assembly and post-fabrication. As- fabricated measurements are used to determine a baseline for the component and as-mounted measurements are used to determine a deformation parameter as a function of the baseline. The component may be reshaped using correction displacements applied to a positioning device of an assembly tool to which the component is mounted for assembly.