Systems and methods for repairing aircraft components using geometric adaptive machining

1 . A method of reshaping and reconstructing aircraft components via geometric adaptive machining, the method comprising:

measuring, using at least one tactile probe or non-tactile vision system, an aircraft component to detect a size and shape of the aircraft component; and

by a computing device configured to control a machining device including a machining tool:

pre-aligning a coordinate system associated with the aircraft component based on the measuring with a coordinate system of the machining device that controls a path of movement of the machining tool to create an aligned coordinate system;

selecting, from an electronic database, a geometric model corresponding to a post-machining target size and shape of the aircraft component;

measuring, using the at least one tactile probe or non-tactile vision system, the aircraft component at multiple points in the aligned coordinate system to identify one or more deviations of the aircraft component from the selected geometric model;

wherein the measuring of the aircraft component to detect the size and shape of the aircraft component further comprises:

detecting a distance between one edge of the aircraft component and an opposite edge of the aircraft component to determine an overall length or width of the aircraft component:

detecting a maximum thickness of the aircraft component; and

detecting at least one designated reference point on the aircraft component to determine an overall shape of the aircraft component;

in response to identifying the one or more deviations of the aircraft component from the selected geometric model, generating a corrected path of the machining tool; and

causing the machining device to move the machining tool along the generated corrected path of the machining tool to machine the aircraft component.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the measuring of the aircraft component to detect the size and shape of the aircraft component further comprises mounting the aircraft component to a fixture having a size and shape compatible to the size and shape of the aircraft component.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-aligning further comprises:

adjusting a position and a rotation of the aircraft component in 3-dimensional space using a transformation technique to align the size and shape of the aircraft component to the post-machining target shape of the aircraft component; and

applying a transformation to the coordinate system of the machining device to ensure alignment of the path of the machining tool with the post-machining target shape of the aircraft component.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the corrected path of the machining tool further comprises:

applying statistical corrections to the one or more deviations to correct distortions associated with a predicted path of the machining tool;

accounting for material variations and machining tolerances relative to the post-machining target shape of the aircraft component; and

determining how much material to leave on or remove from the aircraft component along the corrected path of the machining tool such that a final post-machining shape of the aircraft component matches the post-machining target shape of the aircraft component.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising computing the distortions associated with a predicted path of the machining tool at one or more cross-sections of the aircraft component to account for material deformations and shape changes of the aircraft component during the machining of the aircraft component by the machining tool.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the applying of the statistical corrections to the one or more deviations of the aircraft component from the selected geometric model further comprises at least one of: performing a 3-dimensional least-squares best-fit transformation of the size and shape of the aircraft component to the selected geometric model, and creating a 3-dimensional morphed shape of the final post-machining shape of the aircraft component based on the corrected path of the machining tool.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising conducting an Airfoil Dimensional Analysis (AFDA) check to verify whether the 3-dimensional morphed shape of the aircraft component meets the machining tolerances relative to the post-machining target shape of the aircraft component.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising, if the AFDA check passes, generating the corrected path of the machining tool based on the 3-dimensional morphed shape that represents the final post-machining shape of the aircraft component.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising, if the AFDA check fails, introducing material stock adders at one or more points of the corrected path of the machining tool to adjust the corrected path of the machining tool and the final post-machining shape of the aircraft component.

10 . A system for reshaping and reconstructing an aircraft component via geometric adaptive machining, the system comprising:

a measurement device configured to detect a size and shape of the aircraft component, wherein the measurement device is a tactile probe or a non-tactile vision system;

an electronic database storing geometric models corresponding to post-machining target sizes and shapes of aircraft components;

a machining device including a machining tool and configured to control a path of movement of the machining tool to machine the aircraft component; and

a computing device configured to:

pre-align a coordinate system associated with the aircraft component with a coordinate system of the machining device to create an aligned coordinate system;

select, from the electronic database, a geometric model corresponding to a post-machining target size and shape of the aircraft component;

process measurement data, generated by the measurement device, of the aircraft component at multiple points in the aligned coordinate system, to identify one or more deviations of the aircraft component from the selected geometric model;

wherein the computing device is further configured to process the measurement data generated via the measurement device to:

detect a distance between one edge of the aircraft component and an opposite edge of the aircraft component to determine an overall length or width of the aircraft component;

detect a maximum thickness of the aircraft component; and

detect at least one designated reference point on the aircraft component to determine an overall shape of the aircraft component;

in response to an identification of the one or more deviations of the aircraft component from the selected geometric model, generate a corrected path of the machining tool; and

cause the machining device to move the machining tool along the generated corrected path of the machining tool to machine the aircraft component.

11 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a fixture having a size and shape compatible to the size and shape of the aircraft component to permit the aircraft component to be mounted thereon.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:

adjust a position and a rotation of the aircraft component in 3-dimensional space using a transformation technique to align the size and shape of the aircraft component to the post-machining target shape of the aircraft component; and

apply a transformation to the coordinate system of the machining device to ensure alignment of the path of the machining tool with the post-machining target shape of the aircraft component.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:

apply statistical corrections to the one or more deviations to correct distortions associated with a predicted path of the machining tool;

account for material variations and machining tolerances relative to the post-machining target shape of the aircraft component; and

determine how much material to leave on or remove from the aircraft component along the corrected path of the machining tool such that a final post-machining shape of the aircraft component matches the post-machining target shape of the aircraft component.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the computing device is further configured to compute the distortions associated with a predicted path of the machining tool at one or more cross-sections of the aircraft component to account for material deformations and shape changes of the aircraft component during the machining of the aircraft component by the machining tool.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the computing device is further configured to apply the statistical corrections to the one or more deviations of the aircraft component from the selected geometric model by virtue at least one of:

performing a 3-dimensional least-squares best-fit transformation of the size and shape of the aircraft component to the selected geometric model; and

creating a 3-dimensional morphed shape of the final post-machining shape of the aircraft component based on the corrected path of the machining tool.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the computing device is further configured to conduct an Airfoil Dimensional Analysis (AFDA) check to verify whether the 3-dimensional morphed shape of the aircraft component meets the machining tolerances relative to the post-machining target shape of the aircraft component.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the computing device is further configured to, if the AFDA check passes, generate the corrected path of the machining tool based on the 3-dimensional morphed shape that represents the final post-machining shape of the aircraft component.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the computing device is further configured to, if the AFDA check fails, introduce material stock adders or material removals at one or more points of the corrected path of the machining tool to adjust the corrected path of the machining tool and the final post-machining shape of the aircraft component.