Modular Parallel Kinematics Intelligent Assembly Automation Exechon AB

Format:

Conference/Event

Author/Creator:

Neumann, Neumann, author.

Conference Name:

Aerospace Technology Conference & Exposition (2011-10-18 : Toulouse, France)

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Warrendale, PA SAE International 2011

Summary:

In all modern automated assembly it is essential to be able toaccommodate all kind of processes like surface detection, drilling,countersinking, orbital drilling, cleaning, sealing, and assembly,without having to develop special equipment for each and everyapplication, and it is also important that an automated system canbe adapted to various shapes and materials on large parts, such aswings and fuselages, as well as smaller parts like flaps anddoors.Historically this type of assembly has always required large,heavy-duty, expensive machines designed and built with (and for)high accuracy over the entire work envelope and consequentiallysuch large machines been generally very complex and normallyfinancially and physically impossible to build with more than onespindle/assembly tool.To meet above challenges the aerospace industry must adaptautomotive thinking using multiple process units such as articulararm robots, but in contrary to automotive the processes inaerospace are highly accurate and have to be performed in toughmaterials like composite and titanium, and for such operationsconventional articular arm robots used in the automotive industryis not suitable.The new Exechon Parallel Kinematics technology is a standardmodular "machine tool robotics system" combining theflexibility and dynamics of articular arm robots with the accuracyand stiffness of CNC machines. This new patented design gives thesemodules extreme mobility and, in combination with adaptingtechnologies such as cross lasers and force sensors, it can performaccurate agile assembly over very large areas without the use ofaccurate large expensive heavy-duty structures.The modular system is also designed especially to achieve thegoal of adapting all kind of standard "off the shelftechnologies" incorporating such technologies in automatedaerospace systems using automotive thinking with standard toolchangers, et ceteraIt has been a tradition within aerospace to use multipleprocessing heads meaning that a huge end-effector is positioned ona surface, and a complete cycle of drilling, countersinking,cleaning, sealing, and assembly of, e.g., a Hi-Lok® is performedbefore moving to next position.However, using above described Exechon modular system withstandard tool changers, and automotive thinking where the time tomake a tool change is divided by the number of operations per tool,a new way of aerospace assembly is possible.For example, if the Exechon module uses its high dynamics todrill 100 holes within its work envelope, and then changes tool toa counter sink and perform 100 countersinks, the tool change timeshall be divide by 100, and if the tool change time is 10 secondsthis operation adds no more than 0,1 seconds to each hole andoperation (10/100=0,1), and it's hard even for a multipleprocessing end-effector to make a tool change in that time.Further to above, the Exechon modular system has the costadvantages and reliability of articular arm robot systems, and webelieve it will contribute to high-quality cost-efficient aerospaceassembly

Notes:

Vendor supplied data

Publisher Number:

2011-01-2534

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license