Substantially simultaneous manufacturing functions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9789609-B2
Application number	US-201514630945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2015
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing manufacturing functions on a workpiece. The apparatus may comprise a base, a plurality of autonomous functional components, and a plurality of autonomous movement systems. Each functional component of the plurality of autonomous functional components may be configured to perform a respective function. The plurality of autonomous movement systems may be associated with the base. Each of the plurality of autonomous movement systems may be connected to a respective functional component of the plurality of autonomous functional components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
autonomously performing a plurality of functions on a first plurality of locations on a workpiece substantially simultaneously using a plurality of autonomous functional components, wherein each of the plurality of functions is different than each other function of the plurality of functions; and
autonomously moving the plurality of autonomous functional components relative to the workpiece and relative to a base by changing positions at which the plurality of functional components are connected to a surface of the base using a plurality of autonomous movement systems configured to move across the surface of the base, wherein the base is movable with respect to the workpiece.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
controlling at least one of the autonomously performing the plurality of functions or the autonomously moving the plurality of autonomous functional components using a controller in communication with at least one of the plurality of autonomous functional components or the plurality of autonomous movement systems.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the controller is associated with at least one of a functional component of the plurality of autonomous functional components or a movement system of the plurality of autonomous movement systems.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
moving a clamping component of a plurality of autonomous clamping components relative to the base and the workpiece while at least one of performing the plurality of functions on the first plurality of locations, or after performing the plurality of functions on the first plurality of locations, wherein moving the clamping component relative to the base and the workpiece comprises moving one of the plurality of autonomous movement systems connected to the clamping component across the surface of the base to change a position at which the clamping component is connected to the surface of the base; and
performing the plurality of functions on a second plurality of locations on the workpiece substantially simultaneously using the plurality of autonomous functional components.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
positioning the plurality of autonomous clamping components prior to performing the plurality of functions on the first plurality of locations on the workpiece.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of functions are performed through operating envelopes of a number of clamping components of the plurality of autonomous clamping components.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein in moving the clamping component of the plurality of autonomous clamping components relative to the workpiece, the clamping component moves relative to a number of clamping components of the plurality of autonomous clamping components.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first plurality of locations and the second plurality of locations have a number of locations in common.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of functions includes at least one of drilling, inspecting, sealing, temporary fastening, inserting an item, or securing the item.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the each of the plurality of functions is performed through an operating envelope of the clamping component prior to moving the clamping component of the plurality of autonomous clamping components.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the each of the plurality of functions is performed by a different functional component of the plurality of autonomous functional components.

12. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
moving a second clamping component of the plurality of autonomous clamping components relative to the workpiece while at least one of performing the plurality of functions on the second plurality of locations, or after performing the plurality of functions on the second plurality of locations, wherein moving the second clamping component relative to the workpiece comprises moving one of the plurality of autonomous movement systems connected to the second clamping component across the surface of the base to change a position at which the second clamping component is connected to the surface of the base.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a movement system in the plurality of autonomous movement systems utilizes an air cushion or a magnetic field and further comprising:
removing the air cushion or the magnetic field from the movement system of the plurality of autonomous movement systems.

14. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
clamping the workpiece with the clamping component of the plurality of autonomous clamping components, wherein the clamping component utilizes an air cushion or a magnetic field and wherein clamping comprises:
removing the air cushion or the magnetic field from the clamping component of the plurality of autonomous clamping components.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
moving the base with respect to the workpiece using a movement assembly connected to the base, wherein moving the base with respect to the workpiece also moves the plurality of autonomous functional components relative to the workpiece.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
repeatedly performing the plurality of functions on the workpiece using the plurality of autonomous functional components; and
autonomously moving the plurality of autonomous functional components relative to the workpiece and relative to the base using the plurality of autonomous movement systems associated with the base each time the plurality of functions is performed on the workpiece so that each of the plurality of functions is performed in series on each respective location of the first plurality of locations.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
performing each of the plurality of functions in succession on the first plurality of locations.

18. An apparatus comprising:
a base comprising a surface, wherein the base is movable with respect to a workpiece;
a plurality of autonomous functional components, in which each autonomous functional component of the plurality of autonomous functional components is configured to perform a respective function; and
a plurality of autonomous movement systems associated with the base, in which each of a first number of the plurality of autonomous movement systems is connected to a respective functional component of the plurality of autonomous functional components, and wherein the plurality of autonomous movement systems are configured to move across the surface of the base to change positions at which the plurality of autonomous functional components are connected to the surface of the base.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein each functional component of the plurality of autonomous functional components is configured to perform a respective single function.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:
a plurality of autonomous clamping components, and wherein each of a second number of the plurality of autonomous movement systems is associated with a respective clamping component of the plurality of autonomous clamping components.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:
a controller in communication with at least one of a functional component of the plurality of autonomous functional components, a clamping component of the plurality of autonomous clamping components, or a movement system of the plurality of autonomous movement systems.

22. The apparatus of clai

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Crothers Phillip John

Classifications

• B25J11/005 Primary

  Manipulators for mechanical processing tasks · CPC title

• B64F5/00

  Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• Y10S901/08

  Robot · CPC title

• B25J9/0084

  comprising a plurality of manipulators · CPC title

• B25J5/007

  mounted on wheels · CPC title