Suction Nosepiece for Accurate Robotic Drilling Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Articulated robot arms used in aircraft assembly and maintenance for drilling operations face challenges due to limited stiffness, causing the drilling tool to bend and move away from the target location, leading to inaccurate drilling, damage, and increased broken drill bits, with existing solutions like secondary encoders and laser tracking systems increasing complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A drilling end effector with a suction cup system that adheres to the workpiece surface, using a suction feed line connected to a suction system to hold the nosepiece in place, allowing the drilling tool to remain aligned with the target location without the need for additional encoders or complex calibration.
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 location
Solution Approach 1:
A suction cup system is introduced as an intermediary between the robot arm and the workpiece surface. The suction cup adheres to the workpiece, providing a stable reference point that compensates for the robot arm's limited stiffness. This mediator allows the flexible robot arm to achieve precise drilling by using the suction cup's adhesion force to maintain accurate tool positioning despite arm deflection.
2Manufacturing precision
If secondary encoders are mounted on the robot arm to correct deflections, then drilling precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The solution extracts the complexity of secondary encoders and laser tracking systems by replacing them with a simpler suction cup-based reference system. Instead of adding complex measurement and correction hardware to the robot arm, the invention uses the suction cup's physical adhesion to the workpiece surface as a natural reference, eliminating the need for additional encoders and complex calibration procedures.
3Measurement precision
If laser tracking systems are used to measure tool center point, then movement correction is improved, but cost and complexity increase due to calibration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup system provides self-service by using its own adhesion to the workpiece surface as the measurement reference. The suction cup's position on the workpiece naturally defines the reference frame, eliminating the need for external laser tracking systems, cameras, or complex calibration procedures. The system serves itself by using the physical connection to the workpiece as both the positioning mechanism and the measurement reference.
4Manufacturing precision
If normality sensors are added to measure drilling tool orientation, then positioning accuracy is improved, but cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup acts as an intermediary that provides both positioning and orientation reference. By adhering to the workpiece surface, the suction cup establishes a natural normal vector perpendicular to the surface, which serves as the reference for drilling orientation. This eliminates the need for separate normality sensors while maintaining accurate positioning and orientation control.
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
This solution effectively prevents movement of the drilling tool during operations, reducing inaccuracies, damage, and drill bit breakages while maintaining system simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
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
AI summary
A drilling end effector is provided for drilling a workpiece having a workpiece surface. The drilling end effector includes a chuck configured to hold a drilling tool, and a nosepiece configured to at least partially surround the drilling tool when the drilling tool is held by the chuck. The nosepiece includes an end portion, 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 that 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 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 of the nosepiece on the workpiece surface.