Peen Mark Fastener Positioning for Robotic Vision Drilling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for positioning and drilling openings for fasteners in assembled structures, such as aircraft, are time-consuming due to the need for individual pilot holes, which are often mismatched or offset, leading to inefficiencies in assembly time and cost.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing peen marks to efficiently identify the location and orientation of openings for fasteners, where a plurality of peen marks are formed on the workpieces to guide a robotic vision system and drilling machine to precisely create openings matching the fastener size, reducing the need for pilot holes and enhancing precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If pilot holes are drilled individually to mark predefined positions, then positioning precision is improved, but assembly time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming peen marks at predefined positions before assembly, allowing these marks to serve as permanent positioning references that eliminate the need for time-consuming individual pilot hole drilling during the assembly process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the positioning function from the drilling process by using separate peen marks to define positions, allowing the marking and positioning functions to be performed independently and more efficiently before the actual drilling operation
2Manufacturing precision
If numerous pilot holes are drilled in parts with many fasteners, then positioning accuracy is maintained, but the time required for assembly increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the positioning mark formation in advance through peen marking, creating durable position references that remain on the parts through assembly, thereby eliminating the need to drill numerous pilot holes for each fastener position during the time-critical assembly phase
3Measurement precision
If pilot holes are drilled to mark positions, then the predefined positions are accurately located, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the positioning function from the drilling operation by using peen marks exclusively for position definition, simplifying the overall process by eliminating the need for complex pilot hole drilling sequences and allowing each function to be optimized independently
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
A method and system are provided to position and drill an opening for a fastener through one or more workpieces. In the context of a method, a peen mark is formed on a workpiece at a location at which the opening is to be drilled. The method also includes utilizing a robotic vision system to identify the peen mark on the workpiece and thereafter drilling the opening configured to receive the fastener at the location designated by the peen mark. In the context of a system, the system includes a dot peen marking system configured to form a peen mark on a workpiece at a location at which the opening is to be drilled. The system also includes a robot comprising a vision system configured to identify the peen mark on the workpiece and a drilling machine configured to drill the opening at the location designated by the peen mark.