David J Strand

US Patent:

56498888, Jul 22, 1997

Filed:

Jun 6, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/468587

Inventors:

Antonio C. Micale - Seattle WA
David E. Strand - Renton WA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Seattle WA

International Classification:

B23Q 3157

US Classification:

483 11

Abstract:

A system for assembling parts on a sheet to form a panel includes a fixture for holding the sheet and presenting the sheet broadside to a robot. A rack within the reach of the robot holds a plurality of end effectors, each having an interconnect which can be gripped and centered by the robot when it picks up by the end effector. The end effectors include, 1) a drilling end effector having a drill for drilling holes in the sheet on centers determined by movement of the robot; 2) a routing end effector having a router for routing peripheral edge portions of the sheet along lines determined by movement of the router; 3) a probe end effector having a probe for sensing contact with surfaces on an index device mounted on the fixture at a known location to serve as a reference monument. A part program constituting a data set having complete panel assembly detail design information obtained directly from original digital engineering part definition records, including locations on the sheet of all fastener holes for fastening the parts needed to make up the panel, and the position on the sheet of the peripheral edge portions thereof relative to the holes, the part program also including machine instructions for directing the movement of the robot to carry the end effectors to the locations on the sheet at which machining operations are needed to fasten the parts in the correct locations and to produce peripheral routed edge portions of the correct configuration. A control computer controls the motion of the robot in accordance with the instructions contained in the part program and automatically performs absolute coordination probing to verify the accuracy of the robot and fixture positioning.

US Patent:

60038128, Dec 21, 1999

Filed:

Jun 6, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/471664

Inventors:

Antonio C. Micale - Seattle WA
David E. Strand - Renton WA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Seattle WA

International Classification:

B64C 106

US Classification:

244117R

Abstract:

An airplane fuselage panel including a sheet having peripheral edges routed on routing surfaces, while the sheet is held immobile on a fixture, using a routing end effector carried by a precision computer controlled robot that is directed to the routing surfaces using a digital dataset taken directly from digital engineering part definition records. The sheet has coordination holes drilled while on the fixture using a drilling end effector carried by the precision computer controlled robot that is directed to drilling locations using the digital dataset taken directly from the digital engineering part definition records to accurately locate the hole locations relative to the peripheral edges. The airplane fuselage panel also includes parts, including stringers, stringer clips and shear ties, each having coordination holes drilled by computer controlled drills at locations that will match with corresponding coordination holes in the sheet, so that the parts will be accurately located in positions called for in the digital engineering part definition records when the coordination holes in the parts and the coordination holes in the sheet are aligned and the parts are riveted to the sheet in the accurately located positions.

US Patent:

55601022, Oct 1, 1996

Filed:

Oct 13, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/964533

Inventors:

Antonio C. Micale - Seattle WA
David E. Strand - Renton WA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Seattle WA

International Classification:

B23Q 1700

US Classification:

298972

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for manufacturing panels and major airplane fuselage sections, including a reconfigurable fixture that holds panels for routing and drilling by accurate numerically controlled machine tools using original numerical part definition records, utilizing spatial relationships between key features of detail parts or subassemblies as represented by coordination holes drilled into the parts and subassemblies and making the parts and subassemblies intrinsically determinate of the dimensions and contour of the assembly.

US Patent:

43802958, Apr 19, 1983

Filed:

Apr 6, 1981

Appl. No.:

6/251190

Inventors:

Mark S. Soderberg - Seattle WA
Albert L. Hametner - West Seattle WA
Herman F. Leppink - Renton WA
David E. Strand - Seattle WA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Seattle WA

International Classification:

B07C 500
B21H 310

US Classification:

209558

Abstract:

Drills (35), vertically oriented in a row/column array in a drill block (31), are moved in the column direction across a slot (49) located at a loading station (41). As the drills in each partially or fully occupied row reach the slot and drop, drill block movement halts. Thereafter a vertically oriented turn-over tube (51) is moved in the row direction beneath the slot (49). When an occupied drill position is reached, the drill drops into the turn-over tube, tube row movement temporarily halts, and the tube is rotated. The drill slides out of the turn-over tube (51) and down the channel (59) of a measuring station (43) until it hits a movable stop (61). After drill diameter is measured by a pneumatically positioned LVDT (87) and overall drill length is measured by a pneumatically positioned linear potentiometer (69)/proximity detector (PX3) combination, the stop (61) is withdrawn and the drill enters a clamp (95), which grips the adapter shank of the drill. The clamp (95) and the drill are moved by an air-over-oil mechanism toward a prepositioned bushing (385) that deburrs the drill when the drill enters the bushing. Drill movement stops when the end of the flutes reach the bushing, at which time the clamp position is measured by a linear potentiometer (100).

US Patent:

56154836, Apr 1, 1997

Filed:

Jun 6, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/465053

Inventors:

Antonio C. Micale - Seattle WA
David E. Strand - Renton WA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Seattle WA

International Classification:

B23Q 1700

US Classification:

298972

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for manufacturing panels and major airplane fuselage sections, including a reconfigurable fixture that holds panels for routing and drilling by accurate numerically controlled machine tools using original numerical part definition records, utilizing spatial relationships between key features of detail parts or subassemblies as represented by coordination holes drilled into the parts and subassemblies and making the parts and subassemblies intrinsically determinate of the dimensions and contour of the assembly.