Automated positioning and alignment method and system for aircraft structures using robots

1. A method for positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage or other aeronautical parts in relation to one another during structural assembly through use of a robot, an aeronautical part being supported by a support, the method comprising:

structuring at least the support and the aeronautical part as a tool of the robot;

measuring points on the support or on the aeronautical part supported by the support;

in response to the measuring, establishing a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the aeronautical part based on the measured points and known specification information about the aeronautical part;

using at least one computer processor, using the geographical center point as a robot tool center point (TCP); and

using the at least one computer processor, using the robot TCP as a tooling alignment point to control the robot to automatically align the aeronautical part by controlling the robot to match the TCP of the aeronautical part driven by the robot and a center point of a further aeronautical part not driven by the robot to reach a best fit condition according to alignment tolerances.

2. The method of claim 1 further including using closed loop control to control the robot.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the further aeronautical part not driven by the robot comprises a further, stationary part, and the method further including metrologically measuring geometry of a further, stationary part and using closed loop control to control the robot to align the aeronautical part to the further aeronautical part.

4. The method of claim 1 further including controlling the robot to move in six degrees of freedom (6DOF).

5. The method of claim 1 further including measuring geometry of the support or aeronautical part using at least one item selected from the group consisting of optical devices, laser projections, laser trackers, and indoor global positioning system (GPS) by radio or laser or photogrammetry.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the structuring includes fixing the support together with the aeronautical part supported by the support as a unique tool for the robot.

7. A non-transitory storage medium for use in positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage or other aeronautical parts in relation to one another during structural assembly through use of a robot, an aeronautical part being supported by a support, at least said support being structured as the tool of the robot, said storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that perform the following instructions when executed by at least one computer processor:

measure points on the support or on the aeronautical part supported by the support;

in response to the measuring, establish a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the aeronautical part based on the measured points and known specification information about the aeronautical part;

use the geographical center point as the robot tool center point (TCP); and

use the robot TCP as a tooling alignment point to control the robot to automatically align the aeronautical part by controlling the robot to match the TCP of the aeronautical part driven by the robot and a center point of a further aeronautical part not driven by the robot to reach a best fit condition according to alignment tolerances.

8. The storage medium of claim 7 wherein the storage medium further stores instructions that when executed use closed loop control to control the robot.

9. The storage medium of claim 7 wherein the storage medium further stores instructions that receive metrologically measuring geometry of the further part not driven by the robot and use closed loop control to control the robot to align the aeronautical part to the further aeronautical part.

10. The storage medium of claim 7 wherein said instructions automatically control the robot to move in six degrees of freedom (6DOF).

11. The storage medium of claim 7 wherein the storage medium stores further instructions that receive measured geometry of the support or aeronautical part based on optical, laser projection, laser tracking, or indoor global positioning system (GPS) by radio or laser or photogrammetry.

12. A system for positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage or other aeronautical parts in relation to one another during structural assembly through use of a robot, an aeronautical part being supported by a support, the system comprising:

a tool of the robot comprising at least the support and the aeronautical part;

means for measuring points on the support or on the aeronautical part supported by the support;

means responsive to the measuring means for establishing a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the aeronautical part based on the measured points and known specification information about the aeronautical part;

means for using the geographical center point as the robot tool center point (TCP); and

means for controlling the robot to use TCP as a tooling alignment point to automatically align the aeronautical part by controlling the robot to match the TCP of the aeronautical part driven by the robot and a center point of a further aeronautical part not driven by the robot to reach a best fit condition according to alignment tolerances.

13. A system for positioning and aligning aircraft fuselage or other aeronautical parts in relation to one another during structural assembly, the system comprising:

a six degree of freedom (6DOF) robot articulated arm;

a support attached to the arm in place of a tool, the support being structured to engage the aeronautical part;

a measuring device that measures points on the support or on the aeronautical part; and

a computer processing arrangement coupled to the measuring device, the computer establishing a coordinate system and a geographical center point for the support or aeronautical part at least in part in response to the measured points and known specification information about the aeronautical part, and using the geographical center point as the robot tool center point (TCP);

wherein the robot is structured to use the robot TCP as a tooling alignment point to automatically align the aeronautical part by controlling the robot to match the TCP of the aeronautical part driven by the robot and a center point of a further aeronautical part not driven by the robot to reach a best fit condition according to alignment tolerances.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the computer arrangement is further structured to use closed loop control to control the robot.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the measuring device metrologically measures geometry of a further, stationary part and the computer arrangement is further structured to use closed loop control to control the robot to align the aeronautical part to the further aeronautical part.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the measuring device is selected from the group consisting of an optical device, a laser projection, a laser tracker, and an indoor global positioning system (GPS) by radio or laser or photogrammetry.