US 12,226,911 B2
Reconfigurable, fixtureless manufacturing system and method
George K. Ghanem, Columbus, OH (US)
Filed by George K. Ghanem, Columbus, OH (US)
Filed on Dec. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/073,675.
Application 18/073,675 is a continuation of application No. 16/664,443, filed on Oct. 25, 2019, granted, now 11,559,897.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/751,014, filed on Oct. 26, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0101387 A1, Mar. 30, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01); G05B 19/418 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1682 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1612 (2013.01); B25J 9/1697 (2013.01); G05B 19/41875 (2013.01); G05B 2219/37567 (2013.01); G05B 2219/50125 (2013.01); G05B 2219/50393 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for reconfigurable, fixtureless manufacturing, said method comprising:
grasping, by way of a first material handling robot, a first part, wherein the first material handling device is adapted for programmable movement within an assembly area;
moving, by way of the first material handling robot, the first part to a first location within the assembly area;
grasping, by way of a second material handling robot, a second part, wherein the second material handling device is adapted for programmable movement within assembly area;
moving, by way of the second material handling robot, the second part to a second location within the assembly area such that the second part adjoins the first part in a predetermined orientation;
while said first part and said second part remain grasped by said first material handling robot and said second material handling robot, respectively, in a manner which otherwise suspends said first part and said second part within the assembly area and out of contact with any fixtures, work surfaces, jigs, and locators:
performing an alignment scan, by way of the machine vision system, of the first part and the second part to determine locations of datums on the first part and the second part;
transmitting the locations of the datums to a controller;
comparing, by way of software, the location of the datums relative to stored virtual datums for a subassembly comprising the first part and the second part joined together;
transmitting, by way of the controller, the location of the datums to a joining robot;
joining the first part to the second part by way of the joining robot to form the subassembly; and
performing an inspection scan, by way of the machine vision system, of the datums on the first part and the second part after joining the first part to the second part.