System and method for automated aperture alignment in response to detecting an object

A manufacturing system, comprising:

• a carriage configured to support attached manufacturing components;
• an aperture detection device coupled to the carriage and including
• a sensor disposed in a housing and configured to determine a location of an aperture disposed adjacent to a surface;
• an alignment assembly disposed in the housing and having an alignment orifice, the alignment assembly configured to maneuver the alignment orifice in an x-y plane within the housing, the alignment assembly including a first electro-mechanical actuator configured to move the alignment orifice in the x-direction in the x-y plane and a second electro-mechanical actuator configured to move the alignment orifice in the y-direction in the x-y plane;
• and
• a processor coupled to the sensor and coupled to the alignment assembly, the processor configured to receive a signal from the sensor indicating the location of the aperture and configured to control the first and second actuators to maneuver the alignment orifice within the x-y plane to be co-axially located with the aperture in response to the sensor signal;
• a target configured to be placed in the aperture and detected by the sensor;
• and
• an end effector coupled to the carriage and configured to perform a manufacturing task with respect to the aperture.

A method, comprising:

• positioning an aperture detection device near an aperture disposed below a surface;
• detecting a location of the aperture disposed below the surface using a detection sensor in the aperture detection device, the location detected with respect to an alignment orifice;
• generating an electrical move vector signal in response to the detection;
• and
• maneuvering a first electro-mechanical actuator associated with a x-direction in an x-y plane in response to the generated move vector signal;
• maneuvering a second electro-mechanical actuator associated with a y-direction in an x-y plane in response to the generated move vector signal;
• wherein the maneuvering of the first and second electro-mechanical actuators moves the alignment orifice to be co-located with the detected location of the aperture.