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US 8,275,479 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for deburring splices
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsPhilip L. Freeman, Edward E. Feikert, John E. Inman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for performing an operation on a workpiece. Image information may be received from a camera system at a controller in which the camera system and the controller may be associated with a housing. The workpiece with a number of inconsistencies and a tool system may be moved relative to each other under a control of the controller in which the tool system may be associated with the housing. A number of operations may be performed on the number of inconsistencies on the workpiece holes using the image information under the control of the controller.
Claims31
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a tool system associated with the housing configured to perform a number of operations on a workpiece;
- a positioning system associated with the housing and configured to move the workpiece;
- a camera system associated with the housing and configured to generate image information for the workpiece, the camera system comprising at least a first camera and a second camera, the first camera configured to generate image information at a location of the workpiece prior to the tool system performing a number of operations and the second camera configured to generate image information at the location of the workpiece after the tool system performing a number of operations;
- and
- a controller associated with the housing and configured to receive the image information from the camera system, control the positioning system to move the workpiece and the tool system relative to each other, and control the tool system to perform the number of operations on a number of inconsistencies on the workpiece using the image information.
3 more elements
A portable deburring unit for deburring splices for a fuselage of an aircraft, the portable deburring unit comprising:
- a portable housing;
- a deburring unit associated with the portable housing and configured to move along a y-axis and a z-axis in which the deburring unit comprises a number of deburring tools in which each deburring tool in the number of deburring tools comprises a spindle, a deburring tool, a tool holder associated with the spindle and configured to hold the deburring tool, and a motor associated with the spindle in which the motor is configured to rotate the spindle, and in which the each deburring tool in the number of deburring tools is configured to remove an inconsistency from a hole of a different size from another deburring tool in the number of deburring tools;
- a positioning system associated with the portable housing and configured to move a splice along an x-axis;
- a camera system associated with the portable housing and configured to generate image information for a splice plate;
- and
- a controller associated with the portable housing and configured to receive the image information from the camera system;
- control the positioning system to move the splice plate and the deburring unit relative to each other using the image information by moving at least one of the splice plate and the deburring unit;
- select the deburring tool from the number of deburring tools for performing an operation on the hole in a number of holes based on a size of the hole;
- control the deburring unit to perform a number of operations on a number of inconsistencies for the number of holes using the image information in which the number of operations comprises at least one of removing the number of inconsistencies, reducing a size of the number of inconsistencies, and creating a beveled edge in each of the number of holes;
- receive additional image information after the number of operations has been performed on the number of inconsistencies for the number of holes;
- determine whether the number of holes has a desired quality using the additional image information;
- obtain identification information from the image information;
- and create inspection data using the additional information.
10 more elements
A method for performing an operation on a workpiece, the method comprising:
- moving the workpiece with a number of inconsistencies and a tool system relative to each other under a control of the controller in which the tool system is associated with a housing;
- receiving image information of an inconsistency on the workpiece from a first camera in a camera system at a controller as the workpiece moves with respect to the first camera, in which the camera system and the controller are associated with the housing;
- performing a number of operations on the number of inconsistencies on the workpiece using the image information under the control of the controller;
- and
- receiving image information of the inconsistency on the workpiece from a second camera in the camera system at a controller as the workpiece moves with respect to the second camera.
2 more elements
A method for performing an operation on a splice plate for an aircraft, the method comprising:
- receiving image information from a camera system at a controller in which the camera system and the controller are associated with a housing;
- moving a workpiece with a number of holes with a number of inconsistencies and a deburring unit relative to each other under a control of the controller using the image information in which the deburring unit is associated with the housing, in which the deburring unit has a number of deburring tools, and in which each deburring tool in the number of deburring tools is configured to remove an inconsistency from a hole of a different size from another deburring tool in the number of deburring tools;
- selecting, by the controller, a deburring tool from the number of deburring tools for performing an operation on a hole in the number of holes based on a size of the hole;
- performing a number of operations on the number of inconsistencies for the number of holes using the image information under the control of the controller in which the number of operations comprises at least one of removing the number of inconsistencies, reducing a size of the number of inconsistencies, and creating a beveled edge in each of the number of holes;
- determining, by the controller, whether the number of holes has a desired quality using additional image information;
- and
- obtaining, by the controller, identification information from the image information;
- and creating, by the controller, inspection data using the additional image information.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.