US 10,606,243 B2Granted

Assembly tool production

AssigneeBAE SYSTEMS plc

InventorsJohn Bickerstaff, Andrew Peter Cookson

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Disclosed is a method of producing an assembly tool for assembling a first system comprising one or more components. The method comprises: for each component, determining, when the first system is attached to a second system, a position and orientation of that component relative to the second system and positions and orientations relative to the second system at which that component is to be supported; providing a frame; attaching, to the frame, a reference structure; providing a plurality of pickup devices each having a receiving element for receiving a component; and securing each pickup device to the frame such that a position and orientation relative to the reference structure of each receiving element is the same as a position and orientation at which a component is to be supported.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method of producing an assembly tool for assembling at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage, the at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage comprising one or more airframe components, the at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage being for attachment to at least part of an aircraft fore section, the method comprising:

for each component, determining a position and orientation relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section that that component would have if the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage were attached to the at least part of the aircraft fore section;
for each component, using the determined position and orientation of that component relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section, determining one or more positions and orientations relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section at which that component is to be supported;
providing a jig frame;
attaching, to the jig frame, a single reference structure that is a replica of the at least part of the aircraft fore section to which the airframe of the aft fuselage is to be attached;
providing a plurality of pickup devices each pickup device having a receiving element for receiving a respective component of the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage;
securing each pickup device to the jig frame;
measuring a position and orientation of each of the receiving elements relative to the single reference structure;
and
ensuring that each receiving element is at a predetermined position and orientation relative to the single reference structure that will position its respective component at the determined position and orientation relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section at which the respective component of the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage is to be supported.

6 more elements

An apparatus for producing an assembly tool, the assembly tool being suitable for assembling at least part of an aircraft aft fuselage comprising a plurality of airframe components, the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage being configured for attachment to at least part of a fore section of the aircraft, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors configured to, for each component of the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage:
determine a position and orientation relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section that that component would have if the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage were attached to the at least part of the aircraft fore section;
and
using the determined position and orientation of that component relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section, determine one or more positions and orientations relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section at which that component is to be supported;
a production apparatus suitable for producing a frame;
an attachment apparatus suitable for attaching, to the frame, a single reference structure that is a replica of the at least part of the aircraft fore section to which the airframe of the aft fuselage is to be attached;
a securing apparatus suitable for securing a plurality of pickup devices to the frame, wherein each pickup device comprises a receiving element for receiving a component of the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage;
and
a measurement device configured to measure a position and orientation of each of the receiving elements relative to the reference structure, wherein securing the pickup devices to the frame can be performed such that a position and orientation relative to the reference structure of each receiving element, as measured by the measurement device, is the same as a respective determined position and orientation relative to the at least part of the aircraft fore section at which a component of the at least part of the aircraft aft fuselage is to be supported.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/304,888Filed 10 Apr 2015
Priority: EP 1427509024 Apr 2014
Published: US 2017/0185071 A129 Jun 2017
Granted: 31 Mar 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G05B 19/4099
Characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM: surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g.…
B64F 5/10
Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing…
G05B 19/4097
Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to…
G05B 2219/35025
Nc in input of data, input till input file format: design and manufacture jig