Suction-Cup Drilling End Effector for Robot Stiffness Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Articulated robot arms used in aircraft assembly and maintenance have limited stiffness, causing drilling tools to move away from target locations during drilling operations, leading to inaccurate drilling, damage to components, and increased broken drill bits.
Innovation Solution
A drilling system that includes a drilling end effector with a chuck to hold a drilling tool, a nosepiece to surround the tool, and a camera to align the end effector with a pattern on the workpiece surface, ensuring accurate positioning of the drilling tool relative to the target location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If articulated robot arms are used for drilling operations, then versatility and flexibility are improved, but stiffness deteriorates causing tool movement away from target locations
Solution Approach 1:
A suction cup is introduced as an intermediary component between the robot arm and the workpiece surface. The suction cup adheres to the workpiece surface and provides a stable mounting point for the drilling tool, compensating for the robot arm's limited stiffness and preventing tool movement away from the target location.
2Measurement precision
If secondary encoders are mounted on the robot arm to correct tool movement, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The complex secondary encoder system is extracted and replaced with a simpler suction cup-based positioning approach. The suction cup adheres to the workpiece surface and provides passive stability, eliminating the need for complex active measurement and correction systems while maintaining positioning accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If laser tracking systems are used to correct tool movement, then positioning accuracy is improved, but cost and complexity increase due to calibration requirements and rigid fixturing
Solution Approach 1:
The expensive laser tracking system with rigid fixturing is replaced with a simple, inexpensive suction cup that can be easily manufactured and deployed. The suction cup provides sufficient positioning accuracy without requiring complex calibration procedures or expensive equipment.
4Measurement precision
If normality sensors are added to correct tool movement, then positioning accuracy is improved, but cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup system is self-regulating and automatically maintains proper positioning through its adhesive connection to the workpiece surface. No additional sensors or active control systems are needed, as the suction cup inherently provides the necessary stability and positioning accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively aligns the drilling tool with the target location, reducing the occurrence of inaccurate drilling, damage to components, and broken drill bits, while maintaining the cost and complexity of the drilling system.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one suction cup is configured to be engaged in physical contact with the workpiece surface and pulled under suction by the suction system such that the at least one suction cup adheres to the workpiece surface
Data Source
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AI summary
A drilling end effector (106) is provided for drilling a workpiece (112) having a workpiece surface (110). The drilling end effector includes a chuck (118) configured to hold a drilling tool (122), and a nosepiece (128) configured to at least partially surround the drilling tool (122) when the drilling tool is held by the chuck. The nosepiece (128) includes an end portion (132). The nosepiece includes at least one suction cup and at least one suction feed line. The at least one suction cup is fluidly connected to the at least one suction feed line. The at least one suction feed line is configured to be fluidly connected to a suction system. The at least one suction cup is configured to be engaged in physical contact with the workpiece surface (110) and pulled under suction by the suction system such that the at least one suction cup adheres to the workpiece surface to thereby hold the end portion (132) of the nosepiece (128) on the workpiece surface (112).