Automated core package placement
AssigneeInternational Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
InventorsGary L. Wick, Douglas K. Linn, William A. Crusan, Jeffrey J. Chopp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of automatically placing a core package (301) in a mold (505) is provided. Locators (501) and a cavity (503) designed to receive at least a part of the core package (301) are formed in the mold (505). The mold (505) is positioned such that the locators (501) may be illuminated and one or more images are obtained of the locators (501). The images are processed to determine a target location for the core package (301) in the cavity (503), and an automated device (303) places the core package (303) in the mold (505) at the target location.
Claims22
A method comprising the steps of:
- lifting, by an automated device, a core package capable of at least partially fitting into a cavity in a mold;
- illuminating at least one area of the mold where one or more locators are expected to be located;
- obtaining at least one image of the at least one area of the mold;
- determining, from the at least one image, at least one differential location of at least one of the one or more locators with respect to a reference image;
- determining, from the at least one differential location, a target location for the cavity;
- placing, by the automated device, the core package according to the target location.
A method comprising the steps of:
- lifting, by an automated device, a core package capable of at least partially fitting into a cavity in a mold;
- illuminating a first area of the mold where a first locator is expected to be located;
- illuminating a second area of the mold where a second locator is expected to be located;
- obtaining a first image of the first area of the mold and a second image of the second area of the mold;
- comparing the first image and the second image with at least one expected image;
- determining, from the first image and the second image, a differential location of the first locator and the second locator with respect to a reference image;
- determining, from the differential location, a target location for the cavity;
- triggering the automated device to place the core package according to the target location;
- placing, by the automated device, the core package according to the target location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.