Automated adaptive machining of obstructed passages
AssigneeALSTOM Technology Ltd
InventorsMatthias Hoebel, Bernd Fehrmann, Andreas Boegli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automated machining process for machining of an obstructed passage (5) of an article (1) includes the steps of deriving the position and orientation of the passage (5) from automated processing of images of the passage (5) and additional information from a distance measurement device and saving positions and orientations of the passage (5) as local coordinates with respect to a reference coordinate system attached to the material that surrounds the passage (5). The saved positions and orientations of the passage (5) are used for subsequent removal of unwanted material from the obstructed passage (5).
Claims22
A process for automated machining of an obstructed passage of an article, the process comprising:
- establishing a local reference coordinate system using characteristic features of the article that are unaffected by subsequent machining;
- obtaining over a plurality of angles thee-dimensional position and orientation data of the passage as local coordinates with respect to the reference coordinate system, using an automated scanning vision system and a distance measurement device;
- saving position and orientation data of the passage;
- and
- removing obstructing material from the passage using the saved position and orientation data of the passage.
A process for automated machining of an obstructed passage of an article, the process comprising:
- establishing a local reference coordinate system using characteristic features of the article that are unaffected by subsequent machining;
- determining a local tangential surface using a distance measurement device;
- taking at a plurality of angles images of the obstructed passage using a scanning vision system and determining the passage axis using image analysis tools;
- obtaining position data from the intersection of the passage axis with the local tangential surface as local coordinates with respect to the reference coordinate system;
- saving position and passage axis data of the passage;
- and
- removing obstructing material from the passage using the saved position and axis data of the passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.