Device and Method for Checking and Correcting the Position of an Operating Device With Respect to a Piece

A system for monitoring and correcting the position of an operative device relative to a piece, the system comprising:

• a multi-axis manipulator device (1) having a connector flange (F) and a controller (RC) operative to position the connector flange in selected predetermined three dimensional coordinate positions;
• an operating device (2) connected to the manipulator device flange (F) having a main operative axis (X1);
• a measuring device (5) removably connected to the operating device (2), the measuring device further comprising:
• a plate (501,503) removably connected to the operating device (2);
• a distance sensor (505) connected to the plate, the sensor operable to project a beam to a piece plane surface portion (π) to measure a distance between the distance sensor and
• the piece plane surface portion;
• a first processor (506) in electronic communication with the distance sensor, the first processor operable to receive information from the distance sensor and calculate an angle indicating an angular orientation differential value between the main operative axis (X1) to an operation axis (X2) defined by the piece plane surface portion (n);
• and
• a second processor (507) in electronic communication with the first processor and the manipulator device controller (RC), the second processor operative to selectively change the locational position of the operative device (2) through movement of the manipulative device (1) such that the main operative axis (X1) coincides with the operation axis (X2) to maintain a desired orientation between the operating device (2) and the piece (P) during production operation.

A method for monitoring and selectively correcting the position of an operative device relative to a piece in an industrial assembly operation, the method comprising:

• positioning an operative device (2) in a predetermined three-dimensional coordinate position relative to a piece by a multi-axis manipulator;
• measuring a distance between a distance sensor connected to the operative device and a piece plane surface portion (π);
• calculating an angle indicating an angular orientation differential value between a main operative axis (X1) defined by the operative device (2) and an operation axis (X2) defined by the piece plane surface portion (π);
• and
• selectively changing the locational position of the operative device (2) through movement of the manipulative device (1) such that the main operative axis (X1) coincides with the operation axis (X2) to maintain a desired orientation between the operating device (2) and the piece (P) during production operation.