Automated Sector Identification for Turbine Distributor Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of turbomachine turbine distributors is labor-intensive and prone to errors, leading to musculoskeletal disorders and reduced quality due to repetitive manual operations, particularly in the insertion of sealing plates and anti-wear devices, which complicates the assembly process and increases production time.
Innovation Solution
An automated sector control device and method that includes an identification system to read sector references, associate them with specific distributors, and perform quality control, using robot arms to handle and pre-assemble sectors, significantly reducing manual intervention and increasing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual operations are used for sector identification, quality inspection, and sealing plate insertion, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but assembly time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with automated systems including optical character recognition (OCR) for sector identification, automated measurement devices for quality inspection, and robotic systems for sealing plate insertion. This substitution dramatically reduces assembly time while maintaining precision through computer-controlled processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated measurement devices perform self-inspection of sector dimensions and quality characteristics without human intervention. The system automatically compares measured values against tolerance specifications and identifies defective sectors, enabling self-service quality control that accelerates the assembly process.
2Ease of operation
If repetitive manual operations are performed for grease application and sealing plate insertion, then task flexibility is maintained, but musculoskeletal disorders occur and operator health deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs robotic systems equipped with specialized end effectors to perform grease application and sealing plate insertion tasks. These automated robotic operations eliminate repetitive manual motions that cause musculoskeletal disorders while maintaining consistent operational quality and reducing overall assembly cycle time.
3Manufacturing precision
If visual inspection and manual identification methods are used, then equipment complexity is minimized, but measurement precision and quality control accuracy decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection with automated optical measurement systems and OCR technology. These systems use cameras, lasers, and computer vision algorithms to precisely measure sector dimensions, verify quality characteristics, and identify sector numbers automatically, achieving high measurement precision through sophisticated but integrated control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated measurement devices create digital copies and representations of physical sector characteristics. Optical scanners generate digital models of sector geometries, and OCR systems create digital records of sector identification marks, enabling precise virtual measurement and comparison against design specifications without complex physical measurement apparatus.
4Productivity
If automated robotic systems are deployed for sector handling and assembly, then productivity increases and assembly time decreases, but device complexity and initial investment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic systems are designed with multi-functionality to perform multiple operations including sector identification through OCR, quality inspection through integrated sensors, grease application through programmable end effectors, and sealing plate insertion through adaptive grippers. This universality reduces the number of separate devices needed and manages complexity through integrated multi-purpose automation platforms.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a sector control device (120) for the assembly of the distributors (32) of a turbine (22), each distributor being formed of an assembly of sectors (34) juxtaposed to each other, each sector having a reference, the device comprising: - an automated sector identification system (122) including a means for reading the sector reference, - a database of sector references intended to form the turbine distributors, and - a means for associating the read sector reference with a determined turbine distributor.