Compound shimming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814563-B2
Application number	US-201916690012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2019
Priority date	Jan 25, 2017
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method. The method includes identifying a first location on a first part to place a first shim tab to form a first portion of a compound shim. The method also includes applying the first shim tab to the first location on the first part with an end-effector. The method also includes identifying a second location directly adjacent to the first location on the first part to place a second shim tab. The method also includes applying the second shim tab to the second location on the first part with the end-effector to form a second portion of the compound shim. The method also includes applying a third shim tab to the second shim tab at the second location to increase a thickness of the second portion of the compound shim.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a supply spool carrying a roll of shim tabs on a carrier material, wherein the shim tabs comprise a first shim tab, a second shim tab, and a third shim tab;
a collection spool carrying a roll of the carrier material without shim tabs; and
an applicator configured to:
receive the first shim tab on the carrier material from the supply spool;
apply the first shim tab to a first location on a part;
receive the second shim tab on the carrier material from the supply spool;
apply the second shim tab to a second location directly adjacent to the first location on the part to form a compound shim;
receive the third shim tab on the carrier material from the supply spool; and
apply the third shim tab to the second shim tab at the second location;

wherein:
the supply spool is rotatable about a first axis to dispense the shim tabs on the carrier material;
the collection spool is rotatable about a second axis to receive the carrier material without shim tabs from the applicator;
the first axis is fixed relative to the second axis; and
the first axis and the second axis are co-movable with the applicator.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first motor, selectively operable to rotate the supply spool; and
a second motor, selectively operable to rotate the collection spool.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an extension structure that is selectively actuatable to translationally move the applicator relative to the first axis and the second axis.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the applicator is configured to separate the first shim tab, the second shim tab, and the third shim tab from the carrier material.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the applicator is configured to separate the first shim tab from the second shim tab.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a control module that is configured to control delivery of the first shim tab, the second shim tab, and the third shim tab to the applicator.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the applicator comprises a roller.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first shim tab, the second shim tab, and the third shim tab have a uniform geometry and thickness.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the roller is deformable.

10. A system comprising:
an assembly jig configured to secure a first part;
an inspection module configured to generate inspection data describing a surface characteristic of at least the first part at a joining region where the first part is to be joined with a second part;
a control module configured to generate a compound shim plan corresponding to the joining region of the first part based on the inspection data;
a multi-axis arm configured to move relative to the assembly jig in response to input from the control module; and
an apparatus coupled to the multi-axis arm and comprising:
a supply spool carrying a roll of shim tabs on a carrier material, wherein the shim tabs comprise a first shim tab, a second shim tab, and a third shim tab;
a collection spool carrying a roll of the carrier material without shim tabs; and
an applicator configured to:
receive the first shim tab on the carrier material from the supply spool;
apply the first shim tab to a first location on the first part,
receive the second shim tab on the carrier material from the supply spool;
apply the second shim tab to a second location on the first part directly adjacent to the first location on the first part to form a compound shim;
receive the third shim tab from the supply structure; and
apply the third shim tab to the second shim tab at the second location

wherein:
the supply spool is rotatable about a first axis to dispense the shim tabs on the carrier material;
the collection spool is rotatable about a second axis to receive the carrier material without shim tabs from the applicator;
the first axis is fixed relative to the second axis; and
the first axis and the second axis are co-movable with the applicator.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the inspection module is further configured to monitor the application of the first shim tab and to adjust the application of the second shim tab in response to monitoring the application of the first shim tab.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a motor that is selectively operable to rotate the supply.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a second motor that is selectively operable to rotate the collection spool.

14. The system apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an extension structure that is selectively actuatable to translationally move the applicator relative to the first axis.

15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the applicator comprises a roller.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the roller is deformable.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first shim tab, the second shim tab, and the third shim tab has a polygonal geometry.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first shim tab, the second shim tab, and the third shim tab has a hexagonal geometry.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the shapes of the first shim tab, the second shim tab, and the third shim tab are the same.

20. The system according to claim 10 , wherein a thickness of the first shim tab, the second shim tab, and the third shim tab is the same.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Nesbit Ashleigh
• Wilson Thomas

Classifications

• B29L2031/3055

  Cars · CPC title

• B29C65/48 Primary

  using adhesives {, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding} · CPC title

• B29L2031/3097

  Cosmonautical vehicles; Rockets · CPC title

• B23P2700/12

  Laminated parts · CPC title

• F16B11/006

  by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48) · CPC title