Automated shim manufacturing system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsC. Warren Turner, Larry L. Trammell, Albert L. Hametner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for automatically manufacturing shims for use between the structural components of an airframe is disclosed. The system includes: a calibration system (53) for evaluating the accuracy of the measurements made by shim gap probes (87) and producing related calibration coefficients; one or more data acquisition units (55) for measuring shim gaps (41) using calibrated shim gap probes (87); a cell controller (57) for producing machine tool numerical control instructions based on shim gap probe measurements; and, one or more numerically controlled machine tools (59) for manufacturing shims based on said numerical control instructions.
Claims42
An automated shim manufacturing system comprising:
- a data acquisition unit for measuring a gap to be shimmed, producing data defining the thickness of said gap to be shimmed and transmitting said data to a cell controller;
- a cell controller coupled to said data acquisition unit for receiving said data defining the thickness of said gap to be shimmed produced by said data acquisition unit and producing numerical control instructions based on said data;
- and,
- a numerically controlled machine coupled to said cell-controller for receiving said numerical control instructions and using said instructions to cut a shim from a shim blank sized to fit said gap to be shimmed.
A calibration system for calibrating a shim gap probe suitable for measuring a gap at three spaced apart locations, said calibration system comprising:
- a lower table;
- an upper table positioned above said lower table such that a gap suitable for receiving a shim gap probe exists between said upper and lower table;
- and
- means for tilting said upper table with respect to said lower table.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.