Compound shimming
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsAshleigh Nesbit, Thomas Wilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a method. The method includes identifying a first location on a first part to place a first shim tab to form a first portion of a compound shim. The method also includes applying the first shim tab to the first location on the first part with an end-effector. The method also includes identifying a second location directly adjacent to the first location on the first part to place a second shim tab. The method also includes applying the second shim tab to the second location on the first part with the end-effector to form a second portion of the compound shim. The method also includes applying a third shim tab to the second shim tab at the second location to increase a thickness of the second portion of the compound shim.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a supply spool carrying a roll of shim tabs on a carrier material, wherein the shim tabs comprise a first shim tab, a second shim tab, and a third shim tab;
- a collection spool carrying a roll of the carrier material without shim tabs;
- and
- an applicator configured to:
- receive the first shim tab on the carrier material from the supply spool;
- apply the first shim tab to a first location on a part;
- receive the second shim tab on the carrier material from the supply spool;
- apply the second shim tab to a second location directly adjacent to the first location on the part to form a compound shim;
- receive the third shim tab on the carrier material from the supply spool;
- and
- apply the third shim tab to the second shim tab at the second location;
- wherein:
- the supply spool is rotatable about a first axis to dispense the shim tabs on the carrier material;
- the collection spool is rotatable about a second axis to receive the carrier material without shim tabs from the applicator;
- the first axis is fixed relative to the second axis;
- and
- the first axis and the second axis are co-movable with the applicator.
A system comprising:
- an assembly jig configured to secure a first part;
- an inspection module configured to generate inspection data describing a surface characteristic of at least the first part at a joining region where the first part is to be joined with a second part;
- a control module configured to generate a compound shim plan corresponding to the joining region of the first part based on the inspection data;
- a multi-axis arm configured to move relative to the assembly jig in response to input from the control module;
- and
- an apparatus coupled to the multi-axis arm and comprising:
- a supply spool carrying a roll of shim tabs on a carrier material, wherein the shim tabs comprise a first shim tab, a second shim tab, and a third shim tab;
- a collection spool carrying a roll of the carrier material without shim tabs;
- and
- an applicator configured to:
- receive the first shim tab on the carrier material from the supply spool;
- apply the first shim tab to a first location on the first part,
- receive the second shim tab on the carrier material from the supply spool;
- apply the second shim tab to a second location on the first part directly adjacent to the first location on the first part to form a compound shim;
- receive the third shim tab from the supply structure;
- and
- apply the third shim tab to the second shim tab at the second location
- wherein:
- the supply spool is rotatable about a first axis to dispense the shim tabs on the carrier material;
- the collection spool is rotatable about a second axis to receive the carrier material without shim tabs from the applicator;
- the first axis is fixed relative to the second axis;
- and
- the first axis and the second axis are co-movable with the applicator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.