Method, apparatus and computer program product for determining shim shape

A method of determining a shape of a shim that can be inserted between a first body and a second body, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of measured points that define a surface of the first body;
• using an engineering surface and creating a vector passing through respective points of a group of the measured points and normal to the engineering surface;
• determining, for each point of the group, a distance between the engineering surface and a point that is local to the respective point in the group and is most outboard from the engineering surface;
• constructing a plurality of new points with each new point associated with a respective point of the group and displaced the respective distance along the respective vector;
• and
• constructing a second surface of the second body from the plurality of new points so that the shape of the shim is defined between the plurality of measured points and the first surface.

A method of determining a shape of a shim that can be inserted between a first body and a second body, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of measured points that define a surface of the first body;
• using an outboard mating surface of the second body and creating a vector passing through respective points of a group of the measured points and normal to the outboard mating surface;
• determining, for each point of the group, a distance between the outboard mating surface and a point that is local to the respective point in the group and is most outboard from the outboard mating surface;
• constructing a plurality of new points with each new point associated with a respective point of the group and displaced the respective distance along the respective vector;
• and
• realigning the measured points until each point of the group of the measured points is coincident with each new point on the same vector so that the shape of the shim is defined between the plurality of measured points and the outboard mating surface.

A computer program product for determining the shape of a shim that can be inserted between a first body and a second body comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

• a first computer-readable program code portion for receiving a plurality of measured points that define a surface of the first body;
• a second computer-readable program code portion for using an engineering surface and creating a vector passing through respective points of a group of the measured points and normal to the engineering surface;
• a third computer-readable program code portion for determining, for each point of the group, a distance between the engineering surface and a point that is local to the respective point in the group and is most outboard from the engineering surface;
• a fourth computer-readable program code portion for constructing a plurality of new points with each new point associated with a respective point of the group and displaced the respective distance along the respective vector;
• and
• a fifth computer-readable program code portion for constructing a second surface of the second body from the plurality of new points so that the shape of the shim is defined between the plurality of measured points and the first surface.

A computer program product for determining the shape of a shim that can be inserted between a first body and a second body, comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

• a first computer-readable program code portion for receiving a plurality of measured points that define a surface of the first body;
• a second computer-readable program code portion for using an outboard mating surface of the second body and creating a vector passing through respective points of a group of the measured points and normal to the outboard mating surface;
• a third computer-readable program code portion for determining, for each point of the group, a distance between the outboard mating surface and a point that is local to the respective point in the group and is most outboard from the outboard mating surface;
• a fourth computer-readable program code portion for constructing a plurality of new points with each new point associated with a respective point of the group and displaced the respective distance along the respective vector;
• and
• a fifth computer-readable program code portion for realigning the measured points until each point of the group of the measured points is coincident with each new point on the same vector so that the shape of the shim is defined between the plurality of measured points and the outboard mating surface.

A method of determining a shape of a shim that can be inserted between a first body and a second body, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of measured points that define a surface of the first body;
• performing a maximum material best fit on the plurality of measured points to one side of a second surface of the second body so that the shape of the shim is defined between the plurality of measured points and the second surface which is an engineering surface;
• and
• offsetting the second surface by a predetermined engineering tolerance so that the shape of the shim is configured to form an interference fit between the first and second bodies.

A computer program product for determining the shape of a shim that can be inserted between a first body and a second body, comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

• a first computer-readable program code portion for receiving a plurality of measured points that define a surface of the first body;
• a second computer-readable program code portion for performing a maximum material best fit on the plurality of measured points to one side of a second surface of the second body so that the shape of the shim is defined between the plurality of measured points and the second surface which is an engineering surface;
• and
• a third computer readable program code portion for offsetting the second surface by a predetermined engineering tolerance so that the shape of the shim is configured to form an interference fit between the first and second bodies.

An apparatus for determining a shape of a shim that can be inserted between a first body and a second body, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of targets positioned at a plurality of shim points on the first body;
• a measuring device positioned to measure the plurality of targets and create a plurality of measured points corresponding to the plurality of targets, said plurality of measured points defining a first surface of the first body;
• and
• a processing element for receiving the plurality of measured points, said processing element using a second surface and transforming the locations of the measured points with respect to the second surface so that the shape of the shim is defined between the plurality of measured points and the second surface which is an engineering surface.