Integrated assembly system

A method of assembling the separate components of a multi-component article which comprises:

• generating a master design definition of said article as a graphics data set in a data base in a 3-dimensional graphics computer system, said master design definition including coordinate points precisely locating said master design definition in a three dimensional coordinate system;
• selecting as component data sub sets portions of said master design definition graphics data set, said component data sub sets each including graphics data for a component part of said article, each of said data sub sets including graphics data for a portion of a surface of said component part of said product and coordinate points associated with said surface, said coordinate points including the absolute position of said part in said master design definition graphics data set;
• transferring said component data sets to means for forming said component parts;
• forming said component parts with said means for forming said component parts such that said component parts emulate said graphics description of said component parts in said master design definition graphics data set and further include physical markings on said parts corresponding to said coordinate points of said master design definition graphics data set;
• selecting a microprocessor controlled measuring means for measuring the spatial relationships of points in a three dimensional space;
• downloading said component data sub sets to said microprocessor controlled measuring means;
• calibrating said microprocessor controlled measuring means to said coordinate points on said master design definition graphics data set by operating said microprocessor controlled measuring means and measuring the physical points on one of said component parts and comparing said physical points to their corresponding respective coordinate points in said master design definition graphics data set;
• locating a further of said component parts with respect to said one of said component parts;
• and
• operating said microprocessor controlled measuring means to measure said physical markings on said further of said parts and comparing said measured physical markings of said further part to their corresponding respective coordinate points in said master design definition graphics data set to precisely position said further of said parts with respect to said one of said parts.